The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-10
THE MISSISSIPPI.
Tho Task OF Coniluing the Mighty
STREAM
within lis Proper Channel-SynOpsis
OF the WOlk
Accomplished by the Commission

Tho Mississippi River commission will
meet presently, about the nth instant In
the city OF New York, 10 consider the re-
suits OF the various work done under d.
rection OF the United States engineers
along the river, 10 formulate plans for new
improvements aud TO estimate the cost OF
works now being done and OF others In con.
temptation, oil to be embodied In the 70.
port which the commission will lay before
congress, to be acted upon d. ring the pres.
ent session. Such being the case, II may
not be inopportune 10 give the views elicit
ed by n reporter Of the Herald from Gen.
eral s. W. Ferguson. OF Greenvil.e, u short
time ago, bearing upon this very important
matter. The conversation took place In the
withdrawing room of the VlcksouTg bank.
Said Gent ral Ferguson
The general result OF the recent tour of
inspection made by the commission from
Cairo To- New Orleans has been exceedingly
satisfactory. The work thus FAR done ~
Plumb point and at Providence reach has
surpassed our most sanguinr expectations,
One result OF the observations OF the com
mission is that the operation OF deepening
the channel In shoal places has In almost
every instance been applied TO long reaches
where for n considerable distance the course
OF the river takes a straight line, and
another " that where the river is almcIi
winding In It's cOurse-that Is, where 10 Ia
aud well defined channel. IL has also been
dem onstrated that the System OF revetment
carried OH by the engineers can hold the
banks aud prevent them from clying,
This latter discovery is very important, be.
cause IL saves enormous work in rebuilding
the levees. During the time that | was
precedent OF the Mississippi levee board
out OF an aggr gate line OF levees $50 miles
in extent, ~ three years fully 30 miles had
to be Tebuils owing " the tact that the
bank on which they were constructed cav.
ed into the river A general system of re.
vetting will, by preventing the bank from
caying secure the ,psrmanency OF the
levees built along it."
General, what will be the probable
amount OF the appropriation a ked for by
the commissiou2"
.That am not able 10 say. For oontin.
uiug the work already In progress and com
mencing other iMpr0v, menis thst will be
recommended, my opinion is that 5000
600 will be required. You see, unless an
appropriation ~ made soon for pushing TO
n conclusion the works that hav= been 20
ing on "a large additional expense will have
TO be incurred that could otherwise be
avoided If the men who have been em-
ployed are stopped now they will scat.
\ ter and new and clumsy workmen
will take their places when operations are
again resumed. The men who have been
sinking mattresses, driving pile, etc ,have
become In manner skilled workmen, and
their discharge at this time will be q con-
siderable backset. Besides, u considerable
amount OF the unexpendsd appropriation
will have to be withheld for The care aud
maintenance OF the large amount of plant,
in use mt the various points where improve
msnts have been in progress, during the
time the WORK may be suspended"
Where does the com mission propose to
inaugurate new improve ments2n
the two principal points will be at New
Madrid, Missouri, aud ut the junction OF
the Atchaialaya ana Red rivers. The me-
cessity OF deepening the channel nc the
first mentioned place is rendered impera.
tive by the needs of navi alton. AT the
last named point the plan will be to put
a sill Gross the Atchaialava, where the
waters ofthe Red emoty into Ola river.
This will check the veoci and volume Of
the Atchafalaya, and diminish / securing
capacity. This is intended 10 obviate the
danger, which, in the opinion of many per.
sons with whom | do not agree) exists. OF
the Missssippi making its outlet into Der.
wick Bay by way of the Atchafalaya and
leaving New Orleans on lake.
what do you propose to do about our
hsrbor."
~, individually, will do everything pos
sible to nsrc its claims and the pressing
needs CT the people OF Vicksburg brought
IS fully saicre t." commission as words can
put ,hs. Tay :, Nle is there rs no plan
before the samn''sr IN the engineers.
The CONN. ission c"o hardly make for
Vicksburg an allotment Dat OF any general
apportionment, commensurate with the
needs of her harbor, without mourning the
hostility and jealousy Of other localities
along the river. / therefore think 1t would
be the best plan for the Vicksburg harbor
to be ON Nodded in a separate bill with
separate appropriate N, and thea the COM
mission would not be hampered by the
considerations mentioned in having every
dollar expended upon the plan suggested
by the engineers and approved by the har-
Dor committed"
General Ferguson declined to discuss any
plans about the most effective way 10 bring
back the river to its old channel in front OF
nohe city, simply saying 1.-THE United States
Engineers will have to dispose of that ques-
ton. '-[Vicksburg Herald.