The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-04-25
His Views on the Subject of Leveo
Building and the Reclamation
of Overlooked Lands.
A Practical Address on the Great In
terest Of the People Residing
in the Mississippi valley.
From the Memphis Appeal, April Is.

From the Memphis Appeal, April Is
At half-past O'Clock yesterday after
noon the Memphis Theater, dress'clrcle
and parquette, was filled by representa-
tive people OF the city. Quite. a number
of ladies' graced the occasion with their
presence, which added TO the interest
and attractions of the meeting. AT the
appointed hour Mr.. Ben. Eiseman, pres
ident OF the chamber Of commerce; Capt,
James Ii, Eads, Col. James Andrews, OF
the jettes; Col. Jacob Thompson, Col.
b. M. Estes, Chancellor Morgan, Mayor
John X. Flippen, Col. Nj. &. Galloway
of the Appeal Capt. j. Harvey Mathes
of the Ledger Col. j. Il. Irrelevant,
and number of merchants and other
business men, made their appearance ON
the stage. Hung upon the stage were
two maps one showing sections of the
river at Islands ~, Is and 20, Canadian
Reach, Plum Point, etc, the other map
showed the Mississippi river from Fort
jackson and st. Philip to the gulf: also
the Pass a'Loutre, South pass and jetties
and Southwest Pass. The maps were on
scale OF from one to two inches to the
mile, and gave to the audience clear
and comprehensive idea OF the river and
its surface slopes at those points. In the
center'Of the stage, between the maps,
was a blackboard Tor the use of the Ices
turer.
Mr.. Ben. Eiseman, president OF the
chamber of commerce, introduced Capt.
In II EAHl In n chNrt onI nnnrnnri-
ate speech,
CAPTAIN EADs' ADDRESS.
Captain Eads, tall, tine.looking
man, walked to the stand, and was re-
ceived with applause.
Captain Eads said: "This Is the first
time in my life that have had the pleas
ure of addressing an audience that Is
graced and honored by the presence of
the fairer and better portion of humans
ty; and 1 shall make no excuse for pre-
ia cling my remarks with an assurance to
the ladies OF Memphis that | am heartily
rejoiced to see them here. have'h
many friends through lite, and The first
and truest of them all was lady, Aud
Ii was at that tender age, too, when
most needed friend. As | grew up she
taught me to respect and honor woman
as the inspiration OF all that is noble aud
praisewOrthy In man. | am, therefore
glad to see the ladies show an interes st
in this great work, though l fear that
the Mississippi, with all its vast floods,
will prove in my hands dry subject for
them.
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
is one of the most important problems
before the country. 1t may well be CON-
pared to the heaven born quality OF
mercy, which blesses him who gives and
him who takes, for it blesses both the
producer and the consumer. 1t raises
Che value OF the products of the farm,
the mine aud the mill before they leave
them, and 1t lessons their cost to those
who consume them. No project is to-
day before the civilized world that prom
ises SO much benefit TO mankind at
home and abroad as the Improvement OF
the Mississippi. 1t opens up the or and
est granary on the face of the globe, and
will cheaper food wherever The white
sails Of commerce are spread"
He proceeded to explain the laws that
control the phenomena OF the Missis sip.
pl river, how to reclaim the overflow
lands and make them fit and useful for
cultivation to generations yet unborn.
Captain Eads started at one of the mans
by calling attention to the line represent
ing the surface slope of the river, That
slope, in flood time. Is one of the most
important factors In the river problem.
lie described the rise OF the slope from
the head of the passes TO New Orleans
and the mouth OF Red river, showing
that the river slope Increases rapidly on
20 Cairo and st. Louis,
THIS sUBFACE SLOPE
Is the most important thing to consider;
the flood slope must be lowered, and
then you can do away with the levees.
st. Louis IL. 40S feet IN height above the
Gulf OF Mexico; this indicates the measure
of force which impels the current on>
ward. The slope at New Orleans Is
| l4>100 inches; at st. Louis it ia
six inches per mile. One would suppose
that the current Of the river at So. Louis
would be much greater than at New Or.
leans, but this Is not so; this is because
the friction OF the water against the bed
I'm the upper part OF the river. After the
food slope, the question Of friction Is the
next great element TO consider. Captain
Eads explained the friction problem by
diagrams Of two sections OF pipe on n
map through which water would flow.
The pipe diagrams represented the beds
Of rivers. When YOU reduce the size of
the pipe, you increase the ratio OF iric.
ton, and vice versa. Attention was
then called TO the
DIAGRAMS or rIE. PASSES,
the South and Southwest. The slope OF
the South pass IL three inches per mile.
al the Southwest pass, two inches pc.
mile. Nature adjusted this slope, NJ IL
does the slope OF all rivers. The slope
,ruestIon is one OF lcyees. Sleeper slopes
I, mean higher levecs, nothing else. The
river has the power TO adjust these
stones TO suit It's own necessities.
\ n you enlarge the bed you
isesen the slope. The river cars
rjes sediment In proportion to It's
Y veloclty. II the current Is slackened the
/ sedinnent goes to the bottom and raises
tho bed. In rapid currents the sediment
r. taken up from the bed and carried
avay to the ocean. Captain Eads des,
crlhed 3 s'cut-ofT," which disturbed the
1890 OF the river above and below. The
rs.:r then scours the cut>ofI deeper and
1870 until II takes In the entire river,
WilIe the bends become old lakes lands
i11lIod. An island in river acts like
S1. having q similar effect on tho cur.
s51I4 "A river must have ,lope sufficient |