The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-04

neces. cry further TO consider system baset
| uHon theories and arguments 30 dfametricalll
70 sSeseo be. ~ ~ 'ae0''''' ''''sAo"'
Allusion has only been made, 80 far. to phe
nomena attending long estahished e. psrma 9,,,
proving the navigation OF the Mississippi rive
end for the reclamation OF The low. lands OF th
sented 10 tbe Consideration Of Uonaress i,
House bill No, s4l9, Ferty.nfth CONGRESS. thir,
session. 1t ls the duty Of the commission to re
In the bill The fret feature of the plan eonsis'l
| In opening an outlet about teD miles below New
Orleans from the river Into Lac Bo'Ene. Tht
eested by MIR Charles d lei. Jr.. civil engineer
In 1859 Isee ex. doe 2o. Thirty. nd Congress
| nrst seseionl, In an elaborate report TO tha Sec
| ,etafy OF War. ON the inundHtion of the Miasis
The proposition WINS subsequently, discussed
asbe nsn sna CHI eSo sm 9 Hymn
practicable. II was again taken no and ex
amined Into BY the, levee commission In 1875
| and wat by 1t likewise rejected
In considering the proposed outlet at Lake
Borsne. IL ls necessary TO refer to phenomenH
attending elaas OF outlets which canno ot be con.
lar In their characteristics to thoae which
would attend the proposed one nt LIKE Borgne
for the reason that lhe liver. Immediately after
| ,heir occurrence, whether from artificial or A.
tural causes, commences n process Of sub delta
formation which, IN the course Of a few years.
enaets their complete. closure.
vi tAHUuibhtlbu vi tu6 HbuthhSn OultbI
states Coast Survey map, showing that part OF
the delta embracing the passes and about forty
miles from the main river. several remark able
eyateme of extinct channels will be found on
each eide OF the three great passes. The
vermtculated appearaee Of these uld outlets la
particularly noticeable on the west eide Of The
Southwest Pass. The process .bv. which the
river, el9sed q them no and shut them of 10
SQUIRTING about three miles above 1e1e The head oT "
the passes. At this point on the map referred
to, will be seen the largest and most recent
outlet or mouth Of the Mississippi II occurred
as Oubitt's Gap. II was caused by email
canal between the river and the guIf. used by
fshermen In visiting the oyster banks In the
The river and the gulf at this point were then
separated by narr2w margin less than one
face height of the river and the mean level OF
the gulf at the time was little over three 1. ct
The surface slope or fall through the gap was
fifteen feet per mile. The rapidIty of the
escaping water with this enormous fall made
the creyaase oyer 1, two thousand ~ feet wide ln
and over In the gap where the river bank had
tot merly stood.
As coon as tue water passed through the gap
ite velocity wac gradually lost. and the immense
volume of sediment with which Il was charged
wac thrown down within q fan. shaped area sit,.
hynacna pn probably twenty ny Or thirt, square miles.
ones show By The inolpent islaajs % aud sboalp SGs
w sss hss snas has Hse ss f.
dividing the einge volume of the river water
ieening from II into innumerahle bayous and
little ehannels none. of them having at this
time greater depth than seven fet Ea h
0oed serves 70 build up these ieands higher
aud ex,end their area further into tho gulf;
and es thls Island building process continues
more distinctly outlined from ths deposi Ing
action which eoes on most RAPIDLY in the. more
owe, flow ssry,s to build up the banks of lheaa
chann ella and to extend them out into the gulf
but In their prolongation is 10 be. found the
them, nerhaps forever, from the main river
The difference OF level between the river and
the gulf remains the same that 1t was at the
through the gap. at frat equal TO about flfteen
feet per mile. and which must have created an
exoeedingly rapid current during the frat few
eSista, Every addition to the length OF the
separate channels. whirh are now forming
through the sub.,delta Hattene their SLOPE aud
HON. Ultimately these currents will become
90 sluggish 70 transport the sediment con-
aimed Ia the water. and Il will be dropped ut
hey viii be finally shut of entirely from ' ali
with the main riv, r, Just as those |
we're which were seen on the maU on the west |
NE ssb q son,hwsst and sontheast Passes
will tend TO increase The distance between tba
liver and these extinct outlets aud tho wound |
made in, the side Of the river BY Oubitte ere
yasse will then have been completely healed by
natural process,
Twenty. ono niles above the head Of the
masses a gap similar - vubtt's occurred about
nense sub. delta was formed there IN oonse-
inenee, and upon II there are now several Ice
aud extensive for eets, many of the |
reeR being oyer twelve inches In diameter.
Innumerable bayous permeate this sub delta
md lead to the sea. each having at ifs mouth a
miniature bar Ike those at the mouths Of the
wo feet Of depth at low water At the river en-
rance to the Jump" the depth Is but three or
our feet and In a few years more 1t will be
The same effort which the river Ia success
Iubitts ereyasses (both Of which are hig, aad
sonnet Oarre crevasse, which being through an
rtthcial smbankment or levee only discharges
{ high water. Ths, immense deposits wh,oh 1t
as carried out and spread over he land near
:. have served greatly TO reduce the volume uf
vater discharged by the erevasse.
shenlt an outlet be msde to connect the river
hoee which have occurred ut Cuhitl's G 70 and
ne Jump must be confidently ant,oinar d. Be-.
n@ s nnnitrs h car 1t 1t is In IN nndispnted fact that
educed since the gap occurred. b low the
ump 1t fs not 80 definitely known what the
nosi,ns o % mas M been. as charts Ct previous sound
.ighthouse Board hns placed two buoys a short
lat snce below the jump to warn vessels away
rom the shoal which exists tn. re- II is not
ossibe to make The proposeu outlet into Like
orene without creating shoal Ia the river
Glow 1t, and 1t Is not possible to keep II perma
entity open. except at great cost In dredging
way the sub delta that would be formed hy it
or could It be sept permanently open without
le slope Of the river being ultimately increased
-om the head Of the passes to the ou let after
hich it would raise the flood surface OF the
lver above the outlet.
With reference to the Atchafalaya outlet the
suggest that. as Major Bsnyaurd,
I the United States Oorps of Engtueers. in
barge of the government works upon this
ortton of the Mississippi. has now under con-
deration the question of the perman I'm
rov"ment of the mouth Of The Red river with ,
le intention. as expressed In his lat annual
sport, OF making a special rep >rt thereon at
le earliest possible moment. 1t is not deemed {
ivisable that any work at his locality. except {
nat may be- required to check the enlargement ,
the Atchafalsya, should bs rec ,mmended by !
lis commits ion in ticipation of the maiured ;
ews and opinions Of th officer. This can be
one In such locality and ia such manner as
II! not Interfere with the navigation OF the
ed and Atehafalaya rivers. aud at a cost not !
tceedtDg $4,000 |
That part of the plan which involves turning
e Red river into the Oalcasieu. from point s