The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-01-17
The LeYees.

Editor Dem0cTdt-As promised IN my last tc
YOU, md as the occasion seems peculiarly tt
demand further views on tho subject of levees
and cut-offs again call upon the columns o.
the DEMOCRAT to answer an editorial In the
Pcduute, January 6.
The editorial pen Of the Picdy,tse seems tC
have been moved by the muse Of the cut-offs
and forthwith launches out abandoning al
short OF q system of eut-offs. Through his
much dimmed eyes and M-civil engineering
brain, the writer Of that editorial discovers
great analogy between two straight jetty walls
Or piers at South Pass and the currents oi
the Mississippi from Cairo to the mouth.
certainly accord with the editors prophecies
should or could the cutoff system be applied
On che Mississippi or any other allqyial
that portion OF his article wherein he plainly
advocates cutoff Improvement.
Cut-offs, as means Of deepening straight
3ning or lowering the flood level OF a stream,
have never been attempted In this country or
scented to-day to the minds of the great ma
jority OF engineers aud scientists, Is strictly
theoretical, and cannot be said as original
with any engineer In the world. We all have
graphically applied to the Mississippi, but
those ideas, In most part, are impractical,
and we find ourselves to-day working sub
stantially upon precedent practice. Capt.
Eads' theory cannot be based upon practice,
OF he would not advocate cut-of1s. Mr.. Bay
ley, staunch believer in the contraction of
currents and their corresponding effect of
abrasion on the bottoms and sides of allsval
streams, never once hazarded his reputation
upon the advocacy OF cut-ofs, and his reasons
were that, the Mississippi being of such ,un-
stable character Its banks and bottom was not
susceptible of any great test such as any
radical change In the regimen of that river
demanded L present the views of this
learned scientist here out of respect for his
memory. His ideas were communicated to
me just prior to his death, and Capt. Eads
was thoroughly acquainted with Mr.. Bayley's
ideas on hydraulics.
The Gpgne.iicc styi, sty 20 In which some engineers
assert that the flood level Of the Mississippi
Ii annually increasing in height is paramount
to the crude reasoning OF the riparian owner
Tint. because his leyee has been allowed 70
wear down by the action OF time the river is
increasing In height. 1t is and has been a very
p0pular fallacy among planters on the Missis-
sippi since the days when labor was plenty,
and their levees were annually tapped to ill
In the ruts.. caused by depredatory. stock
Science applied has proved that the Missis-
Bippi has not increased in height one-thou-
Nalldth during the last century, These facts
can be had from the record at the Natchez
gauge, where record Is complied dating back
eeventy.seyen years.
Having disposed Of this matter, for exam
BE, let us suppose the Bood level is annually
Increasing one-tenth- -enormoust This would
rive us an increased height Of levees in one
hundred years of ten f'et, This being the
ease, Ii would seem to demand relief, and we
eeize upon the theory OF tut-off as sine QUO
non. The first matter having recourse to this
system that presents itself to the mind Of the
professional engineer in advocating ona or
more projects OF improvement is one of cost
Then To proceed, we ask upon what basis
ahall we make our estimates2 Had we two
BETTY walls to construct with known requi.
site material, location, etc, we could proceed
1t once; but here the very effect OF one i'm
urovefnent Is but to inaugurate stupendoui
warfare upon that other portion OF stream
that had hitherto been considered good. Let vi
suppose Capt. Eads to be operating say upoI
fhe bend Immediately below Baton Rouge
right bank, or, Ii you please, higher up-th'
first being presently before us we will accep
It. He can at once proceed to make his esa ea
would In time wash out and create the nev
channel: but, alas. so soon as the cutoff be
rims Just SO soon does the alluvial in the of
shore begin to cave away, and thenceforwar'
ne5asse AoW tes and fs@ael natafa sops e night
retorted by the eyponentS OF the cut-offs tina
Capt. Eads would resort to revetment, o
cheaper still, mattresses, to protect the en-
danGered locality But where will he begin
or where will he end
Let any friend of the cutoff system visi
Che localities Of the Davis Bend cut-oH," tk'
VicISsburg and others, and then vouch for TIA
y cgty p e ANY a9is9n be oenSng Of asyot ao f "
The report of the levee commission in 1871
based their estimate OF $46, 900 upon dats
collected and compiled. There was q basis; il
common language they had ground to stant
uDon. And / ask again upon what are you Il
bIse your estimate for cut-offs, from where vii
you start. and where will you end2 You ma.
say your canal, which causes the cnf-of, cost
"a much: but how much will the damage +
adjacent shores oost2 / answer, untold mil
Hons to the dweller in the alluyial basis.
Mr. Editor, nature, SO beneticent In every
thing else, has also apportioned to the grea
Mississippi its peculiar natural kingdom. w
lind it's organic law working with degree 9
Derfection such as man can never attain AL
work In perfect union; does one become dis
arranged another comes to Its assistance ant
m short time the matter is balanced, ant
thus Is It beautifully illustrated in this yer.
matter. the cut-offs. One occurs after series
SN wears of struggles among the currents
hut mark, after another series vi years th'
Channel has regained its rectiiinear distance
and All goes smoothly along. Does man say
fhe fiood level increases No; 1t Is iailacy
sg'o straivhtsn ihs3 ississippi, commencing q
,fIeiro and extending to New Orleans, Woult
ssarI,ir,e the sudden deduction OF about one.
sTS1r5h Or more uf it's whole length between
fhssse pssints, with decided increase Of cur
.sy1s6 ~ III the way. C5nd such . change bt
1nseir kliueki. it wuslld have the ciiect q
ms;37 onfp xleiuRing the whole lower yai.
ies. bpt xlso would % sSsange re character g