The Osceola times., 1875-09-11
THE KING OF FLOODS.
The Outlet system a Safe and
Permanent Protection Against
Overflow in the Lower
Mississippi Valley.
The Levee system and Jettv
Scheme Will Cost Billions
and be a Failure.
From the Memphis Ayalanchel

From the Memphis Ayalanchel
EDITOR AVALANCHE There Ia,
been more SAID and written TO les,
purpose on this than any other sub
ject, which is Of so much impor
tance tor tho reason that like the
guerlllas, each one writes without
any settled theory sustained by
facts, and until this may be estab.
lished there will be no plan devils
cd that can control the flood tides
Of the great river.
l have a theory and remedy
which reason and common sense
will somo day establish in spite OF
all the scientiiics and others who
are moro interested IN bonds, levee
contracts, towboats, trans CONT
mental railways, than they are in
the good Of the country; and chal-
leuse them to refute tho correct
ness of what | say, and leave the
people who AFRO SO deeply interest
ed, to be the Judge as to who is
right. On their verdict let the mat
ter rest.
In the frat place l claim that At
one period of the world the lower
valley of tho Mississippi was once
an arm of the sea, and the mouth
of the river was at or near Grand
Tower, where the rock walls on
each side OF the river clearly Indi-
cate that tho waters burst or wore
through and drained off the coun-
Try above, which SNOW inhabited;
as the rock walled shores Of the
Niagara river indicate that tho
roat cataract was at one period
many miles below ITS present loca-
ton. In the course OF time as the
population grows moro dense, and
lands become moro valuable, the
bench rock at Niagera will be blown
or worn away, the lakes will be
drained, n river formed, and their
bottoms will become the homes
and abodes Of men, rs in the case
Of the Mississippi and its upper val
ley; whist the sediments swept
down has made TIE lower valley,
embracing an area OF fully 10000,
900 acres Of the most productive
land ia the world. To-day, in con-
sequence Of the overflow, would
not average in value five dollars
per acre; if reclaimed would be
worth fully Si0o per acre, or sum
equal to So, 100000, 90.
FIRST ia to tho facts. As the riv.
er grew IN length, tho banks on
the sides were lifted by the depos-
lto which was dropped nearest the
bank, hence we find the river on a
ridge; as proof Of this, examine the
banks any place from Cairo TO New
Orleans and you will see that rs
each successive high water has de
posted its layer or stratum, clear
ard well defined, one upon the top
of the other, showing that the low
water mark of TO day was once the
high water mark of some other
day; second, that as the rivers
banks grew higher, the bottom OF
the river rose above the level of
the surface on either side, the river
then broke over its banks and
s)1ght the lowest lants until they
IN turn became the highest, and SO
on in that way tho whole country
has been filled up. The high ridges
all running in the general dIrec-
ton Of the river, as well as tie
many beautiful crescent shaped
lakes, showing the bends OF the riv-
er formed thousands Of years age
as clearly as do those which have
been iormod by cut offs within the
nsMory OF many living witnesses,
prove this. Besides We have other
proofs equally as clear in the cav
ing Of tho banks, whore cypress
trees have been unearthed, having
been buried 20 and 80 feet beneath
the surface, on which grew cotton
wood and sycamors trees from 8 10
s feet in diameter; and IN many
other places hollow cypress trees
have been found standing with their
roots 80 feet below the surface, as
wei as the many cypress stumps
now standing on the rivers bank
where The roots are from 10 to 20
feet below tho surface, as seen at
Helena, OsceoIs, Columbia, Msgon-
"a, and many other places; and
last, though not least, the cypress
tree that was struck 500 feet below
the surface while boring for an ar
ieslan well in New Orleans, over
% years ago, which wss sunk be-
beneath the mad Jumps when the
mouth of the Mississippi was W here
New Orleans now stands. Then,
as ,r,r nj tho po putp pf 1la rIyar