Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1877-11-30
ia. Reclamation Of she Lands
~ shs mississippi valley.

81 ahs mississippi Valley.
f. would be difficult, at this day, to
suggest an orlgiu6l plan for tho pro-
'%tsciion of the lands Of tho Mississippi
Valley from overflow, and, as a conse-
quenec, their etIecIual reclamation.
Tie question isby no means q new one.
The proposed plans, though necessarily
few in number. are IS varied in their
presentmenls a. tho series of Symmetri-
cal images shown BY the rejecting sur
face Of a Kaleidoscope.
The lsvee plan vas originally adopt
ed as a locsl and imemdiaie necessity
by the early settlers, II being the work
Of individual enterprise, carried on
without concert. Finding the narrow,
bu, elevated borders OF the river ex-
lremely fertile and capable OF being
made immensely productive BY throw
ing ~ y frail embankmeMt along the
edge of The river, with wings or lateral
banks running back into the awAmps,
each individual planter secured the re-
lief which his own local Interests de-.
manded. Without definitely indicating
the progress Of the levee work from lts
initial p%oint-the lowest points Of ttlls.
bic lands near the Cuff up both
shore. Che people Of the country hav.
ing become familiarized with lie hislo'
ry) suffice il, that In process Of time,
this work which was originally com.
neucCd Tor local purposes and private
protection, was extended up both
shores of tho rivCr-approxima'ing, IN
round numbers, q distance of not less
than two thousand miles. In tho con-
%slruction Of the embsnkment no regard
was paid to the "bsyous' or natural
outlets, through which tho Mississippi,
in lie un~reslrained condition, vented,
as II rose, a large portion OF lis surplus
water. This exclusion Of surplus water
from the channels OF natural flow, aud
combining It between tho artificial bank,
down the main channel OF the river,
produced, as a necessary consequence,
an elVGtion Of The high Ddter plane.
This conclusion might constitute q ba.
sis for argument with those who IRE
blindly welded TO the theory Of levee
protection, aud ore intolPrant OF any
other, demonstrated, though 1t may be,
to accord with the uncrring indications
If nature. But a denial Of the conclu-
sion will have no tenabiliiy unless Il be
proven, either that the water plane oil
the river IL never elevated, however
great may be the scceSsions from itt
numerous tributaries, which, ii |, Gvi'
dent, would amount to o denial OF tbs
occurrence Of daily events or the pos
session Of individual consciousness, o
or that q comPrC.sion Of the surplu
wafer, which originally vented itscl
! through lateral drains or bayouS-anC
> in the original condition Of the rive
spread we a widlh Of fifty or hun
dred miles Of inundaled country
within q channel only half q mile ii
!. breath, would so far tend to an acceleT
7 aiion Of current velocity, bolton
abrasion, aud increase of channel caps
pacity, as that there would be no ar
preciable elevation OF the water pllnt
3 Ii is evident that the construction
1t the leveO line, from the lower 10 Ii
upper coasts, was continued wilhOl
consideration of the effects which II
y levees themselves would produce G
70 the height of the foods. The embanl
\, men 8 were given such cubic dime
sions as would resist that depth
.e water which was anticipated Oh Il
t. basis of past experience. In 9th
a words, none Of the S ales nor COUNT
e. have yet planned their levees vi
any reference to the increase oil /
le foods which their own Ievees, or tho
In course OF construction above or /
low them, will produce. In all cas-
they seem to be guided By the Lin
4, which mark he stage Of former hi
a. water,
he 1t /, the opinion Of tho mass of
peopli that the characteristics OF
10 Missi .sippi river are 50 remarkal
II peculiar as TO forbid any investigate
iol much less 10 determine upon an Ell
luaI piau Tor restraining and confni
its WaDcrs so ~ TO relieve the bolt,
Il4nds Of those periodical inundaliC
10 which they have been, so long, d
aslrodsly subjected; aud 1t Is but
tural that such an impression shol
obtain when the levee system as he
ID: g. 6 ,ra aud az now HANG cOnduclcf