The Evening critic., 1882-06-08
FATHER OF WATERS.
cREvAssEs VERSUS OUTLETS.


The Other Acts rs Mouth of the
River. Dischnrging Surplus Water
and Preventing OvernOws - The
Levee Job Further shown Up by
Absolute and IneNOrab1e Facts.
We resume our examination OF the various
plans TO improve the Mississippi River whore
we left it In Saturdays CnrTIc-just whero
we left OF, with General Gilmore, who denied
that levees have raised tho water in the river,
by quoting from the Board Of Engineers OF
1876, who say that to protect the valley from
flrst-class flood the levees ''near the mouth OF
the Ohio should be made about feet above
the actual high-water level of 1858, which has
been selected as the plane OF reference because
more unvarying than the surface Of tho ground.
| The height above this level should be gradu-
| ally increased TO Z feet at osceola, Momphls,
| and Helena, and increased to 10 feet to Island
| II, then decreased to feet to Napoleon, then
| increased TO IL feet to Lake Providence, then
| decreased to feet to Vicksburg and Natchen
| then increased to the mouth of Red River z
| feet"
Their estimate OF this work In round num-
| bers was S5O,OO0,O00, and 1t was but the other
day when General Humphries not only affirmed
these estimates, but said this would not In
| clude the tributaries, which would also have
| to be leveed.
| General Gilmore's assertion is contradicted
| Dy every report Oh Generul dumpnrleS anu
| every other engineer and Board OF Engineers
who ever made report or had any expert
ence on this subject before the creation of this
| monstrosity OF q commission which appears
| to exist on falsehood.
General Gilmore said: "The River Commits
| sion condemns outlets because they abstract
water, thereby lessen the volume and velocity
1 of now and the securing power, and causing
| deposits and formations of shoals and bars
below outlets In proportion to the volume alb
/ stracted."
| he says OF crevasses In the upper and middle
| sections OF the river is true, which are caused
by the inability of the levees to hold the water
| Of the river, and which crevasses are the true
| cause Of overfows and shoals In these sections.
II the outlets were made as proposed at
| Lake Borgne the flood line would be so les
sened that there would be no more crevasses,
| tooverfiow the country.
Difference Between outlets and
Crevasses.
The trouble is they cannot understand the
| difference between crevasse, which Is made
| by the breaking OF a levee, causing great over
flows, and an outlet system that conducts
water direct to the Gulf, harming no one, pre-
venting overnows, and at the same time lower
ing the flood limo Of the river, thereby increas-
ing the current and securing and deepening
1878 in the Mississippi River from Greenville
down to the mouth OF Red River, a distance of
300 miles, since the outlets referred to have
kept the Hood line within the natural banks,
as shown by the table compiled from Major
Benyuards report referred to in THE CRITIC
| Of Saturday.
This also contradicts another assumption OF
| Gilmores and the Commission: "That the
the outlet system being one OF diffusion and
waste, and not concentration, 1t is difficult to
understand how 1t can commend itself to any
engineer OF intelligence and sound Judgment"
On the other hand 1t is incomprehensible
how any engineer who has any sense at all
cannot see the difference between the effects
produced by crevasses and outlets.
The Two Systems COntrasted.
The difference Of the two systems may be
summed up as follows:
First-That OF the Commission raises the
surface and bed Of the river, can only work
small portion of the year, makes distractions
in the river dangerous to navigation and is
contrivanee of man liable to be destroyed, and
at the same time the river fills up during high
water; will cost 800, ,OOO, 600, and then do no
good.
Whereas, on the other hand the proposed
outlet system lowers the surface of The water
and bed Of the river, is one of nature, removes
distractions, works every hour Of the year.
utilizing the high water to wash of the sand
bars that will be further deepened during low
water, and can be demonstrated for $250,OOO
in one high-water period.
Second-The levee system, or plan of the
| Commission, Is practically one Of diffusion,
| overnows the country and damages naviga-
tion, as all experience shows. The flood of
the present year is fine illustration OF their
| plan Of concentration!
On the other hand the outlet system pro.
posed by Captain Cowdon, which conducts
| water direct to the Gull, Is one OF concentra-
the valley to and within the natural banks of
the river, improves navigation, as is clearly
demonstrated.
Effect of Levees on the River Pc.
Another commissioner was the New Orleans
architect, one Mr.. Harold, whose general line
OF argument before the committee was against
the Lake Borgne outlet, using the same as
| sumptions as did General Comstock, and he,
like General Comstock, declared that there
| could be no danger that the river will go out
| through Lake Borgne II the outlet be made
for that lake would hll up.
There is only one point IN his remarks diff
fering from Comstock or Gilmore, which was
where he spoke OF the River Po, in Italy. He
said:
s'That while She Ievees on that river had
only elevated the surface about. a foot and q
half, the river bed had at the same time deep
ened about as much"
levees on the celebrated river let us seewhat the
Chevaiier Ernst Won Hesse Wartegg, Of Austria
!, distinguished traveller and engineer, author
ca, leader of two African exploring expeditions
and author OF a recently published work on
Tunis says. In several visits to this country
he has given great deal of study to the Mis-
sissippi River, and one Of his reports on the
great river was published officially by the I'm
| perfal Geographical Society OF Austria. He
"For instance, take the Po, In Italy. 1t is In
undated annually in the same way as the Mis-
sissippi. There also leyees have been puilt
The material carried down by the freshets
naturally settled In the river bed. Then, tC
ened. Then the bed filled up again, and the
banks were heightened again. This continued
until the bed OF the river was raised above the
level OF the surrounding land, and now the
river Po seems 10 run on the ridge OF hill
: You Will find the same thing has taken place
/, with other rivers. 1t is seen that in Holland
In order 10 shield themselves from thu
freshets OF the Rhine and the Mas, grea
leyees were constructed hundreds of years age
, which were intended TO be permanent. Tn,
| people believed them TO be so. But In the
| present year, as much as In every precedinl
year, the country has been In danger OF inun
dation. Day and night the people are stationed
on the levees watching for a break, so as to re
pair II Instantly. Millions are annually spen
10 keep the levees In proper condition. The,
have no other remedy but the leyees, anC
J are compelled TO keep them up.
SIN the case OF the Mississippi however
there arc other simple and sefllcient remedies
which would give permanent relief.
"The plan proposed by Captain Cowdon 4
permanently relieve the river from inunda
I. tion is based on this suggestion made by ma
ture."
> This statement OF this distinguished en-
gtneer, who speaks from practical observation
: should satisfy Congress that telling the trutl
I Is not the business of this Levee Commission
: offcially or otherwise.
The other member OF the Commission
f, simply echoed the errors, misrepresentation
and falsehoods OF the members who had pre-
ceded him
/ Something the River Commission
Does Know and Wants.