Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-26

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.-The report of
the select committee on the improvement
| of the Mississippi river, was presented in
the house to-day, signed by Representa-
tives Burrows Of Michigan, Robinson of
Massachusetts, Hiscock and Carlisle and
is concurred in also by Messrs. Buttsworth,
Hazelton and Holman, with the exception
| of one of it's findings in regard to the out
let system. After making preliminary
| statement in respect TOT the duties this
| committee were directed to perform and
briefly describing the plan of the improve
ment determined upon by the Mississ-
ippi rivercommission. The report says:
''Your committee understand that the
| plan of the commission is this: First, to
bring the low water in the river within a
| narrow channel not exceeding $500 feet,
and second to restrain the food waters of
the river within defined bound
aries, so as to make them conform sub
stantially with the low water channel.
Such restoration can be established and
maintained, it is claimed, and will result
| in permanent low water navigation. By
the construction of such works it is pro-
posed to concentrate the low water of the
river within narrow channel, and so in
| crease the depth and thus improve nayiga-
ton. The second class of works consists
of closing crevices and constructing levees
of sufficient height and stability to hold
flood water within definite channel, con-
forming as near as possible to the course
of the low water channel, the effect of which,
| it is affirmed, will be to increase the scour-
ing capacity Of the stream at high
water and thereby aid in improving low
water navigation. While there is great
diversity Of opinion of witnesses as to the
ability to hold the Mississippi river in
defined channel By the proposed works,
yet your committee are of opinion that
if the low waters Of the Mississippi can be
brought within space of $500 feet, and so
retained, improved low water navigation
would probably result The whole queB
ton, therefore, turns upon the possibility
of such an undertaking. Can the caving
of the banks of the Mississippi be arrested
by the proposed works, and the permanent
Members of tho Mississippi river COM
mission and many experts concur In the
opinion that such result is within the
range of engineering skill, yet experience
shows that this plan of bank protection
has not always been attended with success.
The tedious course of the Mississippi and
\ its alluvial banks, renders the accomplish
/ ment of such end extremely difficult. The
| sunstable character of the banks renders
their protection exceedingly difficult, and
while the commissioners express great
confidence in their ability to accomplish
| the work, your committee ara not
| satisfied that the method adopted
will prove successful. 1t was
| proven, even to the satisfaction
of your committee, that works of similar
| character, constructed@at different times
and at various points on the river, have
not been sufficient to withstand the force
of the high water period, and arrest the
eruption OF 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 expenditure, vari-
ously estimated at from $25,000000 to
| $75,0OO0OO, required to complete the chan
mel of the Mississippi according to the
plans of the commission and the expert
mental character of such plan,
| your committee are of opinion that
the plan proposed should be applied
to one or two points in the river, brought
to state of completion and subjected to
| the strain of repeated floods, and their
efficacy fully tested before the work is in
augurated at other points. In view of the
fact that the work has already been in
augurated on an!extensive scale at Plumb
point reach and Lake Providence reach,
and garge amount of expensive plant
and material purchased for the prosecu-
ton of the work which could not be adj
vantageously employed upon a single
reach, and in view of the further fact that
to suspend work upon
either of these reaches
in their uncompleted condition might re-
suit in the destruction of all that had been
done, your committee recommends that
the work be continued at both Plumb
Point and Lake Providence reaches, and
sufficient sums ought to be appropriated
to bring work up as these points to state
of perfection. In the meantime your com
mittee are of the decided opinion that no
work of channel improvement should be
undertaken at any other point until the
work at these two points is thor
ouqhIy tested and their efficacy
completely established. Intimately con
nected with and comprising part of
the plan adopted by the Mississippi river
commission for improving the low water
navigation of the river is the construction
of line of levees on either bank of sufi-
Gent height and strength to hold the food
waters of the river within defined boun-
daries, conforming as nearly as possible to
the general course of the low water chan
mel. Without stopping to discuss the
merits of this plan, about which there is
much conflict of opinion, and no certainty
of beneficial result, your committee do not
believe the advantages to navigation to be
derived from the construction of levees
will be at all commensurate with the enor-
nous cost. The probable expense of
system OF IeVees of sufficient strength to
hold the food water of the river within
channel, as is proposed by the commission,
of $4,000 feet, is variously estimated at
S50,OO0,OO0 to $100,0O0,0O0. Il may be
suggested in this connection, as an add
tional reason why such new levee works
should not be undertaken at the present
in that their permanency depends entirely