The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-06-14
THE MISSISSIPPI.
-. of The Freaks Of the Father OF
Waters
itAkike
that cause Wise anu
toF
poluts Suppor ing the Cow

The decline OF the Mississippi river pives
,ss to some speculation as to the result of
,hs effect of the same upon the river front
:, this point. Years ago, and within the
memory OF many citizens, the main chan
,Iof theriver was in what is now known as
,hs Tennessee chute, east OF the islands
snown as the Hen and Chickens" and it
!, matter of authentic history
hst steamboat wreck is
,ow buried in the sand beneath
,hs west wall ofthe navy.yard, the river at
hat time having Rugged the bluff as far
dawn as Market street. When the river
changed its course said 10 be caused by
the sinking ola steam boat above the island
.hs mouth of Wolf river began to extend
sa ", further west and the navy yard
wss created by what is known as an allu-
v;sI deposit. Even after the war the land
al This point extended some hundred yards
far into the Mississippi river. and the old
Titus cotton shed, which existed there at
Inc time. has been washed away. Since
that date the river current has been imping-
inc on the bank above and below the
month of Wolf river, and acres of land have
hsen washed out, to be thrown upon the
ssnd.bar on the Arkansas shore, opposite
and below Hopefield. In order to stop the
dangerous abrasion or cutting away of the
hank the national government has for the
last two or three years been putting down
mattresses above and. especially below the
mouth of Wolf river as far down as the
Hanauer oil mills, so as to protect the bank
from the further encroach
ments of the river current, and the result
oottafantnru nf LOT ko,
ever, during the present season, change
ofcurrent has appeared in the mysteriou.
Mississippi. Instead OF digging deeper int
The bend above the Hopefield point it ha.
been cutting away that point, which ha'
been the head of the great sandbar, and tn,
current ha been detected from tn,
Tennessee shore above and i'm
mediately below the mouth of VOL
river to a point much further south-sa,
below the Hanauer oil works. The natura
result of this curious change would be t,
increase the alluvial deposit at the mouth
of Vol. river, impigne upon and cut ava.
the bank on the Tennessee shore at tn
landing south of the Hanauer oil works
cut away the Hopefield point at the hea,
Of the sand bar and lengthen the bar at it
southern end or opposite Fort Pickering
This has has been been So 50 appp'a lnal
that lne lutbl6 hUCk
company, noticing the encroachments 9
the river upon their incline railway at tn
Hopefeld point, have been considering tn
necessity of removing the incline to q safe
point farther south. probably to the south
ern end of the sand bar opposite Fol-
Pickering, which will be the terminus
the Kansas City railway. Owing to tn
works erected by the government In tn
bend above the Hopefield point and til
natural causes which have certainly d,
Elected the current of the river, there is n
longer any danger OF the Mississippi takn
a chute through the cypress bayou an
Hopeheld lake, and there is II
doubt less danger OF it breaking throue
into Hatchie lake, by way of Loosahatchi
ten or more miles above the city. ShOul
engineers cut channel for the river. BY
dredging or otherwise, through Loos
hatchie into Hatchie lake and down We
river, it is possible the river current migl
flow that way, but if lett to itself II wi
not do so. Shouldi 1t, however, be induced !
mechanical or artificial means so to do, the {
feet would be to sweep away the navy-yar
and the current would rush along the riv
landing or bluff as far down rs Adam
street, cut away the point on the Arkans
shore opposite Fort Pickering, and lea
the Hopefeld point and the bed of Il
river as it at present exists, high and d
or upon an old river or lake. The result
not among the probabilities unless aid
by engineering skill and at an immen
cost The river at present is taking care
itself, and the river front is in little DANCE
indeed it is in less danger than 1t has be,
for many years past.-IMemphis Av
lanche,