Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-28
MEMPHIS APPEAL
RIVER IMPROVEMENT AND FLOODS.

Nature is powerful persuader TO induce
scceptalion Of truth, but when her persus-
sions are disregsrded she uses very inclsive
and severe modes OF iuculcating what che
persistently insists shall be regarded. She Is
doing 80 now in the case OF the Mississippi
river She ia proclsimiDg, improve or l will
take away your harvests and destroy your
structures. To have good navigation there
must be deep channel, without the inter
ruptiou Of bars or shoals. To be free from
destructive floods the same conditions are re-
quired. Where shoals and bars are, there
the Waters, not having space below, spread
out and overflow the country. The great
condition required ia depth Of channel. This
must be obtained mainly be removing OBJ
structions, 80 that q regular current shall
flow, and tbs. can be secured ouly by regu-
larity in the width Of the stream, for where
the water is spread over broader
space it will be proportionately more shallos,
that IL, shoals and bars will form. There
must also be an approximately sufficient
hight Of bank, and TO obtain that there must
be leveey where the shores are below the
necessary level. Let the river be improved
80 that no bars dam the water, no shoals
cause it to overflow, and no low banks offer
those curses of the farmer, outlets, and there
will be Throughout the year a regular fow
within the channel, the fow being uninier-
rupted by dams and shoals will carry wtth
il the sediment IL brings down, and will cut
away the bottom Of the channel until the
channel is Of sufficient capacity TO carry off
the water that is carefully confined within its
banks. Thus confined, as The waters increase,
the weight of the water above impels that
below il to move with increased rapidly,
and the unobstructed channel becomes capac-
itstel TO carry off vast amounts of water
which had hitherto flowed off laterally, m ak
ing foods. The food outlets by taking &
great weigh. and pressure from the interior
of the chsnael reduce the pressure within it,
aud ii fails to carry of all the tide it is
capable Of controlling. The water
that is spre I'd out in destructive floods gains
the channel only slowly, and the impetus it
would have given to the stream is lost. That
il, besides the immense loss suffered from
overflow there is loss Of power in the main
stream to impel the waters. The loss of
speed involves a loes OF power in the stream
to carry forward the sediment it holds in
suspension. The slower the water runs the
lees sediment is carried away, and the more
sedimt mt remains the more shallow is the
channel. Here is natures own way of work
ing, if opportunity is given BY providing her
with an unobstructed channel and sufficiently
high banks. Nature proclaims loudly, fur
nish me with these requisites aud you shall
be safe; deny them and l will take your
Hocks and herds, your crops and dwellings.
The choice is before you-an improved char
mel and safety, or neglect and destruction.
Such is the alternative irresistible nature
lays before u. We can do or we can leave
undOne. But If we neglect TO do then yenge-
full nature will, to the uttermost, exact
her penalty. Again the cry of die
tres goes up all along the borders of The
Mississippi. Again the awful foods are
rushing remotselessly where the pillow and the
eower have done their work, and the fair
young crops, the farmers pride, the depend
eHce OF his family and his laborers, is car
ried of, swept away because man has not
ooeyed the Imperative conditions which,
usiul6lled, will permit him no rest and
grant him no prosperity. The discipine is
hard, but il We choose 10 turn nature that
would be smiling and munifcent into tack
mistress hard and exigeni, the fault is our
oWD, snd we must bear the punishment. In
proportion as we clear, and fence, and pillow,
aud build, the loss by each returning food
becomes more heavy, aud therefore the
longer we defer river improvement the
graver our il 1ic lone. Let those who have
heavy hearts to-day on account of their
deprivation, from the loss Of their rich and
promising crops, obey The voice OF nsture's
demands, and month by month, urge upon
the national and Slate authorities attention
to the construction of levees and other i'm
provements of the river until the grand
work is accomplished and plenty comes to
pay us richly for what is done prudently, as
she Furnishes without sparipg for neglect
that has been folly but, 10 the light OF present
knowledge, is fast becoming inexcusable
ouilt