The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-11

OF Red river can, at this moment.
testify to the creator elevation of
the food level of the Mississippi,
resulting in the terrible overflows
and destruction. He called atten.
tion to the following declaration of
the Commission: ''The elevation of
the water surface at the junction
of Old river and the Mississippi is
almost constantly above that at the
head of the Atchafalaya, the differ
once on the 13th of last October be-
ing 7 3 10 feet in a distance of five
miles" Capt. Eads regarded this
fact as of well nigh alarming inn
portance. Here was a drain of
over foot per mile to drain the
Mississippi into the Atchafalaya.
The Atchafalaya is rapidly con-
verting the Old river into the At
ohafalaya. The Old river can soon
be properly called the Atchafalaya,
and the Red river will soon become
wholly tributary to the AtchafaIya.
1t is practically so now. In other
words, the Red river and the Mis-.
sissippi are now really tributary to
the Atchafalaya. Capt. Eads said
that he could not attend the meet
ing of the River Com mission at it's
last session. If he could have dis.
cussed this question with it's mem
bers he would be satisfe that they
would have made different recon-
mendation. That commission re-
commends that continuous brush
sill be laid across Old river, between
Turnb bulls Island and the Missis~
sippi He said the true remedy
is to put dam across the head of
the Atchafalaya A submerged
dam should be first put down to
cause the flow of the one sixth vol
ume from the Mississippi to cease.
Then from year to year the height
ef the dam should be increased, so
as to divert Red river from the At
chafalaya to the Mississippi. This
would necessitate the putting in
lock at the head of the Atchafalaya
to accommodate commerce.
Capt. Eads again urged the clos
ing of gaDs in the levees. He as
serted that there is not a crevasse
not followed by deposits below the
opening causing injury to naviga-
ton. The Ievees deepen the cham
mel, and the public gets the benefit
Only per cent of the length of
these levees are in need OF repairs,
and it is manifestly to the advan-
tage of navigation that the gaps
should be closed. He said:
"I urge with all the force and en-
ergy I have the closing of the gaps.
If the gaps had been closed the
present floods would not have
brought such destruction and suf-
fering to the people"
Capt. Eads called attention to an
article published in the Sunday
Chronicle, of this city, over the
name of John CowdeD, in which
the latter said that Capt. Eads had
declared it would take half CEN
tury, and cost $50, 100000 to secure
the needed depth Of water between
Cairo and New tOrleans. Eads
characterized this statement as an
untruth. He had never said any
such thing; he bad said, however,
that permant Improvement of the
river, according to the plans pros
posed, would result in greater
depth than 10 feet. In concluding,
he remarked that he thought he
had said enough to demonstrate the
falacy of the outlet system. That
system violates every physical law
involved in the problem, and it
seemed to him that some of the ad-
vocates of it are violating every
moral law and every sense of truth
and decency in their efforts to break
down those who have steadily
stuck to the principles which have
necessarily resulted in the success
of the jetty system.
Capt. Eads has recently been
greatly annoyed by the conduct of
Cowden and his followers in secur-
ing publication in two or three local
papers of Washington of old and
exploded charges against him. The
articles are reprints of publications
made years ago, and are put in
without date, and made to appear
as of recent origin. In response to
question asked by the members
of the com mittee after he had con
cluded his statement, Capt Eads
said, among other things, that he
thought the gaps in the levees
should be closed within two years
at an expense of abont $4,000. 900,
and by thus increasing the volume
L kho 20