Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-19
CAUGHT AGAIN.

Poor Cowdon! he ia catching it again; but
he is always catching it, and Is his uncon-
querable modesty hides from him the greater
part of his deserts, he sill goes on in the
came way, and so continually exposes him
self 10 the certainty Of more catchings in the
future. The New Orleans Pieasune "plsys
Pic on him" and picks him up this time.
The captain, in connection with the approach
ing Baton Rouge Convention, was 90 unior-
tunate, in telling something he thought he
knew, as TO expose how little he does know
upon the subject of hydraulics, science
respecting whore elementary principles, at
least, theoristsin Mississippi river improve,
ment should have come acquaintance. The
captain laid down the position that, "ii you
have cistern into which the water
flows through two inch pipe, the
only outlet TO which is a onc-inch pipe,
you NUT make more outlets, or the
cistern will, sooner or later, overflow" This
proposition is just one Of those apparently
simple, essily understood things that mis-
lead that order OF beings who "rush in where
dbhNlb lraL ~ bICnO. Dy OD5cINlU2 INC
more obvious circumstances and emitting to
perceive what fails at first glance to catch
the eye, plumbers are made and one blur-
derer draws after him another, as we see the
Cincinnati Commercial GGzsffe is often led
wrong by Il adoption Of Capt. Cowdons
statements and conclusions The mischief
in therpresent instance is that a ono-ibch
pipe,atthe bottom Of a cisterH car. carry of
much as two-inch pipe would deliver at
the top. What the great outletist failed 10
observe is that as the water rises within the
cistern the addition Of every piut Of water
adds a pound to the weight OF water con
tanned within the cIstern. As the weight in
creases the pressure increases, and as the
pressure increases the speed with which
the water is forced cat of the ore inch
tipe increases. In hydranlics the fow Of
water is no regulated simply by the diane
Ter Of the pipe through which it runs, but by
the ratio between that diameter and the
pressure that drives the flowing water.
What the bottom pipe is wanting in diane
ter is made up Tor in the velocity OF dis
charge. AS the cistern is made deeper il
will discharge twice as much through an
inch pipe as it takes from the pipe it re-
ceives at. Applying this principle 10 the
Mississippi river, We wee that in proportion
as we increase the quantity Of waller by
stopping the outlets, the increase Of quantity
within the banks increases the pressure, and
consequently increases the speed with which
the jstties and the other mouths of the river
discharge the conteRs OF the river toto the
Guff. If proof we're required, il is supple d
by the present immense outlet at the Atcha-
falays, which carries off the whole Of the
waters of the Red river and one-sixth q
those Of the Mississippi, yet that does not del
crease the average hight of the river at Nes
Orleans, it only decreases the rate of the flow,
Notwithstanding this immense outflow" says
the New Orleans Picayune, 1--WE had this year
at New Orleans the highest water known
This instance shows the incompetence Of
Capt. Cowdon as river improver, and ex.
plains why his disciples are continually be-
trayed into sbsurditie+: it is case of the
blind leading the blind.