The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-09-02

of small impedimeIlts. Wherever these
do not exist ant: the slevees are slipping,
II will be noticed that the river, meeting
with no resistance, llas simply rallied UP
aud down the inclined pfaue and passed
along, leaving no impression of ifs course.
Where, on the contrary, such apparently
trifling things as dr;fr-logs have been
fastened near the enlbankment, it will
Invariably be seen that the current has
undermined both logs and levee, and
when the water is sufficiently deep, it
lifts these giants Of the forest and hnrls
them like catapnlts against the dirt
works, which crnmble away. Again, wien
the banks have been previously worn,
say by the wasbings of the preceding
year, and, instead of a shelving surface,
present q ragged front to the river, the
waves. being retarded and checked by
the inlentations which the careless have
failed to refill, rise up in their fury and
batter and demolish the whole structure.
The little paths which cattle and horse
men practice on the sides ard tops of the
levees are washed out and Sdeepened, and
are standing threat to the general
safety. To forbid the use of the levees
for travelling purposes and for Wood.
yards, would be to incur popular hstfeM
To allow the abuse, is to invite iulktI{la-
tion, general mpoverishmentandpo popular
lnenAicancy. Thus it is seen that
small causes produce large results. An:
empty wine cask suggested the forming
of vacuum by the condensation of
steam. A kite Of silk demonstrated that
the electric fluid and lightning are the
same, and the smallest speck which is
scarcely perceptihfe as it floats afar Oft
in the sky, often portends q storm which
may pillow the sea to its lowest depths,
dash its waves mountain High and strike
with fear stout hearts that knew no dan
ger before.
The Lafourche, Plaqnemine, etc, are
the natural paths o f.the greatriver to the
greater sea. Ii these and other outlets
4be kept open and the Iseess Consolidated,
the country may be Saved. If upon trial
they be found to be luxurious or Insult
ticient for protection, then let them be
closed and the ,jetties adopted. A small
matter of dollars and cents and few
local overflows will sum up the loss Of
the experiment.
If on the contrary the existing outlets,
natural and artificial (crevasses), be
closed, and the river Ieyeed up and
Strengthened with jetties SO as to stand
against all strains on its sides, aud these
works should fail to deepen the channel
so as to accommodate the rushing tide
what then2 The valley would be u
Venice minus its " gondolas, musical soft
waves and moonlight" Holland before
her dykes were erected, and tho mad
waters would sweep every thing before
them. Worst of all, there would be no
Jupiter at hand to cast the presumptuous
Phntons headIong from their jetty chariot
and arrest tile evil. Water, il not tir o,
would destroy us.
The discontinue of the doctor who
diagnoses wrong and plants his mistake
six feet under ground, or Of the lawyer
who hangs his six feet above ground for
not explaining the difference "'twixt
south and southwest side Of u hair !"
would he as nothing to the disgust of the
engineers who have drowned whole
communities upon q false theory Of
carbohydrates. No one doubts that the
engineers who will attempt the proposed
works are fully competent. Fhey have
already made observations, have expert
mented in certain localities and drawn
their geometrical lines and plans. That
whatever improvements they undertake
will prove u complete success, is the wish
| and hope of every one. When we con-
slider the stupendous works proposed, we
can not but feel great anxiety as to their
final result.
On the discovery Of the Mississippi,
hundreds of years ago, 1T flowed WALL
tonly here, there aud every where. Since
then it has been partially leyeed here,
there and every where, and from time to
time it has swept these barriers at will
and coursed through paths OF its own
making. Now it is mightier than ever.
Forest and mountains have been cleared
frc nj it's channel, the accumulated debris
branches, rivnlets, bayons aud rivers,
have been removed by the hand Of Guilt
walton aud their waters now find their
way directly into the father of them all
What river can compare with the great
Meschacebe9 1t is all inland sea i'll width
and depth, but has current which is
wanting in the ocean. 1t springs i'll
-limpid founts which rise and gurgle
midst ice and snow. 1t takes no account
of attitudes, climes and soils, but daslies
headlong beneath the tropic sun, where,
it whirls into the sea its tepid and turbid
waves. What power will guide, deepeD,,
contract, control and check this Achelou S
this giant son of Oceanus and Terra?
The greatest exploit OF Hercules was
the tearing of mountains asnnder to give
issue to the sea and at the same time to
restrain it within the limits which his
strength had raised at Gibraltar. This
done, he engraved on his pillars, :! Non
Plus Ultra," and rested from his labors
Well may lie have rested had he chained
the Mississippi!
The fame of the engineers who will
bring to satisfactory end the hazardous
feat contemplated by the river commits
sion will surpass that of the conqnerers
OF the world. Gnu n,ortalibus arduam EST, "
but still it strikes me and many others
that the levces from the mouth of the
river should first be consolidated, and
the existing outlets be left alone.
WHAT THINK YOU OF IT9