The Greenville times., 1881-10-29

IfIIr
rdiunrtIue IanfIn. Htrm.rmu
mIhihr nr NIIw h.
ufnr'.UH.IlriHH.rI IHu OBJ.
ItMNdIrd tmr
IirrW p,.I.urnmaruM
ur.on or fNn rDsH'f. b. iouu.
pom uuud Im.'r aurul.mr
uf is.l. alh A'cr .nros. uAl
fh. aIi.hof thr ntrr lisurrns
cd sIarc thatdatc
hs ~ boIfug streams Iu N.
urh districts haze tendcnr, O,
assume Zoo tbc airaieht racbu
eros SECTIONS which 1rr area ol
urrlrR and Iu t'io bend curves ol
deeper iormA 10 follow that aut
general widening ut The river rc
. suliug nom concentration or iu
crease off volume which mnr hayc
taken pHcc, Wnuldus 70 rule he ar.
cnnpauicd bya general and cor
responding deepening as the re.
sHlJ of such general enlargement.
although local sboal.ug. Temporal.
rily injurious touayigauon, might
occur
There is rcuson 10 believe that
during tho period when lcyccs
were iu their most perfect coudi.
Iuu, irum 1880 to lSjS. the chan.
Of The river was better generally
for purposes Of navigation than il
has been since that time.
~ lb known that during the last
twenty years the leycc'systcm has
been continuously interrupted by
a great number of crcyasses be.
tween Cairo and Red river
Before the leyecs were builta
large portion of the flood waters
sprcadout over the banks OF the
river ina Thin sheet, of which tbc
aycnse dcptha the margin Of the
stream, where It escaped, did not
exceed q few inches, or, at most. n
foot. The immediate effect Of the
lcNccs wOuld be 20 increase the
volumcapd height and accelerate
the velocity Of the huod.watrrs
between thom, resulting in an
erosion aud deepening fthe river
bed ANA ultimately In n cores.
poudiug lowering ofthc flood slope
~ accordance with the general law
already quoted, that nm increase in
the normal volume OF discharge IN
a Scdlmcntary stream. flowing
through alluyial deposits, results
ultimately ina lowering of the
Hood surface. 10 would seem there.
fore. that a closure of the crevasscs
might be expected To accelerate
the removal OF those shoals which
have been produced by them,
and If their closure be accompa.
med by the requisite contrac.
ton of the channel 10 n more
nearly uniform Mgh.watcr width
aloWcrlng Of the Hood level may
he expected to such extent ms
viii ultimately render the mainten.
ahce OF lcNccs rs au aid tonayiga.
ton practically needless above
Red river and greatly lessen the
necessity of their permanent main.
tenancc for that purpose below
Red rlNer even at n reduced
height.
While II is not claimcd that
levccs IN themselves are ncccssn.
ry MS u means ofsccuring ultimate.
" u deep channel for navigation. il
is believed that the repair and
maintenance Of the extensive lines
already existing will hasten the
work of the channel improvements
through the increased scour and
depth Of the riyer.bed which they
would produce during the highest
river stages. They are regarded
us a desirable though not u ncccs.
sary adjunct IN the general system
ol improvement submitted.
u isobNious that leyec arc. ubon
q large portion Of the river, essen.
tlal 20 prevent destruction to life
ana property hy overflow. They
give safety and ease TO navigation
ana promote aud facilitate com.
merce and trade by establishing
banks or landing places above the
reach of Hoods, upon which pro.
ducc can he placed while awaiting
shipment and where steamhoats
and other river craft can land i'm
times OF high water.
In u restricted sense as auxiliary
to aplan of channel improvement
only, the construction aud mainte.
nance of lcyoc system is not de
nanded But IN II larger sense,
rs embracing not only beneficial
effects upon the channel. but ms n
protection against destructive
Hoods, u lcNec system is essential
and such system also promotes
md facilitates commerce, tradcmd
the postal service.
y levcc system aids and mcili.
itatoS the postal service bv pro.
tectmg from injury aud destruction
by trcShcts aud floods the various
common roads and railways upon
which that service is conducted To
aud irom the river bank. and rcn.
orally within that portion of the
alluvial region subject to overflow.
Moreover the permanent maintc.
nance below Cairo of a connected
levee system. a system of sufficient
strength To- inspire confidence in
its efficiency. or the demonstration
by the achieved results of an i'm.
proved river that overflow need no
longer be seriously apprehcnded.
would act rs prompt aud power.
ful Stimulmt in rapidly developing
o largely increased trade and com.
merce in all the products of agri.
industry indigenous TO
that rpUiOu aud iu tbnen Irn,t,,t,.-