New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-15
MAJOR sUTER,s REPORT.
Improvement Of The Mississippi Riv.

Improvement Of the Mississippi River.
The St. Louis Republican lately containe,
nearly tive columns Of extracts from Majo
Charles 4. Suffers report to the Secretar,
Of War on the condition and features of tn,
Mississippi river. and the feasibility of reg
ulating tho depth of its channel. From
these extracts the summary given below
has been made. Major Suter has had near
~ ten years practical experience on works
OF Western river improvement. and enjoys
a professional reputation above the average
His opinion is. therefore. worthy the care
full consideration OF all who are interested
in improving the navigation of the river
and he will, no doubt, be accepted as an
authority. on the facts he details, over the
crude theories which have been presented
from time to time. Many ingenious argu.
ments have been offered, but their authors
have generally lacked full and reliable in.
formation on which to base their views.
Major Suter recommends the application
| of dykes for contracting the width OF the
river at points obstructed by bars during
the season of low water. These will 80 di-
rect the river current at these points as to
make It, after each flood, scour out the re-
quired lov water channel on the line fol-
lowed by it the preceding year. He also
l recommends the sevetment OF caying banks
when found necessary to preserve the shape
! Of the river and protect breaks about the
shore ends OF the dykes. With these
works. thus outlined. judiciously located
| and carried to completion. he expects to Sc
| cure at first depth Of six feet at all sea-
s0ns OF the year from Cairo to New Or
leans. Thir may be gradually increased to
ten feet.
This project will commend itself to all en-
gineers who have given due attention to the
subject Of river improvement below Cairo.
Major Suter, in presenting his report, wisely
Omits details Of location and construction,
which are too often required by Congress
from engineers projecting works Of river
and harbor improvement. Ii at present it
were possible to put down the dykes and
revetments, a. recommended by Major Su-
ter. IN their proper place., with suitable
height. length and stability, many locations
could be selected where an estimate of the
total cost could be made But Major Suter
confines himself to recommending an ex
tended survey, and an appropriation Of
100000 for work between Cairo and Mem
phis.
The s.. Louis Republican in commenting
on Major Suffers report appears 10 consider
this amount suf1ici. nj for beginning. But
it has never appeared to St. Louis to be for
its interest to have anything improved ex-
cept railroads leading directly to it. 1t is
true st. Louis aided greatly in causing the
canal to be abandoned for the jetties. but
the latter are considered only an expert
mens, and the canal was acknowledged TO
be certainty. If it succeeds, we'll and
good. but the St. Louis paper does not de-
tire anything which may conduce to the
Of ten feet and clear channel from
here to St. Louis, it fears. would draw
trade to us. and. therefore. it is content
with 100000. Indeed the editorial
comment expresses as much in saying the
good work St. Louis has done in the way Of
'ailrcal development during the last few
years has si!enced all those who were wont
to sneer at our boasts about natural advan-
tages." and that 'St. Louis is the control
ing railroad centre Of the West to-day" St |
Louis has no desire to see any avenue of
commerce open to New Orleans till she has !
prepared her lines of iron rails to bear it !
all to her own warehouses. 1t is for that |
II, e. ~. -.
sufficient to carry out the plane suggested |
in the following abstract of Major Suffers |
report:
The sum for the survey was insufficient |
for more than a careful reconnaissance,
which was done during the summer and |
winter OF 1874. The river was sketched |
from the pilot house of . steamer, psssi ng |
four times between Vicksburgs and Cairo,
and twice between Vicksburg and New Or |
leans. The river was not low enough for a |
hydraulic survey. A careful survey Of the |
whole river is an absolute necessity. From
Cairo down is the l,wer Mississippi proper,
the banks of which are composed of laye rs
Of sand and clay. surmounted by stratum
about thirty feet thick Of alluvial soil, GOV.
cred with a rank growth Of timber. VIII en- I
not cultivated, willows and cottonwood.
The curved formation increases with the
descent OF the river and the velocity OF the
current. The bed is a peculiar tenacious
clay. on which rests the immense deposits
which create the bars by the action Of
the current. Their types vary by the
;urviny Of the stream, The channel j.. al
ways more or less crooked, and the loca-
ion CT straight current not obvious. The
eayier materials generally follow the
thread Of the strongest current. which de.
posits gravel and sand at the points or
wherever the high water channel may be,
md thus encroach ON ths space occupied
,y the water at lower sta yes. The banks,
Offering lees resistance than the bed, are
,roded and bends elongated. The greatest
iepth is not always where the current is
strongest. Between the extreme edge Of
he sand wave and the concave bank 10 a |
leep pool, where the velocity is small, re-
eiving only the lightest deposits. and
which is secured out at low water. Then
N opposite tides OF the stream, near the .
POINTS. instead Of near the centre. The |
xtensiOn of the points elongates the ends,
nd then the current cuts channel through
he point bar. In this way the islands have
'een formed.
The chutea are high water chan nels. and
is absurd to attempt to turn the low