Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-17
ESTABLISHED Is
HE MIssIssIPPI RIVEK COAMIs-


The River Commission, which is going
own the Mississippi with even greater
'eed than characterized the Tariff Commits.
On in its run through the country, arrived
the great elevator late last night Mr..
apoleon Hill and the Hon. Casey Young,
llh other members OF the committee ap-
'inted by the Cotton Exchange. visited the
Gamer Guiding Star, and did ali they
'nld to induce the commissioners 10 remain
yer and accept The hospitalities of the peo-
OF Memphis, but without avsil. Time
'T'es' aud they must away" as the old
Ay has it. From tie report, which we
lrnish in another column, it will be seen
0rne members Of the commission who
i've never before seen the Father of VS.
re- II seems as if it Wss a power beyond
eu congressional control. They fear that
ither the jelty systsm proposed BY Eads
''r the cutoff plan Of Cowdon
'nld be OF any avail TO slay the turbulent
ie which pours in an Irresistible current
om the vast watershed of the continent
this they are mistaken, and before they
urn from the jetties, work that hss chaI=s
nged snd received the approval Of the best
urcpsan engineers, we are much mistaken
they do not confess themselves 20. As
the CoWdon plan, the engineer
experience OF Louisiana will
pIode that. 1t is regarded rs both
,imericAl and visionary by competent
gineers, and will not stand . mement be-
re the common sense plan of protecting
wees with mattresses and piling at The
nds, where the impinsiug current does its
ost destructive work. The jettiss at the
outh of the river will prove this bet
RS along the river bank. Here at Mem
ais this sort Of work has largely
ctive manner in which it was done. |
hen the mattresses are properly tied |
anchored they have not failed. But as
have said, the commissioners must 90 to |
mouth of the river 10 be able 10 realize
e certainty Of the ietty system. They |
ust take the testimony of the merchants and |
511ppers of New Orleans as to iis worth TO |
EN-. No enginteri work OF this century has |
en so fruitful Of benefits A. this. Il has |
Ade the Crescent City port beyond any |
leslion. Ships go in and out OF her harter |
tn degree OF ssf.ty that before Eads's
Drk was accomplished was utterly un-
.loWp, and the facilities for the ship |
snts of cotton and grain have |
en- more than doubled. These re-
Its speak louder than words. They ap-
,al to the common sense Of The commission
s to put away all this nonsense about the
ability OF engineers 10 control the Missis-
'ppi in the interest Of a vast inland COM
erc.. More than 20 100000 of people
yell upon lis banks and those
its tributarieS, and the largest
oportion Of the cereal and other products
the country, cotton included, are raised
om the soil that it waters. The patient
ought that must be brought to any ade-
ate consideration OF a question 90 vast
mot be found in the brIef space OF a few
seks. For forty years it has challenged
|e skill aud labor OF all the best
gineers of the United States army
La many of the beet in civil life,
Id il cannot be disposed of 10
IN weeks by auy number of laymeD,
wsver intelligent, and even Though they
prestntstiVes in Congress. The only
ates that have attempted to deal with the
oblem of The Mississippi with any imme-
ate results are Louisiana aud Mississippi.
|hey have gathered vast body
Information on the subject, bat the levees
rave built and maintained for so many
ars at great cost 10 the taxpayers speak
more eloquently OF the settled opinion
the people. They are the result of the
,umulated experienc, of half century,
a exist notwithstanding the natural outlets
the river. This one practical re-
il of so much surveying and engineering
serVation will meet the commissioners
perever they land below Memphis on this
ie of the river, or on the other below the
,uisisna line, and the people with one
ice will say-maintain this system for
from Cairo TO the mouth and we will be
isfied, will be freed from over
w and the river will afford free
visation at all seasons of the
ar to the vast and increasing com neree
4. passes up and down from the mountains
4 the lakes TO the ses. AS the late
nented Lincoln used to say. it is no time
swap horses crossing a stream. Now that
=, alluvial lands are being settled up, and
opIs are anxious 10 find remunera-
q returns for their lsbors in eulti-
ting the richest scresge in the world
no time TO lie Gyiag experiments. The
ople know that behind ieyees they are Sc
re; with cutoff. they cannot tell What
would befall them. The jetties, at danger
points supplemenLing levees and strength
iug them, are all that are needed to deep
the channel and protect the low lands from
srfow. This is the xerdiet that follows up
the concurrent testimony Of practical men,
Is the verdict which Coahoms, Tunics.
ashiugton aud Bolivar counties, Miss,
az ago reudersd and from the enforce
srt n which they Sad their peace and
bzt. Alter the aood OF Last year, the
ople who have made THIN all that they
3 a. the richest counties in Mississippi, did
. consult the authors of tn chimerical
t-oG plan. On the contrary they did not
,e a moment in rebuilding aud repairing
. levees that had broken under aE IN
1al pressure, thus testifying to their faith
them. Make these stronger than they are
m Atiresses properly tied and anchored, and
.Droblems of current, of channel and
edom frou overflow are solved. As 10
harbor of Nemphis. it can only be saved
work in the bend at Marion, Ark,
lilsr TO that partially accomplished by the
.yator Company, and perhaps by the
Il - nj. h. al aida i