The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-03-21
MEMPHIS FOLLOWING CAERo'SEN.
AMPLE

City Engineer Meigs, of Memphis, in
obedience TO resolution of the General
Council Of that city, has prepared Il me-
mortal to Congress urging an appropria-
ton for the purpose of preventing the
! destruction of the river front at that point.
The memorial is quite lengthy and clab-
! crate.
Destructive abrasiOns by the river have
done great injury to the northern half of
the shore line Of the harbor. a distance
of about five hundred feet. This has been
going on since 1859. Within period OF
twenty-onc years, acres OF ground have
been washed away. Forty city lots, oc-
cupied in part by cotton warehouses, a
coal yard and an iron foundry, were part
OF this ground, the value Of which was
$4,000. \ large coal landing, valuable
mills and large buildings on the west
side of Promenade street, are now in
danger; and ii is the opinion of Engineer
Meigs that if the river advances at the
rate OF twenty-five feet yearly, rs it has
done for the past eighteen years. the cr-
tire steamboat landing Of the city will be
engulied. IL needed no engineer to tell
Us this.
The length of the alluyial ban, at
Memphis requiring protection at this
time is 500 feet, and the engineering ex-
penses of this proposed work are far
beyond the present means of the city.
Therefore is Congress to be asked for an
appropriation.
We sincerely hope Congress will give
TO Memphis the needed protection. She
is entitled to it, and should have it fur
nishcd without delay. But if Memphis
is entitled to the appropriation she pro-
poses to ask for, how much more is Cairo
entitled to the appropriation she is ask
ing for: Memphis will ask an appropri-
alton to protect her river front
rom abrasion by the river
Cairo asks an appropriation in
the interest Of improved navigation ON
the Mississippi She urges it. with great
ylSor-or ought to-because while, by
the appropriation, navigation at TIN,
point will be greatly improved, her lev
ccs will receive from il incidental pro-
lection. In 1873, Col. Reynolds of the
|. :. Engineers, reported to the War
Department the results of "A reconnaissance
made by him in 1872 OF the Mississippi
river, between the mouth of the Ohio |
and the mouth OF the Illinois, AMI recon-
mended, IN tie interest Of Horigation, Il
dam below Dickeys island. len bank. |
l 800. feet long and lG feet high, and n
dixie at Grceniold's ferry, left bank, 800 |
feet long ana is feet high. In january. |
1870, Col. j. H. simpson, Corps of
Engineers, upon part Of the third sub
division Of the Mississippi route, as des-
lgnated by the Senate Select Committee
on Transpo rtation-Houtes to The Sea-
botrd, recommended and urged the i'm
proVemcnt OF the river this place and
IN his special report on his survey in
with the improvement Of tie
between IT. Louis and Cairo,
dated February ,. 1876, insists on am i'm
mediate appropriation OF Sl07, 800 for
The improvement of the river in the yi-
entity OF this city. "lhc necessity
says the Colonel, "for protective work,
AT both these localities [lhc bend below
'Dickey's Island and the bend ON the
Missouri shore nearer the mouth of the
'ohiol !. immediate IN me interest Of a.,