The Evening critic., 1884-01-24
THE SMALL RIVERS
which Make Up the Volume of the
Mississippi-An Interesting study
of the Grent Streams TrIbutar rics.

Mississippi-An Interesting study
of the Great Streams Tributaries.
The physical and geographical situation OF
the Mississippi River cannot be understood
without knowledge of its tributaries. To
anyone maturing plans for Its Improvement
this knowledge Is Indispensable. The situa
tlon OF the Yazoo and the st. Frances
two OF these rivers, arc such that IL must make
them become part OF any plan for It's per-
manent Improvement and the drainage OF
Its valley. description OF their location Will
enable us to fully appreciate their value.
The bed OF these rivers lie entirely within
the valley formed by the alluvial OF the Mis-
sissippi River, and are fed from the ponds and
lakes that were once Its channel East OF Black
River, In the midst Of this valley, like an ISL
and In the sea, lies Crotey % Ridge, and between
II and the Mississippi Is the valley OF the st.
Frances. In this low valley runs the st. Fran
ces River and Its tributaries rising above
Cairo, near the west bank OF the Mississippi,
1t runs by its side for 800 mies, until 1t strikes
the ridge, and then empties Its waters Into It,
Cairo, range OF hills follow down Its sido near
Its bank, and at Memphis they strike It's
waters, and, as II in fear OF Its power, retreat
back Into the interior, and after wandering
800 miles they reach the river again. Between
the bend OF these hills and the Mississippi,
below Memphis, lies
The Valley of the YazOO,
and around its outer curve flows the Yazoo
River. At yicksburg, at the foot OF the hills,
It empdes It's waters into the Mississippi.
These two rivers run parallel with the Mlssis-
sippi for 500 miles, 400 OF which their banks
are lower than the banks OF tho Mississippi;
their Importance havo not been fully realized,
as they can be made assistant channels to re-
lieve the country from overflow. Their situa-
tion and their great deep beds seem to have
been constructed by nature for this very pur-
pose.
West of the Mississippi, below Red River,
rivers, run side by side TO the gulf. They are
connected together by q network OF currentless
lagoons, and before the change In the Red
River, when the Mississippi was low, and
where they were not influenced by tides, like
the lagoons, they lay motionless IN their beds.
When the Mississippi 10 at flood height their
immense bodies OF wafer TO the gulf. The
beds OF these rivers were made by the Hoods OF
| the mississippi, and to-day they act as great
funnel to carry the overflow away.
Cannot the head OF these streams Joined 10
| the Yazoo and st. Francis rivers make
One Continuous Channel
to relieve the valley from overflow? Let us
| see. Recently Red River has bursted Its bank
| the bed OF the Mississippi and through II
| down the Atchafalaya River It's waters are now
carried to the Gulf AT every flood the waters
ofthe mississippi pour through this Outlet in.
creasing In size, and II permitted 10 continue II
| Will hnd through 1t new channel 10 the sea.
Above this break Red River makes great
is inundated with the Hood, that por.
tion OF the water that does not fipw
i
Red River above It, and fows down tho vor.
| million 10 tho Gulf. No water that fioHs over
| the west bank OF the Mississippi below the Ar
kansas River now returns 10 1t again, but
| nowB down these rivers TO the sea. The he'd Of
the Mississippi cannot 30 made large enough
| TO prevent overflow, and the present policy of
| the River Commission cannot correct II. With
oil their expected improvements the nOod viii
continue TO spread over the valley, lsaving
ruin and destruction In It's course. The grea
body OF alluvial carried down the Mississippi
rapidly increases It's length, and as It does SO
IL elevates its bed. point can be reached
when IL Will burst It's banks and nnd a new
channel TO the sea. The present policy OF the
River Commission, II continued, Will thus
Destroy Commerce at New Orleans
The construction OF a continuous assistant
channel and the reduction OF the flood eleva
ton at the mouth OF the YazOO is the onlJ
remedy. Below the Arkansas River aud abovt
Yicksburg. imany sbayous approach thu
shore OF the Mississippi, and they empty
their waters into the Black and Wicniti
\ laiilvere. The water OF these rivers can be con
| veyed across Red River and into the Vermll
| lion. These bayous can bo connected with
the Mississippi, their channels Strengthened
and enlarged, and the flood carried away and
us elevation reduced at the mouth OF the
Yazoo River thirty feet. With the remaining
| twenty-five feet OF elevation the Mlsslsslpp
can be controlled, the increasing size OF the
break In the bank OF Red River can be regu
lated, and the river at Vicksburg can be re
turned 70 It's original bed. No damage eau be
done, The Hood elevation AT New OrleanS
VIII remain the same, as the water turned of
| would only be that portion that escapes above
IL. The reduction ~ thirty feet In the nOOC
elevation AZ this point would give an unob
blrucleu now 10 the waters or the Ml55issipp
and fazoO Rivers, and Its elevation abov,
would DO reduced below the point OF over
n0w.
Below Helena the mouth OF the Yaz00 Pas
can be opened up, and above II, where tn,
Xazoo River approaches the Mississippi,