Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-01-16
THE MISSISSIPPI.
The Report OF the Select Committee Of
the Senate to Inspect the I'M
IrOVements on the
Mississippi River, and the Methods En-
plOyed-The System Now In Use
Adequate fer All
Purposes, and Should be Pushed to Com.
pietion-The Jetties-Recommend
lions and Suggestions.

DEetlDH-Iut BttlltS-httOnnH HteHHu.
lions and Suggestions.
WASHINGTON, january 15.-The report
of the select committee of the Senate, ap-
pointed in accordance with the resolution
OF February 22d last, to examine the
works of Improvement in progress on the
Mississippi river, snd the methods en-
ployeG in making such improvements,
also the ietty system, was presented to the
Senate to-day. The committee, consisting
of Senator Logan, chairman; Senators
Jones LNev.l Sawyer, Jonas and Walker,
met at Chicago October 9th. All were
present except Senator Jones. II YVES de-
Gided to begin the work OF Investigation
1T Rock Island, and testimony was &C.
cordingiy taken at that place, Burlington,
keokuk, Quincy, Alton, st. Louis, Cairo,
Memphis, Helena, Greenville, Ficksburg,
Lake Providence, st. Joseph, Natchez and
New Orleans. In addition TO this testi-
moRy the committee reports twas assisted
n It's Investigation by the engineer in
charge OF the work in various districts
visited, who came on board the boat on
which the committee made its trips of in
spection, and pointed out and explained
the features of the work under their con-
troll. Besides this, the committee reports
having made
LANDINGS ~ AL POINTS
where important works are in progress or
already completed, and having made a
thorough examination OF its character,
extent end value.
The first part Of the work OF improve
ment treated by the committee is that
begun on the Mississippi between st.
Paul and the mouth OF the Illinois river.
Then follows a description of obstacles to
the navigation of this stretch of the river
and the work already done toward its i'm
provement, which work the committee
reports received almost the unanimous
Endorsement OF river and steamboatmen
and persons living along the river. The
committee alludes to recommendations
heretofore made 20 Congress to support
large appropriations as more economical,
and, indOrsing these Recommendations
says: "Nour committee is persuaded
that If the work OF Improvement IS worth
doing at all it IS worth dcing well, and to
secure thoroughness, permanency and
economy in its prosecution, a uniform
system should be adopted and adhered to.
Your committee does not propose to sug-
gest eolutiUns OF engineering problems.
It intends simply 10 guard the Senate
against the habit of legislation which
tends to tritter away the appropriations in
feeble and desultory WORK" 1t adds
The system now in use on the river be-
tween the mouth OF the Illinois and st.
Paul with the notifications suggested by
experience, seems to be adequate to the
'EiPEoyEMENT OF EAvIGATIoN
and should, in the judgment of your COM
mittee, be pushed rapidly to completion" !"
With respect to the improvement in the
river from st. Paul to Des Moines rapids,
the committee reports that from st. Paul
TO the mouth of the st. CroiS the channel
has been deepened nearly two feet. As
this deepening must proceed gradually,
still further results can be obtained from
works already constructed, and upon their
completion navigation can be made easy.
cf the fftv-four mile stretch from the
mouth OF the ST. CroiS to Chippewa, the
committee says the worst obstruction was
Smith bar, which until 1872 was the head
of navigation Tor large boats, there being
but thirty inches Of water on its course,
but since the Improvement it has been
rom si1 to nine feet at the lowest stages
ot the river. In the ten miles from Reed s
Landingto Alma distractions were former
Iy very troublesome, but the result OF the
improvements up to 1888 the committee
-''l - this+t 80 AAAaAA Ntil " MN Ntto
very low water season. there was not
less than four feet on any bar in this
stretch OF the river, where formerly
often for weeks mt a time the maximum
depth on several reefs did not exceed
thirty inches 90 three feet. The report
deals in detail with the obstacles to navi-
CATION and improvements on other bars
and shoals of the river, and says "all
completed works have given good results" :"
Coming to that part of the river between
Des Moines rapids and the Illinois river,
the committee reports the sums thus far
appropriated for improvements in general
navigation of this stretch of the river of
Ia miles, aggregated $685. 900. 1t adds
The Improvement Of Rock Island rapids
by rock excavation, and Des Moines rapids
''BY MEANS or \ CANAL,
is too well known to need other mention
in the report. The attention of Congress
will probably be directed to them in other
ways" The committee recommends that
the work in Rock Island harbor and
Quincy bay be continued, and sufficient
appropriation made to insure their i'm
provement. \ good deal of space is de-
voted to that portion Of the river 1892
miles, between the mouths of the Illinois
and the Ohio river. In alluding to the ac-
ton of the mouth of the Missouri river,
the committee says: "ro the inquiry how
happens it that a river draining half the
continent is unable to provide at a point
several thousand miles from its head
waters \ depth Of channel sufficient for all
navigation, the explanation is simple. The
supply OF water Isl abundant, but in bad
shape, and this is due TO the fact that the
banks are not strong enough to hold
it. In the natural state of the
rHTN N str Ia 81 lNn I,V, ,l-. =
largely reinforced by trees growing upon
them, and when the bank caves the trees
fall to the foot OF it and there form n con-
siderable though insufficient protection.
Further erosion is partially retarded, and
the river thus gains time to build up a new
bank on the opposite side with solid mat
ter brought from above. As the country
has been settled and the banks cleared of
trees it has been less able to arrest erosion
and very rapid caving resulted. The river
''BErwEEN CAIRO AND ST. LOUIS
is in some cases one and n half miles,
with a channel depth at low water OF three
and quarter to four feet. As further
Clearances are made there will be further
Weakening of the banks and further de-
terioTatiou OF the navigable capacity of the
river The question, therefore, seems to
be not simply whether the present navi-
CATION shall be improved, but whether
such As now exists shall be preserved" !"
Or the works now in progress, it says:
"The chief plan of improvement adopted
by the engineer of the department is TO
protect the banks from erosion and confine
all the water in the bed of the river TO a
single waterway Of moderate width. This
plan involves two classes of works,
namely: Those required to contract the
width OF the river where il is now in
ordiuateiy great, and those required
to close secondary arms or chutes. The
object in the first place, is to prevent fur
ther damage; second, to deepen the pres
ent channels. The programme adopted in
carrying out the plan is first to improve
that part of the river lying below st.
Louis, the reasons given being that this
part carries the greatest amount of COM
merce; that the channel in depth above
st. Louis compares iavorably with that
now found IN the Missouri or Illinois and
upper Mississippi rivers, and il IS designed
TO make the improvement continuous, il
being alleged, that the greatest economy in
the use OF the plant and in the adminiStsa-
ton can thus be obtained, that the improve
ment of one section facilitates the inl-
provement OF the next; also, it is better
that
"SUCH OBSTACLES AS REMAIN
be confined to one portion of the river
than to distribute them over all portions
and il is better to work down the stream,
because in this manner the channels be-
come fixed as the improvement advances
and its s0prcsch To the works below being
fixed, they can he properly designed to
receive It, whereas TO work mp stream
leaves the channel Tree To approach some
way entirely different and unforeseen. A
u. =. 4, I
ST. Louis the initial point is because II is
the hase OF supplies, and because the river
beyond it is permanently fixed. In lay
inc ont now hnnks the following rules