New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-06
the :iyegs before mentioned, excep.

n
| riparian occupants. They can not, from che
| nature OF the case. be diverted into the
gree. river. SO that the~ are found on every
1 peninsula IN Che delta. TO this remark
] .tn-re Is not single exception. They are OF
different sizes. generally corresponding to the
! e.'en: OF territory which they drain. Some
! are NOT more shan three or four yards il
I "!dth. at a distance at two miles from their
| source: Others are tive. and sill others eighs
| or 'er yards. New river. which rises in the
I gceat peninsula opposite Donaldsonys vile.
and trails al: those parts OF the parishes OF
! ASCENSION. 81, james aud st. JOHN the Bap.
iist :TL!c3 !e "a tine left bank ct tie siver, !.
| tae largest :'aTou OF this GLASS, The Bavcl,
! st. Johns which drains tisc peninsula of New
! Orleans an! Cavrollton. is. il one pars of ;.s
| cou!ses perhaps, even broader Yuan New
river. Dut II becomes narrow a little lower
down. and cont:n ICES SO ~! it falls into L.se
! P"n'chartrain. AT 'ie little hau:ie. known
| as SayOn Road. ;! has width .. s;xt- or
| seventy gars. with :, sluggish current, :cul
! AID !nky, {. lit abode for seruen.s :ortoises.
| allisato:s ai!,. other ioatfsome reptiles. |
never can recall this stream. as j: existed
IN years g"!ie by, without thinking that
Virgil MUS: have :ad some such stream in
his minds """ yhe:l he described. The StyX:
'I"rDi.tHs hi" "a.,0. r.tst.,gs.s yo.ai1.e."
Bayou s.. JOAN. wide as j: is il one part,
drains smaller territory. and IS .he con.
Gulc OF 4 .!1sileg volume Of wata. than
many barcas that are only :our yards 10
width.
This class G; bavous. as they suspend but
little fe.iimen: 5n their waters, form GA.
very small ridges. These bavoUs are il.
the lowest parts of oen:nsuias. and are
very use:ui When kepc clear oi Instructions,
since they serr" as natural drains 10 she
plantations. Unlike the .'ayeus Of ~.
second class. they become gradual; wider
from their sources 20 their mouths. Tlese
bayous receive tributaries. whereas bayous
o! the second class give them out. These
may De s:keneI 70 :i.e veins of the humar:
:'et!r. that co:!ec. :l!e blood from she ex.
!re:Gi;ies: ana iaycTS %! :ne second class
20 :as arteries whic. :ece;ve the blood from.
the heart. and Distribute j. through a.!
parts y: TIE system.
In o,,:e- 20 form cc.ree. :.,ea ": boil.
these Classes Ct 5ayous. we must bear III
!:i.nG wil.- :s stated :.boce. namely. thar
-: surface %: the :Iiss:-si!'p: at Eis!: water
!. higher thar :ila lands Through which !:
flows. From the ,uout!, OF the Red river 20
I'll" PIsses. the Mississippi :.ows along tie
E:iinL!j: OF a ridge, which iim:n:shes il.
:y!:!A and :leig!s: as We descend. Ii :n:s is
so. 4 :.sr- ne asked why the river. wien it
has once burs: !.= barriers. does not !.,rlI
for ltsc.; d Eew be,:. and never :etura again
This mighty stream. from a JGint little
above the Passes ~ Donaidsonviile. has q
depth, Dy actual measurement. Of ninety
feet AT !"T water. ana she barrier which il
has Aurs: = only ..om four or five feet i.
the lowest parts 70 nine in The highest, SO
that crevssse ioa yards IL width. though. AS
It rna:s and tcaus like another Ma CARA. it
seems 10 .lc henolder to be a miy y river
III Itself. and about to make shorter Gus
han ..ys 10 Il
ut the ;'aren: stream. We! j. Divers but "a
snaA traction of The stunendous flood whicl,
IS borne along il silent and aw:u! majesty
oT .ae Father ot Waters. and. when tnc
hoods subs:de. the crevaass Is irr and ;ae
M:.sissipps rolls on a: of yo:e.
- Ne" Orleans the surface OF III. river.
a: .,gii water, Thei! :; reaches 20 within Il
lew .nei:e: of the top d tie !evee, is four.
:eeE See. above low wafer marx. At ST.
James The rise Is twenty feet. ;,1 Donald.
son:ille twenty-five :eat and at Baycc
f.aiu;,r.Ee :iIirty.:wo ;ee:. Ii we add 70
these measurements the elevation of the
river At low water above sac Calf Of Mex.
eco. We sld.! have III" actua: heigh: OF me
Mississippi! during the annua! foods above
( he gulf. BY :hls !neaEs we lind that, at
h!::!; water. the river az New Orleans, ;G:i.
miles from the passes. fifteen Gee: SIX
inches and a: Bayou !!aquem;ne. wnici, is
oA.k'S ssohI AiO p.SSEss 1--WE ace.
above the sea Level. II thus appears that
the rise o. :;s Mississippi; :s greater than
that OF i.4e Nile. for that AZ Grand Cairo.
:l"ar :he head nj :Ee delta, IS only :wentr.
.ou. tee: six inches. Now. the ridge Of
..nd along the crest OF which the Mississip.
III flows. a not only much higher a. tie |
'!ead OF the delta thar n She lower part.
puc J; is alsn ;Iuch wider, SO tina. the de- |
e!lv!tr. iron: the shore oi the river 20 :re !
~
throughout :he whole extent o: the ridge.
There = another eiemen: which must not !
be forgotten Il. the solution OF this problems: !
ike all other rivers that runf through |
.t!uviai formations. the Mississippi is very |
,:cokec. me.nderirg t:rocgh all tie points |
,: The compass. lis bends have grea: I'm.
tormity OF structure. They are. on AZ !
average, fifteen miles n length. i. e.. from !
}olnt 10 Do.I.: on the same side Of the river. !
rom New Orleans 20 the Red Kirer-:he !
lead OF the delta. Above that point .hey |
IRE considerably longer.
The Quite. bayous--the bayou. of the
second class--invarablv take .hci: aepar.
ure from the main stream "a the concave |
lpeS OF the bend, for here the water. rush.
Nc az RICH: angles agains: the bank with |
tremendous force. Inderm;nes i: with tear.
u! certainty. and sometimes, without any |
'isib!e indications of danger. witt. appal. |
ing suddenness. The prudent planter !
uakes at these bends {. second !evee some |
obs back OF the from: one, So tina. It The
roEs !cyee crulnb.as away. the rear one
lay prove secure barrier. ! haze known |
e:erai acres of land 20 disappear in q
iug.e night. u have seen primevai forests |
I: syean:orss and cettoEwo GODS. which, but
yesterday lowered a hundred feet into the
ir. now topp!ed into tne oo:l.ag food. as
reeds by the roadside are washed down |
y summer shower. There thev world
emain. swayed 90 and :ro hv she eddies.
IL the roots were detached; !vo.n the Sol!
q which they had been rooted FOR centuries,
nd the gigantic trunks we're swept
way with the torrent. Some Of those became
mbeGded il the sand.bars. and became
nags. or sawyers, dangerous 20 nariga.
ion tor years to come: others were carried
ar out into the Cult of Mexico. and. svep:
long IN its currents. they found their way
0 the broad Atlantic. and seateG TO the
hores of Greenland Or Norway: or. being
effected to the south, they we're los: il
be Sargazo sea. These bayoi;s continue o.;
he same width from she river TO sLei.
,ouths. In their uniformity Of width shey
esemble the parent stream. which does not
lcrease in width from che mouth .: the
'hio to New Orleans. When :et: 20 them.
elves. they have numerous branches, or
ibordinate bayous: so shat The Mississippi
mighty natural apparatus for irrigation.
ed by the perennial SHOWS OF the Rocky
fountains, this stupendous reservoir is
mailing. and before the bayous were
'osed by a policy as selfish as it was short
GIFTED, they served as safety valves through
'hieh the floods were poured---ministers OF
eIetcence instead o: devastation.
Al preset the branches o: these bavors
re closed, as are the bayous themselves:
Il: formerly. before the !evee system was
augurated. every considerable bend in the
yer had a bayou flowing out OF It. The
of Gny,,e Of rar,aiD Rarc-o |