Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-04

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THE OVERFLOW AND THE REMEDY
The damage to property-too vast for COM
pntation-by the present overflow in the
Mississippi river has made this mighty river
the theme for national discussion. The Mis-
/ sissippi drains twenty States aud Territories,
embracing an area of 100000 acres OF
the richest agricultural and grazing districts
| in the country, besides an almost boundless
wealth of timber and inexhaustible min
eral stores. 1t traverses the great wheat,
corn, cotton and sugar belts, and region
Astounding in resources for fruit culture and
all the minor products of the soil, and offer
ing rare and ample facilities for all kinds of
manufacture and every kind of mechanical
industry. Hence the importance, not only
to the rich ard growing States through which
it passes, but to the nation at large, that this
magnificent aterway of the continent should
| be maintained in a condition for cheap,
rapid and uninterrupted navigation. The
navigation of this great river has always
been impeded by the shallow water at the
Gulf entrance making it impossible, save to
vessels of light draft. The success of Eads's
jetties has established the unrestricted navi-
cation of the most important natural inland
waterway in the world 10 the sea. The largest
ocean steamers can now enter and pass out
of the river without difficulty, and conse-
quenuy an immense impetus has already
been given to the foreign commerce of New
Orleans, st. Louis and other cities, by divert
ing a large share of the grain and produce
traffic Of the West from the railway lines of
the North to the South. And now the in
crease of this Southern commerce is speedily
to be augmented by the completion of rail-
way communication between New Orleans
and the Pacific coast. Thus the improve
ment OF the navigation of the Mississippi,
which the scientific skill, enterprise and
moral courage of Captain Eads has accom-
plished, becomes a perpetual boon to the
commerce and productive industries of the
South and West, and a, lasting contribution
to the welfare of the country. The Congress
of the United States and the people of the
whole country having pronounced the jetties
a success, the next question is how to reclaim
the overlooked lands on the banks of the
nulsSiSsippI Lie lISscul ONSIHON, anu
the immense amount OF damage done to
property, have invested this question with
an Importance never before felt. The overflow,
which is now devastating so much property,
has produced complete revolution in pub
lie sentiment in regard to the protection af-
fOrded by levees. Many intelligent planters
in the Mississippi bottoms have been in this
81 II
all confess a change of opinion as to the
levee system, and pronounce it failure, and
give many reasons for changing their opin-
ion. The prevention of foods is even more |
pressing necessity than the improvement of
navigation, but the means by which this is
to be done are the problems to be solved |
How to secure the river States against future |
foundations will attract the attention of the |
-hels country. In a communication pub
lished elsewhere in the ArrEAL 1t WIN bz |
seen that our iellow-citizen George B. Fleece,
a gentleman of intelligence and scientific in
formation, gives his views on this subject.
The impression is rapidly obtaining that the
levees are theoretically miserable fail
ures. 1t is now shown that as the |
river banks are raised by human la
bor the elevation of the ted is correspond
ingly raised by nature, and that the millions
of dollars expended for this purpose have
only increased the danger which they were
intended to avert. 1t is maintained that an
ordinary food is bad enough, but that which
follows the formation of Ecrevasse is tenfold
more appalling. Many of the former advo-
Gates of the levee system are now arguing
that generation after generation might go on
piling up thousands of cubic feet Of earth
and still the water would be Just as near the
top of the levee, threatening a more whole
sale destruction every year. If these facts
be true, it can be said with truth that the
leyee is the original makeshift OF perplexed
ignorance. The senseless war of Captain
John Cowdon, OF this city, and his friends,
upon Captain Eads and his jetties, has
caused many to doubt his judgment and
to create much prejudice against him.
But the present overflow, and the grow
ing belief that the levees are a fail
ure, has given Captain Cowdon's plan for
protecting the overfowed lands considerable
He is now in Washington, and
is using the prevailing overflow and destruc-
tive floods as an argument in favor OF his
system. He contemplates an escape for the
surplus waters of the Mississippi through
the Bonnet Care outlet into Lake Ponchar-
train, and shows that when the river broke
through at Bonnet Care in 1880, it lowered
the high-water level at New Orleans from
four to six feet. He argues that the ten
deney Of the river is to fill in at the bottom,
thereby raising its level. Captain Cowdon
asks an appropriation Of 100000 for the
construction of canal between the Missis- I
sippi and Lake Borgue which he says will
fully demonstrate the practicability or i'm
of the plan. Congress seems
disposed to give Cowdon hearing, and the
whole subject will be carefully considered BY
the Commerce Committee of the House.
It is doubtful, however, if the appropriation
asked is granted at present. The remedy for
the lower lands on the Mississippi
pi river can only be discovered BY science
and experimental investigation. 1t may be-
after all, that the Mississippi river Is too
mighty to be controlled by human ingenu-
ity. S. S. Prentiss, of Mississippi, always
ridiculed the levee system. He said that
when Almighty God created the world, He
turned the Mississippi river loose, and said
let her rip. And she would rip
as she pleased to the end of time. This
sseus to be true But the interest. involved
are 90 great that the hope of protecting the
river bottom lands from overflow
will not be abandoned until science and mil
lions of dollars shall have been exhausted.