, 1880-08-25
THE MISSISSIPPI.
Letter from Capt. CU,ytlon OIL tho Lake
lsOrgne Outlet,
nhJx .l..ft, Hrhf.

Mrnpht. 4ltsttanrhe.
MEMPHIS, 'renn., Aug. 70, 1Ss0.-TD tho
S,tVur unh Cnttou IVtatcrs Of The Loircr
tittiGu If The Observation-Disclosures
The question nC protection fr0llt overflow Is
one That l.,,s cngrosspsl thu attention. Ut thu
muptu of Idiiisiaisa for ltD years, during
which tEue tho expc,,se Of building alll re-
pntrlig uyces Inns fyren llHndrcts Of millions
Uf dollars, wlIEp tho lOssrs from sEpaEu
wuter nlHl creynsses l'nye lecn MS n,alteI
mare; mil still yul, nre M earcr rrlEf tllAft
when tic first yard " teyra wis 'nnle, al-
though tic luyees ilre INV ten feet high.
wl!eru they were Ul,ce only ono f0Ut high.
Tl.a history Of the leyec system III J.Hulsf-
my commenced with thu founding Of New
Orleans, in 11lS. 1t SHOWS thnt thu higher
the leyces wcro built thu l'Ighrr was raised
tho wafer III tho river; and isI the allnu pro
pnstiun with tllu elevation OK tho water sur
tucc Thu bed or lntton, af the river Ii ra[sett,
tins decreasing tlle current. ralslng tlse river
IT, sl,onl; niHl us II nntnr1t tDltsca.!enco
rnllSes 5rc,lt alNl ,lprp destructive nyertlows.
sllclt has bCuIl Its fstUrc results. AMI with
tllis md eSpeF'enso y ,..,t !n!a ., to ea!l M !!
suns way ~ which WI may secure u clit4l',
speely, md permanent remedy IN lse,i nf tlis
oxl,calye nIld dangerous system, TUT lias no
end except tH the obstruction Of tho lower
To do this wy tlnfB O'ilS to fullow tllb llh4er
uf Nnturu ts sl,u l4'llts to her wuse,-'escls
0f tlU Gutf Or McXlro hy tak!ng thu h',st
direct, alid consequently thu quickest, rniIto
III 0yItteIlcctl by thu " liunntt Cnrre" nntlet.
wl,uru ory Il ,iortIult ot tho 1!uu.i-!!es IT ts!d
AlissIhslI,i1 lllyer sought tho gulf !cycl "
Lake Ponrl!n!trali, IN E"!I!g s!x miles, n!n!
With nll tho fill i wOnitl lhvG 'Ind III gulils
lGO miles 10 lhu riyur's ulUnth.
TIis outlet fnr tI,e years tlttl lower tho
average, higs-walnr linris hf ING river ~
Sew Urrn,is fnMr feet nsul slx INCHES, when
tho ligIl-wutur hArk fur tl!u s1!nu period VAS
four feet aud SIX INCHES. y! SAtcIez Y Tts
lowered bis fret MMl SIX lncltrs. At Slekh.
! hMfg It WIS lowered MlisN fHet, W!!ell, ull at
tl,p mouth Of Wh!te River where that strrn'Il
md the Arknllsns liver cnlrsls 'lis' tit,,
the hlg'i-wa.cr mark iu thu MtaslsStppl istser
for tho sau,e nerlod Ut tll1c was only one ioot
fills showed that, although tho s1lssis;sIIpIpt
River 1T thAt potNt WIS iearty ~ !" MlEt!,,
water .inark, when below there It lackrt! A. t.!!
Air by mil through lho itollnt Carro outlet.
trIuso statistics Ill,ly te ScpI, hy reference 10
tl,s rrport 1T Maj. I}cuya4rI, for ISL: ,
| Nuw, stnse tbs partial elt,s!ng nf the lou
net carre ouilc', by wlIteh fully twot!lrfssls ~:
jayu ;llutf,cr evidence nf tho grent vn' 'ue Gf
this oiltttt, Us thu river this year tucked 0ltly
u fuw lMrhes Ut helng til, ~ llg!1-'Snlef marx
| 1t Now Orleans, when NJ Ut tlig mouth o.
river WIS nnt 70 high ~ Il was years Gfvy,t,
uslsly stferfel IN, showing tlEat, n'tllunK. lhe
SllIlIu 1T Wnter VIII mt SD EErNt th thu river
ny bcfurr, II WIS higher III tliu lnwcr river,
BECAUSE It ttultl nut csrApu through tAG out
let ut DUNllctCArre. And thls outlet pelnG