The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-19
These outlets we're made by
cfthoiIt nrtifloinI mid

Orleans five feet. These outlets were made by
natural mems without artificial did.
IA" PIN l"orv"ed IS Capt C.Tden y per
muncn'lr rullc"N tie rtvor 'rul irunL1tion H.
bes, Il on this suggestion made by nature. lor
MAILMAN W., imd y gier. nee ~ i"a me- short
approaches Lake borgne. Capt Cowden pro
poses 10 open.a canal from thy river to Lake
BorgnGe on the same principle that the river
was only started. the river itself would do the
rest Why not aid the river to 10 It.? TIRE
NlSsissipui lessen the height hy ten tnct nud
draw 81 pnc-tcnth oi the Whole body ol Wal,r
Should this outlet not BE- sn!1igi'nl Z would b.
avery eoy matter to divert the biggest mis-
chici-docr OF nll--the He'd RIVER altogether
from the Mlssssiipp and let it also run a. al,
E TO % E9 e% m by int into way Es Of T2'"1f 6a
distance from the Red River to the dull
by the new route would DO only 80
y the Mississippi is 500 miles aud the Rcd
River water would run. ,conscGucntly, about
dated in a much quicker time. The bed OF
the Mississippi would be freed from the i'm,
the water that enters above the Mississippi
would have more space In the river bed bed BY
"a. and 50 is the Ohio. BY letting of the Red
River, at point above its mouth. the lover
sissippi would I've dry. At this point the Wash
ia River empties But instead OF letting that
river run through the old Red RIVER bed to the
Mississippi they could very easily make cut
from the Washita to the Atchafalaya, giving a
direct route 70 the Gulf. BY this means the
lower Mississippi bed would be relieved OF one
ninth OF its own quantity OF water and the
waters from above will find more room to flow
olI thnn AZ present
the homely illustration OF Il bath tub. II the
water is running in your bath tub faster than
the ordinary outlets will empty it, you have but
two renedles-you must either stop the water
coming in or you must conduct 1t somewhere
else to prevent your bath tub OVERLOOKING. lfyou
have another bath tub alongside and can con-
duet the water into that, you will prevent an
overflow. In this case the MississipRi Is the
ii,st bath tHe likely To- pc oItrii0wed; me G III
aion; the line Of the Mis$is5ippi are not united,
ps WAS clearly shown at the Mississippi conven-
ti9n., | observed the same thing at St Louis.
The delegates ware too much inclined to look
aftcr purely local and petty interests rather than
o.r4sp che great question OF the entire subject.
Local interests must BE- left out Of the question
entirely II YOU intend TO seriously consider
the momentOus duty of relieving $4,000 to
100000 square miles Of country from the pos
3ihlity OF such dcsolute condition as we now
see along the valley of tho Mississippi. some
'hln. must BE- done to make III ; fertile alluNiul
bottom available Tor agricultural purposes.
There Is one other important c9nsideration;
VIII ell Is that to prevent these acknowledgements
Ike OF !mmens" Importance from asnnitary point
u view. 1t would remove the prolific cause OF
yellow fever which, rs is well known. has is
origin within the Inundated region OF inc
Mississippi When visited Memphis In 1873
| saw the condition Of the country and pre-
licted the epidemic that rose there. My pre-;
English papers. and, unfortunately. rea lied
the same Wear. When ! visited Nicksburg
he sam" ycar expressed the opinion that that
city would. within u few years, be an inland
city. away from the Mississippi ! see by the
uai"~t accounts that Nckshurs will very soon
he inaccesslhl to the big river steamers
The rnurmOu, sum OF 800 100000 has
been used for levees. which have proved u
total failure. Yet at the expense Of only
Co%ter's plan immediate relief could hc
obtained. The !evee plan would require
not oaly more money but more time
during the LAOS" ~ which more damage by in.
pniaiions would result The new outlet remedy
would not only cost less. but would take u shor
time Perhaps. after all rho principal objection
. the outlet remedy proposed by Capt. Cow
den Is thut ii does not afford Congress an op
purtunlty TO eApend. usclesSly. more millions.