The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-03-25
Abstract OF the Report Of Mississippi
River Commission.
wAsurxGTov.D. O., March 2

WASHINGTON, D. O., March 2.
The report OF the Mississippi Riy-
er Commission IS an elaborate doc
iment. 1t has performed its duties
Under the act of June 2s 1879 to mature plans
cate and deepen the cndnnelI protect banks,
and give safety to commerce Aiicr relSsFencS @
to previous scientific labOrs, and work no =
In progress by the COast-SuTvey ana oIhceIo
OF the Co1umission, the Board discuss various
Dared to submit fnii and detailed report,
with estimates upon the final cost Of any gen
eral principle kept In view has peen the plah
which would concentrate rather than dls-
perse the waters of the river, as
the principal agent in securing the neeueo
Improvement In navigation. The famous out
let system being of diffusion and waste, and
not Of contraction" Is examined and con
dcmned. The Mississippi River Is not con-
sidered as possessing phenomena different
from other turbid streams flowing through
alluvial deposits. It's waters carry large guam
titles OF sedimentary matter. This sediment
Is borne along by the current in such man
ner that a large part of it is held in more or
loss constant suspension in the water, while q
portion is rolled or swept along on the bottom.
when, on any given reach of the same stream,
velocity, usually measured by meters or
| floats, Is increased, the vertical motion, and
therefore the sustaining and transporting
power of the stream, is also increased It Is
held that, IL the normal volume of a silt bear
ing stream, moving IN an alluv1al bed OF its
own formation, be increased, there will result
an increased velocity, and consequently an
erosion ana cross section, and an ultimate
lowering of the surface slope; and, converse
", if the normal flow be decreased in volume,
there viii ensue a decrease of velocity of slit
transporting power and mean sectional area
and an NJ ltimate raising of the suface slope
! The COwdOn plan is recited, and condemned
In respect to the Ievees. the Commission say
/ that they do exert 81 direct action in deepen
/ ing the channel and enlarging the bed of the
/ river during the periods OF rlse when they
/ cause the water TO rise to a higher level than
/ if dispersed. During the period when the
/ Ievees were in their most perfect condition,
from 1870 TO 1883 the channel of the river was
form
/ been since. It is argued that the immediate
/ effect of the lcvecs would be to increase the
/ volume and accelerate the velocity of
/ flood water, resulting in an erosion and
| deepening of the river-bed; and that a clos
/ w r. of the cTevasses might be expected 20 az
| c. lerate the removal of the shoals which la &,
! b cen produced by them, and If their cio= .url
l d accompanied by contraction of the nan
ei cause towering OF the surface sif Spe q
E uch extent as will render the maintr name
-o4 levees above Red River as an aid 70 nstvi
cation pr'lctlcally needless Ile req airs ant
maintenance OF extensive lines Of IeE ees al
J ready existing viii hasten the work Of chanel
( Improvement and promote and facilitat
commerce.
out and maintain a channel through shonl
and bars existing in portions Of the rive
where the width i excessive and build u
/ new banks ana develop new shore lines, $
as to establish the requiSiUF, conditions of
uniform velocity for all sfages of the rive
( This Improvements can be accomplished belol
Cairo by constructing r low-water camel
| way TO a uniform width Of 900 feet, for tn
1 purpose OF securing ont channel thrOug
shoals and bars. It ~ Thought that this pln
viii secure channel of ten fee
at the extreuls low stage of I'll
river, over ali hars below Cairo. Til
: Commission .stvor the general rul
. that the channHl should be fixed in its prei
ent location, and that no attempt be made
> straiEhtCn the river shorten
= cut-offs- The works of channel -constructi0
. / and banlz-preteefiOn recommended duriu
: 4 the fiscal year, and confined TO the length
5 200 miles, embrace New Madrid, Plum Poin
: Memphis, Helena, ChOctaw Bend and Lal
! Providence. The estimates for this year a.
T A,l13,gO0, for closing gaps in levees 81 900 %
s and checking the enlargement of the Atchafi
3 laya outlet $4,000