Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-02

would long ago have been practically an
inland town, entirely cut of from the river.
At Memphis gceat values were put inSeop-
Rrdy By 9 bank which Threatened to carry
of portion OF the city. bus whichwss sue
csssfally overcome. 1T has been claim
ed" says the Commission, that the caving
Of ban5s should be arrested by works OF
channel contraction at the wide places
above one. Much unwarrsnted stress
seems to have been laid upon Hypothetical
discussion introduced into the first report
of the Commission, while il is stated theo-
rstically that uniform depth joined to uni
form width, implies uniform velocity and
this means that there win be no violent
eddies or cross currents and no great or
sudden fluctuations in the silt transport
power Of the current, but it is not here
asserted in that report, nor Is it believed
By the Commission that uniform depth or
any very near approach to it is practically
sttaina6le upon The Mississippi or upon
any large silt bearing stream lowing
through an allsyial bed and having diff
ference Of 45 to so feet between its high
and low water stages In its low stage
the obstrucied portions Of the river present
q series of shallow crossings or where the
width is excessive. and which there Is fire.
queItly oply abOat FIVE feet depth Of ustsrs
alternating with concave bends, where
there are depths of 80 leet AMI in some
cases 90 TO 95 feet and upwards.
The securing induced by works Of i'm.
provement at the wide places will doubt,
less deepen the channel across the bars to
fifteen or twenty feet, leaving the depths
in the bends substantially unchanged; so
that the full measure Of approach to uni-
form depth attained BY thess results con-
sists in this; that where formerly existed as
between the deep bends and the shallow
bars, difference ranging from seventy TO
ninety feet in depth, there nov exists after
the improvement q difference of sixty to
eighty feet or more.
This represents the amelioration of
former conditions, which, although sufi
cient for the purpose OF navigation, is evi,
Geatly tco small to Offset in any consider
able degree, or perhaps in any sensible de-
gree, the eross-curreuts, eddiss, and tluctus-
iion resulting from constsntly varying
depths Il would seem. therefore, that
stability Of banks as the result of fsuch
uniformity of depth IS can be secured
by works of contraction is practically
unattsiusble. For this reason the plan OF
contemplated liberal use
of bank revetment roughly estimated to
cost four times as much as the correspond
log work of channel contraction. 1t may
be stated that it is not the intention, nor
has it been the practice of the commission
to D otect the bank by revetment, merely
because it is csviog Other consideration
must govern this question But where
sn imminent danger threatens, the imme-
disfe destruction ofInterests of great value,
as for example, where csviug bend about
to attack in flank and carry away costly
works OF improvement, or produce dis
ssiroEs cat-of, or where citys rlver front
is to be maintained a. at Eicksburg or
portion of q city itself is to be protec ed
against undermining, as at Memphis, then
it is believed to be imperative that the
local remedy of holding the banks intact
by q msftrsss rsvetment or other equiv
alent device should he adopted.