The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-03-01


proved low water navigation wOuI
problblY result. The whole que
ton, therefore, turns upon tho leas
biity Of such on undertaking
Can The caving Of the banks OF the Ml'sii
sipp be arrested by the proposed work
aud permanent narrowing Of the channt
accomplished? Tho members Of the MI,
sissippi river commission and may ca
| pPTts concur IN the opinion that such
within range Of engineering skill yet eY
porlsnce shows that this plan of bank pro
| lection has not always been attended will
success. Your committee ar
Of opinion that no work OF channe
| improvement should be undertaken Il
any other until work A. these two points Il
thoroughly tested and their efficacy com
petelY established. Intimately connected
with and composing part OF the plar
adopted by the Mississippi river commits
sion, for improving the low water Daviga
tion oil the river, is the construction o
leyees on either bank sufficient height anC
strength TO hold the flood water'
of the river within definite boun
daries, conforming as nearly as possible
TO the general course of the low water
channel. Without stopping to discuss the
merits Of this plan, about which there is
much conflict OF opinion and no certainty
OF beneficial resuIts, your committee do
not believe that the advantages to naviga-
ton to be derived from construction OF
leyeos will be at all commensurate with the
enormous cost. The probable expenses of
the systems, the course Of the Mississippi,
and its alluvial banks render
the accomplishment of such an end ex-
tremely difficult. The unstable character
Of the banks render their protection ex-
ceedingly difficult, and while the commits
sion express great confidence in their
ability to accomplish it, work OF similar
character constructed al different times and
at various poipts on the river has been
found to be Insufficient to Withstand the force
Jury to the banks. The committee
quote at length from testimony taken to
substantiate this statement, and conclude as
follows: Concerning this branch OF the
subject, in view of the enormous expendi-
ture, variously estimated from S25,OOO, 600
to $4,000, 900, required to complete the
channel improvement of the Misslssippia ac-
cording to the plans of the commission and
the experimental character Of such plan
that the plan proposed should be applied
to one o. two points on the river, brought
to state of completion and subjected 10
the.strain of repeated floods and their eff
cheney fully tested, before work is inaugur.
ated at other points. In view of
the fact that work has already been
inaugurated on an extensive scale at Plumb
Point reach and Lake Providence reach,
and the large amount OF expensive plant
and material purchased for the prosecution
of the work, which could not be protitably
employed upon a single reach, and in
view of the further fact that to suspend
work on either of these reaches in their
uncompleted condition might result in
the destruction of all that had been done,
your committee would recommend the work
to be continued at both reaches ana
that sufficient sum ought to be appropri-
pied TO bring the work at these points to
state of perfection. In the meantime for
levees OF sufficient strength to hold the
river within channel, as is pro.
posed by the commission, of 5000
feet is variously estimated from S5O,0OO,0OO
to $100,000,0O0. 1t may be suggested in this
connection, as an additional reason why
such levee works should not be undertaken
at present, that their permanency depends
entirely on their ability to hold the caying
banks, and until it is demonstrated beyond
all controversy that the banks can be held,
such works should not be entered on. Bat
urther than this, it seems to your COM
mittee that before such an undertaking
is entered upon, involving such an enor-
nous expenditure, it should be made toap'
pear beyond all controversy that the
banks can be held. But, further
than this, it seems to YOU COM
mittee befort such an urf aking
is entered upon, involving such rmous
expenditures, it should be made ~ appear
hey yond all controversy that such works
are absolutely essential " the improve
ment OF low-water navigation.
So far from this being established
there is not only great diversity of opinion
among those who have made improvement
of the Mississippi a study, but the pem-
bers Si1isGuS, ississTpi river commissiSt %
time enough hfAt6sGtS1lng5 Is GtS1ng5gtn gtndt tg 2gguPFFdp pr2y
of constructing levees below the mouth of
Red river, when it shall be demonstrated
by the completed works above that their
construction IS rendered necessary. Your
committee do not believe the levees
aye essential TO the improvement Of
the low water navigation of the Mississippi,
and their construction for such purpose
cannot be justified. 1t may be further
suggested that If the views of your COM
mitTee are concurred in, and the work Of
channel improvement restricted to one or
Two reaches, system of leyees will
hardly be necessary, while this experimental
work is being Tested; certainly the super
structure should not be reared until the
permanence of the foundation is estab'
iished. Your committee were also
directed to inquire into the
feasibility of the outlet systems,
as a means Of improving navigation. This
plan consists in the construction Of outlets
sufficient in number and capacity
to carry off the food waters Of the Mis-
sissippi by other and more direct channels
to the gulf. 1t is claimed for this plan that
10 will keep the river at all stages OF water
substantially within its natural bounds,
deepen the channel, and ultimately
bring about improved low water navi-
cation. Without reviewing the evidence
submit ted to your committee touching this
plan, il will be enough to say that the con.
clusion TO which they have arrived, to wit,
that an outlet system would not, in the
Judgment of your committee, be bene.
ficial TO navigation: that While II
might relieve the river Of its flood-waters
and save adjacent lands from overflow, yet
your committee are unable TO discover how
the low.water navigation Of the river would
be improved thereby.
PAGE
gave notice in the house to-day that he
would, on Monday next, move the house
20 into committee ID the whole
on the river and harbOr bill.
In this connection, Robinson,
of Massachusetts,, read a telegram which be
had received, stating there was now being
transmitted to the house a communication
from the secretary Of war, with the inform
alton that 3,475 feet Of dyke had been car
ried away at Plum Point reach.
Craft Convicted.
GRAYsoN, KY, Feb. 23.-Court met a. The
usual hour, 0.30. The jury in the Craft
case promptly retired, and a few minutes
afterwards returned into court. The YER
dict was guilty, and the punishment death.
The prisoner scanned the faces Of The jury
men as they came IN, and was in manner,
prepared for the declaration Of the f0remsn.
Graft was less affected than others
in the court room. the only
change being dull paIl0r Of
The face. VIII a few words 10 tie jury I be
fgdgr discharged it. Council for defense
a.ked and obtained leave Tor aconsuitation,