The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-11-09
DIR 8nllaiin,
IMPROVING THE MISSISSIPPI

TWO PLANS FOR TIE wORK-THAT OF THE
UNITED STATES ENGINEERS AND THArof
CAPT. EADs.
Globe Democrat, 9TH. .
The immense value ofthe allavial lands
%, the Mississippi, and the inability OF the
states Ia which they lie to protect them
from overflow, will probably cause con-
rrsss to take some action upon this sub
ject, At an early day. These lands are
wonderfully fertile and OF great extent
and when once made secure, their taxa
BILE value and productiyeness will be I'm
manselv Increased.
Two plans tor the reclamation oil these
lands are now definitely before the coun>
Try. One Is known as that Of the United
states Engineers. and the ether as thai OF
Capt. Eads, the engineer OF the Jettles'
T6s frst plan Is explained in the report
ole Commission authorized by Congress
In ls74, of which Gen. G. w. Warren
was President and Gen. Abbott mem
Der. The report is unanimous, and is
further strengthened BY the full indorse-
paent Of Gen. A. A. Humphreys, Chief OF
Engineers Of the Army. Capt. Eads'
plan h the very opposite Of the United
atansE ngiasers, and Is based on theor
iesso directly contrary to theirs, that
one or the other party must be greatly in
error.
The plan oil the Commission may be
said To rest upon the correctness OF what
ID known as the "Outlet SYSTEM" which
is explained In Its report inthc following
words: "The plan consists In abstract
ing from the river and conducting by
separate channels to the Gulf such vol
ume OF the flood discharge as shall be
sufficient to Bring down the flood level to
height easily under control by levees
The Commission does not, however, pro-
pose to make any new outlets, but says
"They are correct In theory, but no ad'
yantageops elites for their construction
exists" II accordingly recommends the
keeping open Of all existing natural out
lets. and especially Bayou Atchafalaya'
which nownot only discharges nearly all
the waters Of Red river, but large po.'
tion Of the food waters of the Mlssis-
sippL The Commission recommends re-
pairing the defective levees; the closure
Of The crsvasses. and the completion Of
the entire levec system from Cape Cir
ardeau, No., to the lower end of the riv
ssr, end the ex tension Of the levees up thu
tributaries and down the bayous fa
enough to guard against backwater.
The Commission assumes that the re-
tentiou OF all the food waters, between
aths leyess when the crevasses are closed
win increase the height Of the water, ant
thus require the levees to be built much
higher and stronger than the presen
ones. II says: "lf we guard agains
the crevasses by raising and strengthen
ing our levees, an elevation of the higl
water mark, exactly proportioned to til
increased volume. will be sure to occur
To contain quart Of water, vessel mus
have exactly the requisite number
cubic inches, and like principle apple
with equal force to water In motion" Il
meet this increased elevation OF the higl
water mark, It declares that it will b
necessary to build up the entire system
from three TO eleven feet higher than tn
great food OF 1858. Several hundre'
miles OF the leyees must be from ten t,
eleven feet higher than that flood. Th
). cost Of this entire system OF work is esti
mated By the Commission at SAC, COO, 0OC
q Capt. Esds published a review OF tn
cosnmission's report last year, in whicI
he states that the theories and assump
tons ON which Its plan 10 based are I'm
questionably erroneous. He declare
that every bayou and outlet Of the river
and, indeed, every river in the world tina
iiows through bed formed by its ow
deposits. prove that the "outlet systeI
70 not 0rrtct-because, as the volume {
the stream decreases its slope increases
and, Sbstractinga part Of the flood vo
ume, will, therefore, inevitably pr0duC
q higher food line. He says, the rcpo
repests the same theories and assume
the existence Of the same conditions
the river that were advanced to supper
the predicted failure OF the jettics, b
those who opposed the jetty system 10
improving the mouth Of the river, an
that not ONE ofthese theories is supportc
by the facts the jetties have developed.
Recently, in Cincinnati, Capt. Eads ex
plsined his views at considerable length
IN the Merchants Exchange, upon til
leyee question, and the Improvement {
the river below Cairo. The success h
has already secured atthe jetties will Civ
much weight to his opinions on the sui
ieck and we will present as briefly tn
salient features Of his arguments.
CAPT. Esds declares: !. That the grei
mass OF sediment annually discharge
into the sea is transported In the watel
where it ID kept suspended by the actio
u lhs curfent, and that 1t Is not pushe
along the bottom of the river. 2. Thi
thu duantity upheld depends upon tn
velocity OF the current, modified by til
depth q the water. s. That the quaint
~ of sediment annually discharged Int
the ~ and over the banks OF the rive
throughout 10 Alluyial basin must b,
during any long period Of years, abol
equal 10 the amount poured into Il
! trunk By II tributaries during that pc
{ iod. II Il discharged less than 1t r
cciyed Tie bed would I'll up; II 1t al
charged more the difference would ha,
10 b taken from its bed; whereas the
u no proof OF any sensible alteration
the sixe ofits channel during many veal
; The current must therefore be 30 regul
ted By the river thatit will discharge
more nor no less than the amount I