The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-01-12

healthy character Of the season,
which renders it almost impossi-
BILE to keep the surveying party in
the field. For the same reason
the survey ordered Of hatcher
harb0r was not undertaken. At
Memphis hsrbor the work in pro-
gress at the date of last report
was under special allotment by
the Commission. II has been
completed, and the same line of
revetment at Delta Point. La, op-
posite Vicksburg. At New Or.
leans the construction of mattress
and reyetment at Carrollton bend
was begun and is now in progress.
0n all portions Of the river under
improvement repeated surveys
have been made to note any
changes that might occur. espe-
cially those on the works con.
structed at New Orleans. In adj
dition series OF discharge meas.
urements. covering nearly a full
year. were also made. The Com.
mission recommend to Congress
that the next improvement be first
undertaken at Now Madrid. and
second at Memphis reach. Work
under tho allotment made by tho
Commission from the appropria-
ton Of August ?, 1882, for levees
and outlets was continued during
the year on leyees unfinished be-
fore the flood of 1883. 1t is ex
pected all will be finished before
the expiration Of this year.
The report says that within the
past year some serious inconveni.
ence has been suffered from exor
bitantdemauds made By land-own,
ers for brush and poles, These
materials in most cases are worth
little or nothing to the owner, and
unsaleable tonany buyer except
the government ut any price. But
at the. prices some owners ask
they make large itens Of cost. 1t
is not believed that there would
be frequent occasions TO resort to
condemnation Of private property,
it such proceedings authorized it,
as in most cases the,existenes of
the power would be q sufficient
preventive to the extortion, al
though cases may arise in which
the possession and exercise Of
this power will be highly import.
ant. 1t is highly desirable, also,
that Congress shall prescribe by
law the extent TO which material
found OH islands and bars in the
river may be used without the
payment of damages. 1t is the
supreme right o. control and i'm
provemont of rivers navigablc fol
Interstate commerce, vested in
the United States, carries with il
the right to use In the work of i'm
provement, without the consenl
OF any individual owner, all sucl
materials found within the limits
of the river itself, and which con
stitute a part Of it. 1t is recon
mended also that
PROVISION BE MADE
by law for retaining control by tht
government of land built up b,
deposits induced by the work o
improvement placed in the rive
bed. This amounts In some in
stances to hundreds of acres, ant
In some localities riparian owners
may be disposed to claim posses
sion, although to the detriment o
the Improvement. 1t is expectes
that in most such cases it will b,
found desirable to encourage tn,
growth of trees upon newly mad
banks, and occupy them that wa.
many years. perhaps permanently
1t 10 regarded as important als'
that law be enacted punishinI
any person who shall make o cut
off at any neck or point on tn
Mississippi river. The history 0
the river indicates tendency t
recurring cycles of change. 4
cutoff is followed by o sudden in
crease in tho velocity of curren
in its vicinity, and by rapid Gavin
above and below. These likel
cause other cut-offs, one after al
other, and then results in widel
extended and long continued dlI
turbance of the regimen of th
river. During the continuance {
such period works of lmprov,
ment In the channel would be a
tended with the greatest diflieu
ty. No great ut-off has occurre
since that Of vicksburg In 1877
and the present condition of IL
river in that respect is regarde
as favorable. But conditions al
also existing for the introductio
! of cycle changes by making 81
J gle cutoff injurious, the cons
quences Of which it is impossib