New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-22

an adequate and permanent outlet t
the navigation Of its waters. This worl
was written by the present chief of tn
engineering department of the fedora
government, General Humphreys. W.
do not trespass upon the professiona
engineer in saying that that mos
profound study, with actual illustration.
of the Mississippi in its whole length and
outlet, has furnished the basis of q belize
that canal is the most proper mode OF
outlet improvement We only refer to the
theory of Mr.. Eads to remark that he
treats the formation Of channel as con.
fined to the removal of previous deposit
from one part of the river to another. He
does not advert to the fact that
this alluvion with which the river is
highly charged at certain seasons is the
soil washed from thousand hills, brought
into the river from ten thousand tributa-
ries. When this river rises more than
twenty-five feet above low water and
spreads its current at places from twenty
to thirty miles wide, the restraints of
channel are disregarded and the pilot who
goes up the river by one chute may come
down the river by another. The Missis-
Is grand outlaw, utterly beyond restraint
by the philosophers. They may evade her
by canal, but they can not put bit in her
mouth with jetty. The Mississippi breaks
through all physical impedimen.s of rock
and mountain, lawless and uncomfortable.
She roams through the delta, making a
cave or cutoff, bend or a bayou wher-
ever her capricious current may choose.
Suddenly she runs against an obstacle that
Will no more regard her imperious DEGREES
than it did those OF Canute. The Mississippi
pl runs up against the ocean-the majestic
ocean spreading her mass of waters from
the Balize to Biscay. The Mississippi has
met her match. This wall of waters re-
CARDS her no more than mammoth would
mosquito. The Mississippi strikes
this eternal and immovable wall. The |
wall does not even yield with a tidal ebb |!
to the temporary ascendency of the river.
There is never more than fifteen inches |
difference in the level of the two waters.
The Mississippi is beaten back. 1t |
splurts into several principal and subor-
dinate channels. 1t deposits nine hundred
square miles of batture mud and marsh.
For many miles above its mouth the grass
does not root as high above the water as
this table above the floor. For miles
there is not a bush that would bear a
olackbird, and so the proud river sneaks
INTO and hides itself in the sea, which
swallows it as Professor Eads would a
spoonful OF soup or federal appropria-
ion.
Concentrate this channel What can bind
his water? There are no banks within
which it can be confined. Compel this
current to force its way through the
ca? The jetty becomes an obstruction,
nd so sends the water in different direc-
ion and through other channels new or
Id. 1t is the combat between the sea
nd the current that makes the bar ridge |
etween. When there is more mud in
be river water there is less depth on the
ar, when the water is clearer of sediment
here is more depth on the bar. Now, if
rofessor Eads would engage-which he
light readily do-to clarity this river
y compelling some precipitation of
lie sedimentary excess by means of some
aemical agent, which person of such
sried abilities could devise and one of
lch consummate confidence propose.
len would the river deepen itself and
len would any appropriation be un- a
ecessary. Until some such ingenious +.
tent shall be proposed we shall con-
aue to prefer the disinterested and able
Unions of United States engineers to i,
y scheme of personal glory or gain, no tt
after by whom advocated. r