Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-01
ITO be continued.1
CAPTAIN EADs'S PLAN.
(From the New Qrle

lHionA sAS XNSW StAeAuS sk>u letln
The plan which Capt. Eads has
proposed for improving the channel
of the Mississippi River and securing
the protection of its alluvial lands
from overflow. is the same as that
which has been 80 successfully appli-
ed to the Rhine in Holland, and is
based upon identically the same prin-
ciples which have governed the
construction of the South Pass let
ties.
The distance from St. Louis to the
mouth of South Pass, in direct line,
is sbont 664 miles.
The water which flows through the
channel of the river at st. Louis, in
order to. reach the Gulf, pursues q
winding course of nearly 1870 miles,
In some places through q deep and
narrow channel, i'll others over wide
sand-bars, with but little water on
them at low stage, and scarcely ever
straight for considerable distance,
but with curves and bends whereby
a short cut OF half mile or less, sew
eral miles in length Of the river can
be saved.
h The principles upon which the i'm
provements suggested are based are
as follows:
THAT stream requires more fall
for, . wide aud shallow than fer a
narrow and deep channel. The &C.
celebrating force acting upon the cur
rent is gravity or the fall of the river,
ine retarding forces are, first. fric-
tiou on the bed of the river; second,
resistance due to curvature,
The nearer ouy geometric fi0ure
approaches the circular form, the less
IS the ratio of it's perameter to its srea
NOW, narrow aud deep river chan.
nei generally resembles segment of
circle, and the fractional surface ia
less than in wide and shallow one,
hence 1T requires less fall for the
same velocity of current or same ca
pacity of channel.
This Indicates the first step in the
Improvement, viz. The narro wing of
the waterway over the shoals to a
calculated sufficient average width.
This Improvement alone. when sys.
tematlcally applied to the Mississippi
river, Will overcome most of tho
dihculties Of navigation and of pro-
lection. beginning at the lower part
OF the river, every gain by this plan
Is carried up the river, and all gains
are cumulative, the depression of
water surface at any point being
eventually the sum Of all the gains
,'a'ss, ne,e- the s-e"sSst gam ueIng In tho
fluctuations of level are now
greatest.
2. That every bend in the river
requires al additional height to over
come both the resistance due to cur
vature and the excess of its length
ends. 5
The elevation of high water at st.
Louis above the Gulf is 4O8 feet.
Making no allowance for the resis-
tance due to curvature, the proportion
al height, were the channel straight,
wsuld be only 213 feet.
The most unscientltic reader can
ace how little of the work possible is
necessary for the complete relief of
the navigation and the protection of
the agriculture of this valley, when
teu feet reduction of food line will
secure it.
Briefly stated, the plan is to make
comparative uniform width Of chan.
nef by dtkes, controlling the Current
over the bars, and to make cut-offs
whereitle conditions require them.
. Asregards the method of construc-
ton, the success in the use of willow
mattresses, As made at South Pass for
Jetties, suggests the use of these as
being the most economical, as well
as the most efficient plan. The facil-
lty with which willows, or other SIM
liar material, can be procured at most
any point on the river, and the QUAR-
rles of stone which are available by
convenient water navigation, make
the proposed improvements exceed.
ingly feasible if undertaken.