Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1877-11-30

IRENE foods, II will be observed that
wo have, 10 this lOcslity, a swamp res
Orvoir capacity Of 60B 96OOOO.0OO cubic
feet. Tho notes Of the delta sur.
vey show the maximum dis
charge al Columbus during the
food OF 1853, 10 have BEEN 1909
900 cubic feet per second, or 49,
2l0. 100000 cubic ieetper diem. These
figures indicate the reservoir capacity
Of the swsmpS within the above mem
toned boundaries, 10 be sufficient for
the retention Of gu amount Of water
equal 10 the total channel discharge Of
the river at Columbus for q period OF
very nearly Ave and three.quarters
days. 1.-THE argument regardin g the
increased elevation Of high va.
ter line below Red River
founded upon 8 less circumscribcd
area Of swamp-be true, the conclusion
In this latter case must be analogous,
viz: That q total exclusion Of the food
Yates from the 81. Francis swamp by
9 line Of continuous levee, would pro-
duce a Aood elevation within the river
channel OF three and eight-tenths feet
and this result is independent Of the
amount Of water that would be exclud-
I'D from tho Yszoo valley by mean
Of a connected line Of levee along It's
western boundary.
The area Of the Yaz)o basin (exclul.
ing ridges) as reported in the Mis-i'-
sippi de'l, survey, is $500 square
miles, and the mean depth OF over
Aow at ajsh water Of 1858, a.
determined by instrumental obsevaii9n
on a line cross The m%idtlenglh, va
found to be, in round numbers, about
three feet. In this basin We have an
other natural reUorvoir OF such capacity
as that fits effective service should be
destroy ed by permanently embanking
il against the Mississippi foods, they
would necessarily increase in hight
correspOndiugIy with the amount OF
water so prevented from filling 1t.
In view, then, OF an increased cleva.
ton Of the food line, by reason OF the
perfection Of the levee system, almost
equal 10 tho present average hight OF
overflow above the banks OF the river,
must il be concluded that the leveC
system should be a~bandoned2 The in
~terests Of tho Mississippi delta will mol
permit Of it.
Under the heal OF Advantages o
a Levee System, Mississippi Delta Sur
vey," It Is remarked: "The area Of thu
lands from Cape Girardeau to Rec
: river Is 10, $50 square miles. II ma!
be assumed that one.hali Of this are'
will DO rendered cultivsble, and as II
value per acre may be set down at SIS
u the total will amount 10 $l60,000,WC
The area Of the slluvial lands unde
cultivation below the mouth OF Re-
river is not less than 1000 600 acre'
which, at 800 per acre, 10y no mean
an ~eXtraVagant estimate) gives 500
!, 100000 for the value Of the plantation
" in that section, making a total valne G
= $260,00O,000 for the land that will b
y rendered p%erpetual!y cullivable by th
expenditure of$!I 100000.
ar "There Is another aspect under whiC
h, this part of The subject may be repr
mr. sented. The number Of acres thus pr
or tected lie 100000. Z rch acre of ALT
IN vial land will produce one bale Of CO
Z. ton, worth, on tho average, Si5. "
10 thus have for the value OF the anuu
hc product Of the aIluvial landr, s3l5,00C
If OOO."
,sl Inasmuch as we have had duriI
be- every food period u recurrence Of CT
q, vases IN the leyec line at many poln
al aud a consequent destruction of into
II. ests which, measured by dollars al
oil cents, involve millions, Would any a
be ditional security JoHoU such ddditiO
.cb al elevation Of the ieUeeS al could
he necessary topIaec them above The err
,n- food line--the extra BOod-line as h
o. been shOWn, being the certain con!
nd qucnce Of a continued line Of Ievee
,er both banks Of tho river2
I'y Though there will necessarily be
IN. increase in the height OF the embAn
lis mcnIs, consequent on an increased G
IN. ton OF the water plane, by reason Of
ex- perfected -ySiem Of >levees, the Vi
lb- interests OF the country will not p
tho nit Of the abandonment o, the sysie
BOO But would II not be well to inquire
use it be not possible Ivy art!fcin! meo
ace to reduce The 1Ood .liur, since BY ar
bic fetal means we shall elevate it2
MIA Such means may be resOrted to a