Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-15
THE FATHER OF WATERS.
GENERAL WRIGHTs EVIDENCE
CONTINUED.

! Cut Offs of No Value-The Probla,, -.
COnfine the Banks-The Service of the
Levees-PropOsaIs as to Outlets-The
Commissions Plans the Best Prac-
| ticable.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE examina-
ton of General Wright, Chief of Engi-
neers Of the War Department, was CON
tinued by the special committee on the
improvement of the Mississippi river this
morning. The General, as in his replies
yesterday, adhered to the opinion that the
theory and plans upon which the River
commission Is now conducting the work
of protecting the banks and c0ntractin@
! the width OF the river, are the best of any
to which! he has given any attention for
the improvement of the navigation of the
! river. Among the interesting facts de-
velOped were the following:
The effect of a cut off was always disas.
trous, General Wright said. and NOTHING
was ever gained by it. If the length Of
offs the amount of slope would be the
same, of course, and the velocity of
the water doubled. When asked il
he thought there would ever be n
time when the bed of the river would
be so worn down by erosion that at high
water the surface would be below the
natural banks, General Wright said he
would not go on record as replying to that
without giving it more consideration. He
SAID he thought that levees were necessary
at certain places on the banks to prevent
the destruction of life and property. hut
did not think leYees essential TO secure
desired aid to navigation. He said he
was not so strong an advocate of the
levee system as some. He had given it
Mr.. Thomas asked if Gen. Wright undar-
stood it to be the plan and duty of the
Mississippi River Commission only to se-
cure benefit to low water navigation. He
said he regarded it as the only purpose of
the works now in progress. He thought
an outlet at Lake BOrgne would have fhe
effect of slackening the current below and
increasing the deposit on the bed of the
river He thought it would not prevent
the flow through the South Pass
In reply to Mr.. Butterworth he said his
replies were based upon information gath
cred by the observations of others. He
said he did not consider anything neces-
sary Tor the improvement of navigation
but the restriction of the banks. The
duty OF the commission, under the organic
act, as he understood it, was
TO improve the navigation of
the river, not to protect lands
an outlet at Lake Borgne would have no
ei1ect whatever on the navigation of the
river at points where it is ever trouble
some. Its effect would not be felt so
FAR as one hundred miles above. He
dld not see why the commission
should under the present appropriation
extend the levees below the mouth of thn
Red river. He thought an outlet only to
carry off the flood waters at Lake BOrpne
would not cause a deposit below which
would impede navigation. To all ques-
uOns concerning an outlet at lake
Borgne his replies were that an
outlet there would not be
desirable Tor any reason. He said to Mr.
Butterworth, as he did to Mr.. Robinson
yesterday, that he thought it practicable
10 cOnnne the river its entire length by q
system of levees, and thought that il
would have tendency to keen the bottom
of the river secured out
In reply to Mr.. Carlisle, he said he
thought the points where experiments
nad Deen successfully tried, Horse Tail
par, Tor instance, were identical with the
other Dars and curves ON the river. He
thought the plan of the commission the
best practicable for the improvement of
navigation.
In reply to question by Mr.. Holman.
ne sad that if dredging were resorted to
as the only means of removing the bars
there were forty-three places where dredg-
ing would have to be done, more or less.
every year.
Gen. Wright stated at the close of the
morning session that he had been brought
before the committee without time for
preparation, and referred to the reDort of
the commission, of which he was a MEM
Der, and asked to have this report submit
TED with his testimony, as he had no
reason to differ now from any essential
point made Ia that, and it was so admit
tea, as was also copy of a manuscript
report on COwden's outlet system made nv
the same Board, which has never been
printed. rms closed the examination of
Oen. wright. Adjourned till tomorrow.
The outward aspect of intellectual Lon
don, as described in all the English papers
Just now, is full of social and moral
phllosOphy OF its own. 1t is the reign of
industrial art, and the display of manual
labor IS found to have more attraction
than that of the true arts. For instance
the turnery exhibition is great success.
In II IS seen the immense progress made
by British handicraft during the last few
years-the intaglois and canoes being
equal to any of the works produced az
Rome. The diamond cutting, too, reveals
an entirely new genius in the English
lapldaries, who are beginning to scare the
monopollzers of the craft at Amsterdam.
The efforts OF one or two little apprentices
admitted to competition are very promis-
ing, clock case, inlaid with innumer
able specimens of different woods, being
really masterpiece, The maker has be-
gun well,
Troy man namad noore+,-, -