Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-11

sides OF the river, which, as the river bed
was secured out, would serve to reinforce
levees, II required Immediately on its banks.
OF these leyees, which first have 10 be built
to make channel improvement possible or
permanent, the one in front of fhe Yszoo
basin Is the shortest most important, and the
most difficult 10 maintain. Agsinst the front
OF this basin the St Francis White and Ar
kansas rivers pour their hoods, together with
the great volume which overfoHs from the
Mississippi into the st. Francis above Mem
phls, and which is again returned TO the
river along the front of this basin, subject
ing this portion of the river banks and
levees 10 severer strains and more sudden
and violent fluctuations in the water-level
than are brought to bear against any
other portion OF the banks and levees
Of the Mississippi. Breaks in this
levee would result not only in great
damage TO the channel near where the
breaks might occur, undoing what had been
done IN improving it, but the water escaping
from the channel into the basin would be
again returned to the Mississippi above
Nicksburg, and so swell the river there as TO
break the levees in front OF the Tensas basin
thus doubling the injury to the channel by
causing it TO fill with shoals along the front
OF the Tensas basin also. To make this
leyee IN front OF The YsZoo basin, and The
other leVees required to be built secure after
'hcJ put Dc RudFucQ ny
railroads constructed on each line. Nomat-
ter what kind of ievee is constructed, it is
during the flood that the battle must be
wsged. Then inceasing vigilance, and the
power OF rapid movement and concentration
OF men and material along the line are essen
tial. No matter how large and strong the
levee may be, in time of flood, danger is i'm
pending along the entire line, and can only
be aVerted by rapidity of action with ample
force and means. Ii any other agency can
guarantee this at all, certainly no other can
guarantee 1t so well railroad. In order
10 have them guarded and maintained by
railroade, they would have to be bull.
on line of permanency, comparatively
straight, with tangents of not less than
twenty miles. 1t would also be necessary
Tor the government, prior TO the construction
of these levees, to arrange with some rail-
road company to take charge Of and con-
sruct its railroad on them, otherwise, after
ii is once settled that the government must
build levees for the purpose OF improving
the navigation of the Mississippi river, rail-
roads would be built behind the levees, be-
fore their completion, leaving the govern
ment TO maintain them when built. But il
L am mistaken as regards injury to the chan
mel by building levees Immediately on the
banks along this part of the river, where the
bars are SO numerous that they reinforce one
another SO that they cannot be removed at
once, your Commission certainly would not
desire 10 place levees where, in a few years,
they would be destroyed by caving, nor build
them In such frau and cheap fashion that
they would easily give way before high wa
ter. If in the opinion Of your Commission
it is necessary to coniine The river in front OF
the YsEoo basin TO the narrowest possible
channel, the question to decide is 10 what
extent it will yield 10 the conditions amid
which it has TO work; and while
not striving impracticsbly for all the
benefits which permanent levees on
the river bank might secure, still
to seek The certainly attainable benefit of
preventing any continuous outflow from the
channel during the time the bars are being
removed. By adopting the levees proposed
by this company, from the Tennessee hills
below Mem phis TO the mouth of the Yazoc
river, which was surveyed by Meriwclher in
1859, absolute permanency for this levee
coula be obtained, and a railroad built upon
it, when ii would cease 10 be a source OF ex-
pense or care to the public. Among the M ass
of uncertainties and contingencies conneot ted
with efforts TO permanently improve the nav
igation of the Mississippi the one certain
fact would thus be established, that esst of
this levee along the front OF the Yazoo basin
the waters of the Mississippi could never
spread. People of that section have repeat
eddy shown their desire to have this levee
built. The Mississippi Lsvee Board adopted
this line for future levees in 1859. The
Legislature of Mississippi, in the face OF vie-
lent opposition from other railroad
interests, granted charter to the Memphis
and New Orleans Railroad and Levee Com
pany for the purpose of building such a
levee and railroad on or near this line. The
Memphis Cotton Exchange strongly Endorsed
the project in a memorial to Congress, a
copy of which ia hereto attached, showing
the Importance and feasibility of building
and aintaiuing such levee and railroad
The Yazoo Delta Convention held in Green |
vile, Miss, on the 18th OF June last, which |
was the largest representative body of |
citizens OF that delta ever assem- |
bled, unanimously and emphaticslly |
Endorsed the measure, and urged all con-
gressmen from the State to aid its passage as |
the only effective means of protecting this |
delta from overflow. And the entire dele |
CATION from Mississippi in Congress went |
before the Pacific Railroad Committee of |
the House and urged The Importance OF pass |
ing the bill But not only have the repre- |
sentatives and public authorities of these |
States and cities thus Endorsed the feasibility |
of constructing and maintaining such con- |
tinuous levee along the front of the Yszoo |
delta. The project has had the Endorsement |
of Humphreys and Abbott, of the engineer |
corps of the United States army, who made !
the government surveys OF the Mississippi |
and located line coinciding quite nearly |
with that located by Meriwether, and they |
the cost of construction of such |
continuous levee from near Memphis to the |
mouth of the Yszoo at about $500, coo. |
You're, respectfully,
CHARLES P. HUNTINGTON,
MpmOhiS n q R X and