Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-05-22
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When Capt. Eid5 js.lied the South Pass OF
the Mississippi, which was psgs inferior
to the Southwest Pass, it was because just the
sort Of envious and malicious opposition that
exists now, denied him the pass beat adapted
to the purpose in view. The increase of
commerce that will follow the improvement
OF the Mississippi river, the trade that will
spring up with Mexico, and approaching in
crease of commerce with Central and South
America, will demand the jettying of the
Southwest, as well as of the South Pass, and
already there is call for that extension Of the
resources of New Orleans When the cup
ply Of an article leads 10 demand Tor more,
such result ia always an evidence of salts
faction. When the first railway was built
the earnest outcry Tor others was the most
indisputable sign OF the value of the one
already constructed. II the people Of New
Orleans are so sati fed with the jetty they
have as to wish for another, could greater
sign of satisfaction be given than 10 desire
Jest such another? Clear "a all his is, will
it be believed that the Cincinnati Commercial
GGsette is 30 much in the dark in ietty mat
ters "a 10 believe that the Southwest Pass
jstties are desired only "a an outlet to the
water that the South Pass jetties have
"plugged up?" The blunder Of the Com.
mereial Gazette is the more apparent because
OF an analogous state of things in Egypt,
where the Suez canal has proved so beneficial
that a second one is required, and its con.
struction il now under consideration. In IFS
utter misunderstanding of the reasons why
the opening of another pass will be desirable
az trade becomes so much extended as to
require new facilities by water, as it also
requires new railways by land, the CONNER
ciat Gazette has supplied another proof, in
addition to most astounding preceding evil
dence OF The same kind, of its inability to
comprehend the problem OF Mississippi river
Improvement, of which the jettiss are
part. A few weeks ago cur respected
Contemporary spoke OF the water at the iettes
as running through an orifce! 1t lays the
foods that have occurred along the Missis-
sippi to the jetties, and says they raise the
hight of the river. Viewing the jeties as an
ori6ce, it naturally follows that if the ori6ce
be too narrow, the water above it, If confined
by boundaries sufficiently high, would Re
raised az far back as the boundaries extend.
Bot there is neither such boundaries nor
such an orifce, and consequently the waters
when high spread out laterally; they do not
rise directly up the line OF the stream as
water does in a spout that has too narrow an
orifce. There is no ieity and 30 orifce to
the Ohio, yet Cincinnati last spring suffered
from a food such as New Orleans had moth
ing like. But not only is al ori6ce believed
in, and the running back of the Mississippi
waters up an inclined plane, but the CONNER
ciaI Gazette thinks that the increase at the
jetties from eight aud a half to the
present depth of the wster-Which
admits sea steamers drawing twenty
six fee; up to Now Orlesns-wsH
gained, not by deepening the channel, but
b. raising the teatsrI We know the reader will
fad it hard to believe this, but the Commercial
Gazette, of March 25th, speaks Of the mouth
Of TIE NJ ssissiopi being stopped, with the eI-
cspiion Of a ANAL hole; the water is deepsr
than ii was ia ether dsys, "because the
other pssses have been closed and the pass
itself narrowed, raising the toGter." These are
the Commercial Gasetie's own words, and they
clearly prove that living on the banks OF the
Ohio does not couducs to an understanding of
the psculiarilies Of the Mississippi. Still, even
then, it ough. to be known that when pass
is made navigable by an addition Of thirteen
aud a half feet OF water, the addition is
made by lowering the bottom of the channel,
not by bodily raising up the water. Only
think OF thirteen and half feet of water
standing up in the air, and steamers and
ships from the sea mounting to
the top Of it and so reaching New
Orleans! We may smile at these ab-