Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1877-08-10

dIaGe Steps Being Taken fOr
the preservation Of Eickss
buPg's Water FFOnt.
VIcKsBURG, August 4, 1877.
To the Mayor and Aldermen Of the City
Of V~icksburg:
GENTLENEH-The report Of the
Committee Of Engineers on the subject
Of the cutoff, published in the coll
umHs of the HERALD, q few
days ago, demands at our hands
some public expression, and 1t is
the object OF this communication to
fully endorse, on the part Of the Com
mittee, the views which they have ex-
pressed therein, and 10 endeavor to en-
gage the attention of the city authorl-
ties aud this community in the consid-
Grafton Of the subject, which is GER
tainly the most important one that
could be placed before US.
The peculiar, not to say remarkable,
situation of Vicksburg at this time,
calls for thoughtfulness, q clear UNDER
standing OF what ought to DO done, and
q determined and united effort to do 1t.
The United States engineers in their
request for more extended surveys,
outlined their views as to the method
10 be pursued in preserving our water
front, and 1t may be summed up as
follows: lst. To preserve the channel
where It 10 by protecting the "point'
and caving baAk above Delta, and
keeping them intact. This is para
mount 10 all other work in Its impor'
lance to our future as that which must
be done first, and cannot 9 delayed
in fact It will not admit of delay with
out serious aud ~irreparable damage to
our city. I'd. By directing the Yazoc
from It's present course aud compelling
1t to flow along our front. They con-
template the construction OF q line Of
~jetties, for the purpose Of combining Il
TO q comparatively narrow channel i'm
mediately along our landing, from iii
entrance into the lake, to its entrance
into the Mississippi river, which will 70
suit in securing out and maintaining
of q deep water way. This would no
be q work of such magnitude as nigh
at first appear, as 1t will only be necea
sary to confne 1t thus during low
water, aud Eads' system Of jetties will
answer admirably for this purpose, II
the rapidly shoaling waters OF GU
lake.
Now, If we allow the peninsula Il
cave OF half q mile further, 1t will
greatly increase the difficulties Of thi
operation ; will require the jetties to b
extended so much further, and through
deep water, to reach The channel of tn
Mississippi; will require steamboat
coming to our wharf to u down q
least as low as Delta, before turning
/ up into the Yazoo, and will force th
Texas Pacific 10 establish a terminu
. perhaps a mile or two below Debts
. and a crossing Of the river at tbs
! point. A ferryage to the present land
Q ing would, Of course, be long, dificu
and costly. The bar below the poiI
OF the peninsuls, already extends moi
than q quarter Of q mile below II
Delta whariboat.
These are q few Of the consequence
which will ~enevitably attend delay /
the work recommended to be done, an
It lie perfectly useless to close our eye
a 10 these facts.
! On the other hand, If we secure th
! point" where il il, we insure the looS
tiou Of the railroad terminus there
/, we keep the channel Of the Mississippi
a river within reasonable distance OF on
I wharf, and = ferrisge much more &C
vantageous than the present on
n Finally, II the present "point" Is pr
served where II is, everything ELI
may be delayed without serious disa
r ter. If the appropriation BY Cou re.
I. does not come at once, it can i
q well be applied when it does cJm
and the general situation will not ser
4. ously suffer from q year or twO's della.
= But II we wait for au appropriate
n incur all the disadvantages and lose a
the advantages, above named, the lol
n to Vicksburg will! be beyond the reaC
h Of remedy.
i That Vicksburg should, at any re.
q souabIe rate, protect the point, no OF
will deny the only question then
what would be q reasonable sacrihcC
We have a Ct whose property
worth, say, three aud q half million
g all Of which wi,l Le affected by h
i work about one.hslf or three.Qua
"a ters Of one-per cent. would be sui
cieut for the purpose, and the success
ful accomplishment OF this work wou
increase the value Of this property,
q once, not less than ten per cent.
Now, have we the energy and plut
a to meet the emergency, or shall v
m wait for an appropriation from Co,
~ gress until we are damaged almost b
q You'd the possibility OF redemptiO
This ia the most critical nome
W ever experienced in the destlnies
m Vicksbsrg shall we act or not!
a We would answer yes, and wou
IN make the following suggestions !
we sent Mr.. Dabney to the jetties
examine and see what was the be
IN method Of stopping the cavlDg and CT
Cd ting away of the Delta peninsula, 81
re he reported to us q plan which was a
ST proved by the Uniied States Comm
u. sion of Engineers present at the iii
Of he made his report,..we believe 1t oug
ke to be adopted and carried out If pos
Ia. sible, i. e., BY the use OF willow mi
- lraaaoa anV,IfaH IN 9ha nFnnaF mann