The Evening critic., 1882-08-21
THE RIVER PIRATES
IN sECREsY DIVIDE THEIR LOOT,

to OdOugreSs-EbcirP plans, hOWcNcr.
Arc well laid for Thcmsciycs), ana
the Lowest Estimate They Pat ON
the Cost of Their Execution IN $780,
o.OOO. But 80 The Critic has Dem
oustrnted Their Plans 10 be wild,
Unscieniific and Worse Than Use-
less.
In the United States Army building In Hous
ton street there has been n small body OF mon
quietly Mt work during tho past i've days ap.
pOrtloning one of the appropriations most
severely criticised In tho recent River and
Harbor bill, passed by Congress over tho veto
of.Prcsidcnt Arthur md the Independent press
of the country. This body of gentlemen have
worked quietly, with closed doors, giving to
the press such information only as they con-
sidored "of interest TO the public aud proper
to be published at tho present timo." They
are tho Mississippi River Commission, or
rather a quorum OF that board, two OF tho
seven members being away. Tho two facts
connected with the personality Of tho Commits.
sion which aro most likely TO interest the
reader arc that General @. A. Gilmore ia It's
president and that Captain James u. Eads, DO.
ing now In Europe, is ono of the absentoos.
The other mombers arc General O. d. Com.
stock, U. a.; Major Charles II. sutor, U. s.. a.;
Professor Henry Mitchell, U. s. Coast Survey;
Major d. NJ. Harrod, U. $. A.; Captain James
Il. Eads and Judge Il. s. Taylor, OF Indiana.
Tho two latter gentlomen were aosent.l
The Amount OF Their Loot.
That slice of the S1S,000,000 In tho big bill
which fell to the share of this commission was,
1t viii bo remembered, s4,1230O0. From
previous appropriations they have, In addl.
lion, something like 3 l,00O, 900 moro OF uuex.
pended balances, 30 that they have more than
this sum to the dineront parts OF tho enormous
work in progress naturally formed the first
work of tho commission after the sum was SO.
cured, and the sessions this week were there.
fore devoted, as was said, to this apporltan.
ment or, at lcast, II other work wgS done IL
WASH, was not IN made public m IN this Connection It
are those Of tho appropriation for current OK.
penses. The total Expense of the improve
mehts me M In progTess Is varlously estimated by
lno ineihuS!IIasOf the commission at from $780,
oOo,oOyfo SAC 100000, while not n few oxpe
rlenSSd engineers declare that no sum OF
iIlvggey would complete the work.
Money For the Mississippi Valley.
The money, however, has been parcelod out
and tho delegates from those parts of the
Mississippi Valley where the expenditure OF
the money is desired were allowed to appear
before the commission, while reporters were
very politely refused admission. Dlncrent
delegations were received and their claims
were presented by their various spokesmon
and considered by the commission, which body
wound up the labors OF the weeks session by
making its budget. According to this, S1,300,-
COO are TO be expended In closing the gaps In
Il
are to bo attended TO. No portion of this
money, 1t Is to be noted, is to be expended In
protecting the st. Francois Valley, within
which lie the sunken lands of Arkansas. To
protect this country, as VIII be found from tho
Uerdid accounts OF tho floods of last spring, 1t
would be necessary, to secure the entire limo
OF levees from tho lower part OF Missouri to
the mouth Of tho st. Francois Rlyer-that is, II
the leveo system is relied upon.
A Suffering People without In.
Huence in Congress Get Nothing.
The claims of tho st. Francois Valley people
to relief was fully acknowledged last spring,
although their political influence was so small
as 10 leave thom without single postroute
or postofflce when the Star-Route reform was
inaugurated. Their sufferlngS wero probably
greater than those OF the people of any other
section during the spring floods this year, as
was told at tho time, and the difficulties In the
great. They are also peculiarly exposed to
danger In the event Of another flood, but the
Commission have decided that they are unable
10 undertake the work OF restoring their
levees, as they are in too bad = condition.
Practically they look upon the Arkansas sys
TEN of levees above the city OF Helena as do
etroyed.
How and Where the Money Goes.
At New Madrid there are to DO 100000 ex-
pended. on the Plum Point Works, a short
distance above Memphis, tho same amount is
to be used, Three hundred thousand dollars
have been devoted to the improvement of the
harbor OF Memphis and the river near there
and S650,O00 to tho works at Lake Provl
leaves n contingent fund of nearly 100000 In
addition to the uneXpended balances spoken Of
In addition TO these principal works various
minor operations are TO be carried on, pre-
| sumably out of the contingent fund. For ex-
| ample, Mr. Raum, chairman Of the Vicksburg
| delegation, asked for and failed to get an ap-
| propriation OF 100000, desiring the con-
| struction OF q canal and basin In front of tho
| levee, but the commission refused to under
take this work, though they VIII probably
make provision for tho protection OF Delta
| Point.
| No Detailed Statement of Plans.
| 1t had been contemplated to perform some
| work around the mouth OF the Rcd River which
| It was hoped would be permanent, but after
| some discussion the commission decided that
1t was too late In the season for this TO be done
| during the present year, and consequently de-
| termined to recommend to the War Depart
ment to make immediate preparations for
dredging. By this means the channel has
beon maintained heretofore, and no change is
| now likely TO be made this year.
In regard to the closing OF the gaps In the
| levees the commission realized that II the
work was done It was well to do It quickly, and
time might be saved. In mississippi the State
| government has advertised for bids for con.
| tracts TO do this work, and these bids are to be
| opened on September a. II Is thought that the
law governing tho advertisement for such bids
| by the United States may be sufficiently elastic
| TO permit the General Government to assume
| these advertisements and utilize these bids,
and the commission recommend that this be
| done.
| The CIOse-MOuthed Secretary.
Great interest having boon manifested OF
| late In the plans OF tho Commission, and very
| little detailed Information having been pub
| lished, the reporter asked the suavo and cour-
teous secretary OF the Commission, who had
| given him statement of tho proceedings,
whore detailed statement OF the plans could
| be found.
~ do not think that any has been made"
said the secretary.
"But surely these plans must havo been
| formulated In some way before Congress
would vote such appropriations 10 carry thom
| out" urged the reporter.
'No, do not think they have been," said
the Secretary. "The plans are in accordance
with the work that has been done by the War
| Department and by the governments OF othor
| countries The description OF the work done
| by our army officers Is to be found In the re-
ports they have made, and know OF no other
| place TO ind It,"
''But certainly there must have been specin
| cations OF the work 10 bo done which Will tell
In what way It is TO be DONE" said the be-
| wildered reporter, unable 10 understand how
| $4,000 600 of public money could be devoted
TO a plan that is not formulated.
"No," said the secretary "no specifications
have been made, for tho work ie, most OF IL
done by daily labor and not by contract"
| or the general character OF the work no then
gave some interesting scientific particulars
but no further information OF the details o
the plan Uf there is one) could be had.-Nelt
York Herald Saturday, the 10th.
|
| CARLAND'S TRIAL,