Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-13

propose discussing the question Of
lateral or cross currents; we simply
reiterate that if his theory is cor.
rect land we claim it is entirely the
oretical) it is only another and q
most potent reason for discarding
the leyees, for if a crevasse in one OF
the levees that you pronounce 10y
~inference) too small, can produce
the result you claim, what would be
the effect of a crevasse in a leyee
that would be holding back a wall of
twenty or thirty feet of water?
That a levee of such magnitude
will be required if the whole
volume of water in the river is con-
fined by a general leyee system
there can be no doubt. He does
not say how deep the water was on
the Dennis Landing creyasse,
where he says the lateral current
was so great it SO effectually des-
troyed the toward current of the
channel as to produce a heavy cur
rent running up stream to the ere
vase. (The italics are ours.) If
this is true from a crevasse in a
small leyee, scarcely anything less
than an entire diversion of the
river could be expected from a ere
vase in the leyee you must build to
entirely prevent an overflow. But
to avoid these creyasses and all Of
their evils, we ask Congress to re-
fuse furnishing any more money
for building leuseS, and adopt a far
less expensive, less hazardous and
more certain system of reclamation.
That the levees thus far have
failed Colonel @. does not deny,
or he would not advocate their en-
That they viii fail in
future, or, if successful, viii pro-
duce results disastrous to the entire
valley, is a fact we feel assured we
can demonstrate. First-We as
sert, as a fact acknowledged by
those familiar with the subject, that
sipe-water is more fatal to yegeta-
ton than river water. Second
That bitches, which are at best but
apartial protection from sipe-water
behind a five or six foot leyee, are
generally as expensive as the @levees,
and in increasing the size of the
levees you must necessarily increase
the size, number and length Of the
bitches here is where the Chicago
Tribune is correct in saying that
bitches are as essential as leyees =,
because you increase, at a fearful
rate, the sipe-water behind the
levees as you increase the weight
in front. Yet, with all your bitches
you cannot savefrom destruction by
sipe-water the lands for several
miles back of a fifteen or twenty
foot wall Of water, held by a levee
or even a rock wall. The immense
weight of such a body of water
above the surface of the ground
will force it up through the light,
porous, sandy soil characteristic of
the whole Mississippi Valley in
such vast quantities that for agri-
cultural purposes for miles back
the country will be yalueless. And
as the larger and highest portion of
the cleared lands are within three
or four miles Of the river, if you
succeed in building levees high
enough to prevent overflows, you at
once destroy property of far more
value than you protect. Third-It
is well known that owing to the
caying banks Tor the fear Of them it
is proposed to build the grand
lsvss some distance back from the
river, in doing which you neces.
sarily build them on lower ground,
as it is well known by those who
have investigated the subject that
there is an average fall of four to
six feet the first mile back from the
river increasing, but not in the
same proportion as you recede.
This will increase the size and cost
Of the leyee, necessarily increasing
the pressure in front and flow Of
sipe-water behind the leyee, and
surrenders to complete destruction
all lands in front of the leyee, which
will embrace many of the finest
: plantations on the river. Fourth
If a crevasse should occur (anC
nothing but a stone-faced levee will