New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-25
INPROVENENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI
CAPTAIN EADs's MINORITY REPORT-MMEDIATE
CLOSING OF TIE GAPS IN THE LEvEEs ADvO-

CAPTAIN EADss MINORITY RErOET-IMMEDIATE
CLOSING OF THE GAPS IN THE LEYEEs ADVO-
GATED
The minority report of the Mississippi River Com
MISSION prepared by Captain James j.. lads, was
obtained from him by TRIBUNE reporter NeSier-
dav. The report has Just been completed and
has not been published. Captain Eads dis
sents from the re conmendation OF the ma
sill to interrupt communication between the
Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. He urges
the immediate construction OF Sill IN the Atcha-
falaya near its upper end, TO diminish the volume
of water flowing through that outlet and from year
to year, as rapidly as may be deemed safe, the
binding up of the sill until It shall
finally constitute dam, completely sep
aratng the river from all communication
with the Red and Mississippi Rivers. The result of
this will be- he says, to increase the volume flowing
in the man river and improve the depth of water
on bars below the Red River, on which, at low
water there is now only depth of ten fcect. The
minority report also opposes the proposed improve
Incnt the Earbor of NlckSburg by revetlng Delta
Point against further erosion and by dredging ont
basin and channel leading TO the harDOr, by which
steamers will have access to Nlcksburg
landing He favors artificial extension of
Delta Point to a sufficient distance to throw the
channel against the old landing az Ncksburg " APP
prOXimate estimates made by me" says Captain
Eads. " show that this can be accomplished for
81 200 900 and deep water permanently secured AT
the Nicksburg wharf without further outlay for
maintenance. Two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars could be profaby expended upon this work
during the ensuing year.
The main part of the minority report, however,
is devoted to advocating the immediate closing
OF the present gaps III the Mississippi RVer lcvecs,
as an important factor III tue contemplated plan for
the Improvement of It's lOw-wateT navigation. OBJ
servatiOns made by the Commission, Captain Fads
holds, plainly show that these gaps have had
the effect of raising the MYERS iioOd-line
many inches above any height previously attained
within the 700 miles III winch they exist most un-
| lnerOuslv. between Natchez ana the mouth Of the
Ohio The deposits from the crcvas>cs have raised
the bed of the river much as greatly Eto injure
navigation. Captain Eads describes at length the
| tl,t-s a
| basin of the Mississippi and the Land building
process resulting from the deposits Of sedimentary
| matter when the nVcr at Hood tide escaped
over the banks of its channel. The loss OF current
| in the water thus escaping caused tie sandy or
heavier parts of The solid matter held in SUSPENSION
In il to settle almost Immediately on the submerged
| BANKS while the aTgIllaceOus and lighter parts
taking longer to settle, were carried back by the
fecbler current to the swamps or lower lands, on
which they were dep sited over much more eX-
ensive area. As the loss OF volume over The natu-
raj banks produces more sluggish current IN
the main channel, thereby causing gieater deposit
of sediment, the bed of the stream, as we'll as the
! banks was built up higher and higher during each
successive flood. Occasionally the conditions were
such as TO cause the stream TO fOrsakc entirely ITS
old channel, and the elevation of It's banks and bed
above the adjacent lands enabled it TO send its
earthly matters many miles away, 50 that every part
of tie basin was covered with It's deposits.
Captain Eads's report says IN substance that
evecs 10y restraining the Hoods within tile defined
channel of the river stop the land -buIdng process
Ii Is an error 10 suppose that MYERS confined ny
leVccs have tendency to have their beds elevated
| ana in consequences to need n corresponding elc-
| walton of the evees Three principles control the
phenomena of sedimcntaTy streams flowing III chan
nels made through their own depOSts-fTS the force
producing the current resulting from a tall from a
| higher TO a lower level second. the frctlOnal re-
sisance of their beds; third the dependence of the
quantity of sediment carried in the water upon the
! velocity of the current. The normal velocity OF a
current cannot be permanently increased by man.
| BY securing higher velocity of current from the
| retention of the whole volume of water within
| the lcVees, greater amount OF sediment VIII be
transported. II that amount Is greater than that
winch the tributaries contribute, II viii be taken
out of the bed to the benefit of navigation and the
| flood line consequently will be lowered To such "a
degree as viii finally reduce the of current
| which the increased volume has produced down TO
the normal velocity. The increase of volume which
| will be secured 10y the closing OF the gaps III tbe
| levees will produce this increased current.
! The report contains the results Of many
observations and careful measurements OF the Mis-
| siSsipp during the floods OF 1851 and 1898. They
prove in Captain Eadss opinion, that ii Is entirely
practicable to retain the entire flood discharge of
The river within the present lcvees, If they re-
| paired. even thOut making them any higher II
the gaps left open, he says, new
shoal, and injurious changes III the channel
will be occurring at other points Of the
river than those selected by the Commission Tor i'm
mediate Improvement, and these new Instructions
and changes IN the channel viii require 80 much
more additional work. and this VIII undoubtedly
cost twice or thrice much as 1t Will to repair the
| lcyees BY repairing them the channel viii not
| only be prevented from becoming worse AT any
point on the Tlvcr but the shoahng which has Oc-
CURED As result of these outlets will be removed
| by the effect of the levees. and the work OF i'm
prOVemcnt can then be limited to the reduction of
the excessively wide places which now exist and
which are enclosed by the present lcvecs. These
wide places the cause OF cut-0ns caVIng banks,
shifting channels and yeXatious shoals"