The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-03-11

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REV Onl.RANs, Fob. B-The authentic
rccoris Of tho attempts Of man to eontrol the
Sowing Of wHtcr through RIIuvial soil extend
back to the year 400 d. G.. II In to China that
No must look for the authentic history Of the
workinGs Of mighty river similar to the Mis-
etseippi. This record Ia h,dcn with stories Of
Che diroiul disasters that have bcfailen the hu-
man Taco-disasters beyond tho skin Of the
Chinese engineers land they are among the
bcst hydraulic engineers IN tho worl,l) to avert.
With population OF over 400. 600 900. and a
treasury never empty. and wages tor laborng
men but few cents per day. and the almost
absolute certainty that the breaking Of the
lovees would be promptly followed by
IN imperial revolution. the Government
engineers Of China havo found 1t i'm
possibae to restrain tho yellow River. Year
~ the bed Of the river rose ~ sediment
was deposited. and yearly the lovees were
heightened, so as to conine tho Yellow floods.
As tho river filled Its bod the waters stood f,fty
sixty. and. according to the Jesuits. ninety feet
above the surrounding country. Tho last
break In the levee Of tho Yellow River occurred
about 1850. at point 200 miles from its mouth.
and tho river ploughed u new channel through
the alluvial lands to tho sea. Tho records do
not mako public. II they mention ut all. the
peculiaritleB OF the season preceding this over
low: but It Is probable that winter OF unusual
severity and doep snow on the mountains OF
Thibet. where the river rises. was followed by
. cold. backward spring. and tho summer
opened suddenly and with great heat. Rapidly
the snow melted. High rose the Yellow River.
After this overfiow English ships sailed mp the
stream through acres Of corpses. as through
the seaweed OF tho sargasso sea.
At intervals Of three or four hundred years
from the date Of tho first official record. this
great Chinese river has changed It's course
every change excepting the last being followed
BY imperial revolutions that overthrow the
ruling dynasty Every overflow swept mil
lions Of people to their death.
The improvements Of all rivers In Europe OF
In this country are comparatively export
montal. The works have been Of quito recent
erection. and the subject Of improving tho nav
igation OF rivers and Of combining their waters
10 imperfeetly understood. From China we
barn that the river cannot be held In subjec-
ton by levees. md that no force employed by
man has been able to prevent the Yellow River
from changing It's course.
What il true Of the Yellow River is also true
OF the Mississippi. This river cannot be con-
fined by evees In tho past it has frequently
changed its course. A grave danger menaces
New Orleans; danger that threatens to de-
prive hor Of her commercial Importance. In
my opinion the Mississippi River IL about to
change Its course. and change It 30 that New
Orleans will be u city standing on the banks OF
IN arm OF the sea, while the river. which gave
her life. will flow 100 miles westward.
At the point where the Red River OF the
South joins tho Mississippi is horseshoe
bend. The heels OF tho horseshoe Join tho VIA
ters Of this latter river. Into tho north bend Of
the shoe tho Rcd River discharges. Prom tho
south bend an arm reaches out. extending to
the Atchafalaya River. Tho greater norton Of
the Red River water now swings around tho
toe OF the shoe. and passing through
the connecting arm joins the waters of the
Atchafalaya. 1t is estimated by competent
men, who have made the Mississippi River u
study. that one-sixth Of all the water that
lowed down Its channel last year passed
through the arm that connects tho horse shoe
tend ut the mouth OF Rcd River with the
Atchafalaya River. and WIS discharged into
the salt water at Atchafalayn Bay. That the
river threatens to change liz chan nell and that
tho danger that hangs over New Orleans Is i'm
minent. is the firm belief Of many river men.
All that now prevents the Mississippi from
rushing bodily into the new channel Is the bur
at the mouth of Red River. Men who havo
seen bars equally extensive disappear in ono
nOod realize the gravity Of the situation.
Tho Mississippi River IL apparently con-
stantIy engaged in the endeavor to shorten its
course. All forces Of nature seek the easiest
why or method to accomplish their work. Here
Is a great river flowing through soft alluviai
soil and after years Of continuous labor the
shorter channel that 1t has sought for is
opened. Is it probable that the river will be
baked? Let the figures that represent tho
distances from the mouth OF Rcd River to the
Gulf Of Mexico by tho present route. and by tho
Atehafaaya route. speak. and they will con-
vince all impartial men that the danger OF New
Orleans becoming dead city. sitting idly on
the banks OF current!ess arm OF tho SEQ. is
real. and not imaginary. The mouth OF tho
Atchafaaya River Is 102 miles south and thirty
miles east OF the mouth OF Red River. Let the
sum OF the two sides OF the triangle equal
the length OF the sinuous hypothenusc.
and the length OF tho new channel. the
present Atchafalaya River. will DO 1872 miles.
The present mouth of tho Mississippi Is 1873
mos south and $50 miles east of the mouth Of
Red River. Again calling tine sum of the two
sides OF the riEht-anGled triangle equal in
length to the winding hypothenuse. the length
OF the Mississippi below Rod River will DO
about 2Sa mics. These figures are not correct.
but they serve to illustrate my point. II tho
Mississippi cuts through the bar at the mouth
Of Rod River. and transfers itself to the channel
IF the AtchGfalaya, 1t will save about 1853 miles
Of distance to the SEA. This fact Is of thAut-
most Importance 1t is natural FOR water to
How In tho most direct line. In case the river
!airly turns into the new channel. or any great
tortion Of it's waters do flow. IL but for
few weeks. what would be tho effect
Tho waters OF the lower Mississippi
are highly charged with sediment at all times.
During Hoods thoy are charged 10 the full ca
paclty Of tho rapidly flowing wator to hold the
sediment in solution. AS the velocity Of flow
81 u stream Of water increases. so also does Its
capacity TO hold sediment in solution increase.
suppose that the surface water during some
Atgh water. flows around the lower arm OF the
horseshoe and discharges into the Atchafanya
River. The Mississippi. being relieved OF this
Imoun. of water. would slacken its flow below
ho Red River. Tho least decrease in tho w.
ocity OF flow would DO followed by the precipi-
htion OF sediment on the river bed. This
would form bar in the Mississippi. below the
mouth Of tho Red River. As the channel OF the
htchafallyn lepDanel less and less water