, 1879-08-15

F|hu9t llIErH ullUuEGu Nnlihr5 FVEHt'
AlHl llint+' ntlcd the Gcuerai, us he walked
oil, "glH ME start"
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
sir. Horny r. 1snnpps Views on tho sul-
Jcct Of Its improvements.
TO The Editor Of The Tribune.
NRw York, Aug. 12.--Tllc Mississippi River
improvement Commission has ut Inst become
fact by the appointment by President Hayes Of
seven Commissioners, vho by tho terms Of tile
bill, nrc 10 tnlso into consideration ai plans for
the Improvement Of the navigation OF the river
nl,d the reclamation OF Its lowlands, md then to
recommend to Congress what to them secms
the must feasible, ric.
Thcro are two methods proposed for trentlng
tic river to accomplish the desired results, vz.:
Que to contract its cnpacty by lcvces md icttes,
Which Impede the free flow OF It's winters to tho
sea; and the other, commonly cated tlle TOUT
let plan," facilitates the discharge OF Its waters
nj fts mouth, so that there cnn be no accu,nula
tion or food Of water 10 overflow IT'S bonks, rte.
These two p1ans Grc nl! tllc Commission have 10
den! with, mt their decision ns to which !B The
correct plan will afford either the true solution
of this seeming problem or lts further l,efog-
ment. By the Presidents appointment Of this
Commission there Is only ono OF these plans
represented on II, and thnt plan ts the lcyea
plan. The outlet plan will hardly receIro a
consideration, and. II II does, 1t will bo in sucl,
n weak mt, unsccnttfc war that nothing taug-
iblc Will he likely to result from It.
The leading lights OF this Commission arc
Mr.. j. .. Eala and lIcut.-Col. Gimorc,-both
1etty men, asHl consequently, TO Ge consistent,
arguncntativcly anil practically, must b. lcvco
mcn aIso. The next man IL Mr.. u. Morgan liar-
rod, C. f., of New 0.leans, and It Is we'll
known TINT every L!.utsnrian IS eyce man by
education. Mini. C. p. Coalstoek, OF iie En-
gluccr Corps, ant! Mr.. Henry Mitchell, Of the
Coass-Sutvcy, arc lskewlse lcvce u,es, because
they, with others, originally recommended the
icttes OF the So,tl, pass, cut of which tic prcs-
cnt contract with Capt. Euls was based; unI
the only dissenting meml tr Of Tint Commits
sion Of 1874 wns our present able Chief Of En-
Eineers, Maj. .-Get. II. G. Wright. The two re-
maspg Com1lls aioners arr AfnJ. G. Il. sutier,
Engineer Corps, also 'cy;c man, anu Mr.. Dcn-
jnmp Harrison, Of 1ndiasn. lawycr who,
believe, makes no prc,ense to knowledge Of
the science Of hydraulics, md, therefore, will
readily accept tie decision Of his co-Cp1n,nis-
a!oncra. So It will bc seen the representation Of
lie levco plan Is very properly secured, md, II
1t does not recclre the unanimous rcco,nmenLn-
lion Of tllu Commission, It vii corno so near 10
It Tint Congress Will probsbty Immediately nu
tfioslzc lie appropriation bf many millions to
carry out thu lnycc plan.
used mr Ercatrst eloqCcnce and persuasive
powtrs to .nduco tic President to tnake 10 HE
Commission Of members vito represented both
the tcvec nnd the outlet plans, 40 tllas sl.tro
would be mt1clI greater csinnco Of the true BO-
luton Of this great question heng llnbufed, SO
that thr errors tint havo surrounded 1t IN the
tf,nf nt5
tile truth Mt last uncovered; but It seems tllat
HnthiHE hut political consideration should to-
ellie who thu Commissioners should bp, not
wlhat,urding tic great National Importance Of
the subject.
NV object In having both sides represcnted OIL
the Commission was, tint tho Commission could
lrat cxaa(tno itself US to what It knew on the
subject bcforo Il undertook to examine nthers
know tho direct plan Themselves, 1t Is evident
they arc rD moro CAPABLE IN decide the question
than tho "tlrec ta.lors of Too!cy street."
There has always t,tcn great mystery sur
rounding river an1 barber improvements. stint
My becnuEc t1lv subject gas always Oecn treated,
nut al matter III fact nis scellcr but ~ mat"
ter OF onnon,-lhe weight it1lh prcponl1rranco
ot opinion aiways accidag the point, without
reference to physical tacta TINT ara US unchangc-
able as ilr North Star For instance, tina COM
mission will eala before ttnm hundreds Ut river.
men, planters, ratlway.c1glnrers, etc., non1 OF
whom claim tl,rough kn0wle.lgd Ot hydraulic
~ th.fr ohsarvn,t1ns md nnIni",,s ~ Inns forts
nr fniaries. without hay,t,w mala sufficient
study al lila suhIect ia co,t,ect sticb fnr.s iink
Nv ink hnth ct,rsrn,,rntini um1 nntrrinr fran
lin hrvInnn. IN I'm mi. nr sooarain Ihc lin.
si"n. fran III. oSt,n1. c.N,snousneiv ,hctr nn,ux
lima curry tittj.. II any srnnttIfc wsirht luynnl
iu,lKv an,ol,,,'t uf tystin,uny. md s,ch lMat
mnny i leVi.imtira hniy has hecm ashnineJ IN
nvs nr,sa M: wn,e hy far tI,n rsat n,ninrity 81
tI1rsr nnm vii nn,,oar tn rrnssrrt wfIh nri.1,a
fnrrr nniy ti,n worn.out nninlnns nj othrss.
a,,eh nri",nni forrn haInr nrnhnhiv ti,n n,,1v
ori1in,Iitv annwn. fmftnth,n ,,'J rraa,srt,on Gf
sxh,t h"3 hrr,, dina h"for" n,"I ,vi1t ,,s i,"cn
! anil heforr h"nw IL" ainG, A ,',1 nmc,a ..tTn
I'rrnn. IT." t,n,v M and H." nninv ,ir e"e@"' '''e
II Is MI nrnncr ~ rrnrat hrrn whit h,s hccn
.,Is h,fmro ~ III. s,iarca iVh,t h1s h,on it,,n
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