Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-24
THE FATHER OF WATERS.
FURTHER TESTIMONY UPONTHE
IMPROVEMENTS.

ri RIHEK IESIIMONH Y UPON THE
IMPROVEMENTS
Views of Old River Men-Freaks of the
Stream - The Jetty and Outlet sys.
TENS Value of the Levees SpeciaI
Interests Seeking to be Heard.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 23.-The Congress
sional Committee on the Mississippi River
went into session at 10 O'Clock to take the
evidence of pilots and river men. !. W.
Whipple, of Louisville, pilot on the Ohio
and Mississippi since 1856, was ex-
amined. Witness described the effects
of the cut-otfs and crevasses and
the shifting of the channel. which
often changed in fOrty-eight hours.
He was of the opinion that the works at
Plum Point and Delta would not protect
the banks. From Natchez to the Gulf
navigation is safe at all seasons. but in
low water the witness had observed
depth of only four feet
between Memphis and Vicksburg.
The levees could not cOnfine the
river, and did not benefit navigation. If
the river could be kept in its channel
navigation would be improved. The Gre
vases are dangerous to navigation when
the water is high. At Bonnet Carre and
points below heavy deposits of sediment
have been made by reason Of the slacken-
ing of the current below the outlet AT
Morgan the same condition exists.
Captain Thomas Leathers was examined
the greater part of the day on the subject
of making an outlet at Lake BOrgne. for the
purpose of relieving the Mississippi river
during the time of flood. He was cross
examined at great length by Hon, John
Ellis, who fayOrs the plans and operations
of the Mississippi River Commission. The
committee will tomorrow take a steamer
and visit the jetties. They will be ac-
cOmpanied by Capt. Leathers and Capt.
COWden, who represent the outlet theory.
and who are very vigorous opponents of
the jetties. Mr.. Ellis, of the committee,
objected very strongly to any inter-
ested persons accompanying the commit
tee. but when the committee invited the
officer in charge of the jetties to 90 too he
withdrew his objection. The Committee
will return here on Saturday morning.
| The members are very anxious to get back
home, and will leave here if possible next
saturday evening; but there is such de-
| mand on the part of special interests here
to be be heard before the Commission that
it is probable that short delay may be
made.
Captain Leathers testified before the
committee to the following effect: He had
| been on the river fOrty-siX years and had
built seven boats for the river trade.
Most of the time he had been running be-
| tween New Orleans and Vicksburg. He
makes usually one hundred and twenty
landings going up, and eighty or ninety
! coming down. The river is constantly
| changing its channel. The banks
cave at low stages. He has seen
two or three acres with trees
growing on them fall into the water at one
time. The greatest deposits are made
nj hn ctn fl,n
duration of high water the greater the
| deposit of sediment, which is moved as the
| river falls. Last season the average depth
! between New Orleans and Nicksburg was
twelve feet at low water. The river rose
! fifty feet in the flood of 1882.
| The locality of the channel changes
at different stages Ofthe water. He thinks
| the river is deeper now than when he first
saw it years ago, and navigation has i'm
| proved. This effect he ascribes to the
| leyees and the cOnfning Of the water
| He considers that the construction of
the jetties and works in the Southwest
| have backed up the water in the river,
and that disastrous effects of the flood in
1882 were due to these causes.
On cross examination by Messrs. Ellis
| and Thanas the witness said his interest
| in Captain Cowden's scheme for an outlet
! into Lake Borgne was simply that of a
! philanthrOpic citizen. He admitted hav-
| ing agreed to pay $4,000 for a plantation
! if an outlet is cut through it by the gov
ernment. He had interested other citizens
| in the scheme and formed stock
| company. The committee leave for the
| jetties at Il. m. on Friday, expecting
! to return on Saturday morning, when
| other witnesses will be examined. The
| Mississippi River Commission will arrive
| tomorrow, Friday, and it is stated that
| the members of the commission will be
! heard by the committee.
! A Nicksburg special says: ''The COM
mercjat this evening publishes an inter
view with Captain w. L. Marshall, the
| United States Engineer in charge of
| the work at Providence reach and at
! Delta Point. He denied that there had
| been a million dollars spent at PrOyi-
| dence. He had only expended $780,
| 600, of which $34S,0O0 was expended
| in the purchase of the plant, consisting
| of barges, grading boats, pile drivers,
! steam tow boats, quarter boats, store
boats, and other expensive plants. Sixty
| thousand dollars have been expended for
| labor, but the plant for 1000 men is on
| hand, and will be pushed as fast as la
| Dor to work the plant can be obtained.
! Three miles Ofpile, dixie and mattress work
| have been constructed, and as far as
| completed at Skipwith and the neighbor-
| hood the work has acted as well as pOSsi-
| bly, could be desired. The river has been
| diverted from the SkipWith chute and the
main channel deepened twenty feet on the
channel side of skipwith. The ToWhead
chute is almost completely filled by sitting
| works in the chute. If that is no improve
ment to navigation, it would be difficult
to say in what manner improvement of
navigability can consist. The commission
! considers the work as far as done Il COM
| plete success. The work at Delta Point
as far as mattresses, have been sunk
| heretofore, has held for three years.
Caving has been stopped to a great
extent, but the upper bank has washed
| back to gentle slopes above the
! reretment. The work now being executed
is the most thorough of its class that has
ever been done on the Mississippi, the
| bank being mattressed from its top clear
down to the bottom of the river. The top
of the bank is being cut down from a ver-
tical to a slope of three bases to one verti-
cal and covered with ten inches Of brush
mattress and one foot of stone"