The Evening critic., 1882-05-22

sippl river some Tour miles lor through Old
river TO the hcad OF the Atchafalaya,
which all ouachita and Red River
pilots and captains not only say has
done no good, but was n coalition OF the rail.
roads TO destroy the navigation ofthose rivers
This charge OF these steamboatmon reminds
me OF similar charge made by steamboat
men navigating the Hatchee River I'm Tonnes
sec. Some two yoars ago the Government
appropriated $4,000 to clean out ana i'm.
prove the navigation OF that river as high rs
Bolivar, which the Memphis Louisville
Railroad did not want done. The work was
done on the following very scientific plan;
lot OF mon were sent and commenced
at the upper end chopping, down all Of the
and oil Of them that did not
sink and form distractions 10 its navigation
Goated down tho river and formed such drift
wrecks that steamboats, could neither pass up
nor down. This can be proven by tho best
pilots ON that river. mention this crcum.
stance that you may have some idea as to how
our rivers are improved by these very honor.
able and scientific gentlemen.
I'VE Will now return to tho
Red River Question.
"The River Commission now asks Congress
Tor SoOO,O 600 for what they term the rectlnca-
tion OF tho Atchafalaya; but they don't agree
as 10 how II is TO be used. Eads wants to tlam
UP the Atchafalaya and force all the water OF
the Red River shed, which Is one.ninth of the
rainfall Of the whole valley OF the Mississippi
Into the Mississippi River, for tho purpose of
securing out its bed and bottom to Improve
navigation from there down TO New Orleans,
and ON below TO within q few miles of the head
OF the passes. where the river Is now from an
10 2Oo feet deep, and he claims that 1t won't
raise the river moro than two feet. This is
what term new science of engineering, one
which teaches that quart OF water can be pIt
into pint cup without running over; or, to
prevent oyefnows, you must raise the water
so II VIII run over the top OF the levees; or, to
increase the current of river, you must first
decrease the angle OF fall by the building of
levees which raise the water at the lower end,
Instead OF making an outlet direct to the Gulf
which VIII increase tho current by lowering
me nood,line or increasing the angle of fall.
"But 1 must return to the balance of
the Commission: They propose to turn
all the waters OF the Red River shed into the
= Gulf through the Atchafalaya by the building
OF dam In Ola River between the head Of the
Atchafalaya and the Mississippi River The
effect OF this would be to shut OFF from New
orleans and the Mississippi River all water
communication with not only tho Red and
Ouachita Rivers, but also the Teche, Menpnn
City and all that section, from their coal sur
ply. This would also raise the nood-line In
the entire lower section Of the lower Missis-
sippi River
us there no way by which tho mouth Of the
Red River may be permanently deepened and
at the same time leaving the Atchafalaya an
open and navigable stream at all seasons of the
year for the passing Of coal tows from tho
mississippi TO that Gulf sugar region of Lou
fsiana, as well as an outlet to conduct to the
sippi?'
"Oh, yes; there is a way by which all this
may be accomplished in one years time, and
at an expense at that point not TO exceed
$4,000. But
The First Thing Is to Make the
lake BOrGne Outlet,
which will lower the fiood-line of the Missis-
slppl River fully fifteen feet at the mouth of
Red River. This would SO equalize the water
levels OF the two rivers at that point that the
mississippi Riverwould then, under no circum-
stances, have any desire to leave Its present
bed and lower stem TO the Gulf, and seek the
same Gulf through the Atchafalaya-a result
that regard as almost certain IL the plans of
NTna nj 1n ~ 4ta
which plans are bound to increase that danger
by the building of levees which will raise the
hood-line. After tho outlet below is made,
and the food-line reduced as stated, would
then place low-water dam across the bottom
of Red River, just below its intersection with
what is known as Grand CutOn, which, In
going four miles, leads to the Mississippi
This dam should be not more than two or
three feet above the low-water mark of Red
River, SO as not to interfere with the
free outflow Of water at food periods
when at the same time 1t would elevate the
low-water mark of Red River from two to three
feet, giving 1t ample fall to scour out perma-
nent low-water channel TO the Mississippi of
not less than ten feet in DEPTH Then 1ust as
the waters Of tho Red River when low would
thus be kept out of the Atchafalaya, In the
same proportion would the waters of the
Mississippi draw through to the Atchafalaya
and wash out deep and permanent low water
channel from the Mississippi, through which
seasons OF the year reach Morgan City and
all that sugar region. But this
Simple. Cheap. Speedy and Natu raj
Plan,
like all other work propose to reclaim that
valley from overflow and Improve the nayiga.
bility of the Mississippi and its tributaries. is
opposed by this so-called River Commission
Tor the reason 1t would throw them out OF a
JOB on which they expect to squander $780,
100000 before Congress may find out that
they do not know anything about the Missis.
slppi River and Its mode OF treatment"
with reference to the statement made by
General Gilmore that there
and .a-half feet OF water at Lake Providence
during low water, have you any proof fur
ther than your own personal knowledge to
show that that statement is not true?"
:" Yes, the following from the Now Orleans
Sfotes OF March d, 1882, will put that question
10 rest These pilots pass that place twice each
week. The j. NJ. White is one of our largest
and heaviest draft boats, drawing no less than
seven feet, light, and could not run there
true. The states says:
"'Another question, purely of fact, is pre-
sented TO US: The report of the River Commits
sion states that there was only four feet I'm tho
river at Lake Providence last low water and
that the bar there is thirty-nv miles long.
We have not seen the report in question, but
are informed that II makes this statement:
"'Captain Leathers, whose attention was
called to II submitted Inquiries as to the accu.
racy or the statement to three experienced
and well-known pilots, who have replied as
"'NEw ORLEANS, March 2, 1882.
"'Captain r. +. LeatheyS.
"DEAR SIR: In reply to your question as to
the depth of water between CreenvIIle and
Nlcksburg during the low.water season of
1881, we VIII say that eight feet three inches
was the shoalest water In that part of the river
and that depth for only 100 yards This con-
dftion OF the river lasted but Eve days. On the
next trip OF the steamer j. NJ. White we found
twelve feet and a-half No trouble afterward.
This shoal place Is In Providence Rea ch, whore
the River Commission is now at work.
CHARLES II. PIERCE,
Il. A. DRoUILLARD,
"'Pilots, Steamer ]. NJ. White.
sR. ii. SMITH,
"'Pilot, Steamer Ed Richardson"