The Evening critic., 1882-08-03

Now, General Comstock, q mombor OF tho
River Commission, made the astonishing
assertion before the Commerce Committee,
in answer to n question put to him by
General Reagan, that the line they had run
was the shortest way from Red River to the
Calcasicu. That line requires cut "a
miles long, while Cowdon's plan only re-
quires cut of 12, miles aud reaches tho
Calcasieu at point where 1t Is broad and
deep enough to carry of all the surplus
water of the Red River.
On this false survey the Commission
based their claim that the flood waters of
the Red River could not be diverted to the
Gulf through the Calcasieu, because, the
report claimed, it was 60 feet higher than
the Red River.
Inrepy to another question put by Gen.
eral Reagan on this part of the Cowdon
plan, General Comstock asserted that 1t
had never been before the Commission, and
that lie was not, therefore, able to express
an opinion on 1t
These arc mistakes numbers one and two
of the Commission.
The Commission claimed that the outlets
flood line of the Mississippi. They asserted
this in face of the fact that Major Ben
guards reports from 1878 to 1877, inclu-
siye. show that the average flood line of
the river had been lowered as follows: At
New Orleans. a feet and @ inches; at Vicks-
burg, 0 feet and 3 inches; at the mouth
of White River, above the outlets, only /
foot and II inches.
This result followed naturally and inev-
itably from the outlets at Atchafalya, Nor
ganza and Bonnet Carre, which drcw Off
the water and lowered the flood line, Just
the same as an auger hole in barrel will
permit the water to escape and lower it
down to the level of the hole.
Here is clear proof. taken from the Com
missions first rcport. that they knew these
facts, but tried to deny them and break
their force. Their report saws:
"Before dismissing the subject. It is per-
tinent to say that the statements which
have been published to support this scheme
regarding the effect produced by the Bonnet
Carre outlet in lowering the flood angle
above and below Il have been greatly ex.
opperated.n
The Unpublished statements referred To
bv tbe Commission are Major Bcnvuard,s
| renorts. and the Commission not onIv RI.
absolutely true.
| This js therefore. mistake number three.
The Commission stated that tho Jumn
outlet at its intersection with the river
had ,boaled nm to four feet.
| We have nroof sufic;cnt IN establish the
utter untrntb of this assertion.
They saw further that this outlet has 90
caused the river to shoal below that the
| Government has been compelled to mt a
l;pbt there To warn sbips.
| This statement is also untrue.
| These two misstatemeuts are mistakes
four and five.
| Tn their last renort the Commission claim
that there are Init four and a.balf feet of
wafer in the Mississippi during low water
| ot lake Providence.
Rv reference to THE CRITIC of Nav %
on the fourth page, in an article headed
"River Pirates-How They Exploit the
Treasury.n will be found evidence undis-
puted and indisputable which establishes
| tbo total ;pcorroctpess of this ossort;on
'no 'o'"i -, 's '''.A
Hence this is mistake number SIX.
| Tbey also claim that tbe Governmont
~-'o ~ ~.
work at Horsetail Bar, Just below st. Louis
| has deenened the channel from al to 1e
feet.
We are nrenared to prove bv river pilots
who mass over the river every dav, that
this statement is not true
mn. ~ ,,,es.
Tho pros;dont of tbo Commission SOW,
,a. t,,o aooa I;no oe ,ho NI,as;s.inn, p;uo,
Las ' Wv, I IT, IOo, .a;soa nur pti r,;th;n tha Nv " ~
nas.s as n .oon ~ ~ "' "''1 WV p'''
NJ. ~, - .h;s st,,o,. a;.,ro,, l.,
wv w. oy a.',ona. h". al,o h., a. h,",, -
~. a.. -. a,,,h o,;,1, l., ~ o,n,t.r
1,,,s .,a,, :. ,,;,to,.o o,,hoa;~l.
tn, - - A.. -.
a. Ia - tLo -, d. IT,, ~.
70 ;,.has nna c,r.hor ossorto5 49, A..
~ A., go e. aoo,o,,os .,,n -,
.,'.. ,,uo,, ~
T. IT,, rn,r,o oe 1,,o, 10 .ho .u,.h :,
.s - ~. ,..tau ,uos n,,h,;a,,oa wv
e., ~ eoI,a,,,. 60, .I. -.
t ,ss,,s ->''
%Tho he'd n, tho po ia continually ra,sod h
deposits, and this renders necessary a CORE
sponding increase a IN the sr ostsn e I'm