Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-11-02

city's river front Is TO DC malnlalheu' "
at Vicksburg, or portion OF a city itsell
Is 10 be protected against undermining
as al Memphis, then It is believe,
TO be imperative that the local remedy on
holding the banks intact by a mattra.s,
reyetmcnt or other equivalent ueNSe
should be adopted"
The commissioner says the money PCT
centage of damage aud loss in the WORKS
constructed under the direction OIL inc
commission from the time OF It's orgln-
ilation TO June 30, 1885, between CsiFo
and New Orleans Is about - per cent.
II Is In view of serious misapprehensDns
touching the original plan aud recon-
mendatious of the commission whlch
have come TO It's notice, that IL IS thought
proper TO make this somewhat extended
reference TO the place which the worn
of bank protection had in mat
plan and to the amount, cost and erect
iyencss of the work OF that kind which
has been done. The apprehension, the
commission says, which has prevailed to
some extent that the Mississippi river
may at any time, and probably Will at an
early day il left to itself, suddenly break
through into the Atchafalaya and there
after make that stream its principal route
to the gulf has never been shared by the
commission in the sense that the danger
Is imminent and not subject to easy con-
troll. The commission has not failed to
recognize the fact that there Is dagger
that in the event of prolonged concur
renee of high water in the Mississippi
river and low water in the Red, the exist
ing channel might be gradually enlarged
H.. en-, IL a "a
the main stream, thus adding to the cost
OF any works or method OF treatment that
might be adopted for that locality with
design to close IL as an outlet or to con-
vert 1t into tributary.
With regard to Vicksburg harbor the
commission says it is desired that mod
crate portion of the first appropriation
that shall become applicable to that pur-
pose shall be expended upon
the initial works of q plan
having for its object the gradual recon-
structlon of the marlboro of Vicksburg to or
IN the direction of its former condition,
in such portion at least as shall give a
portion of the city water front at low.
water stage. This will be attempted by
such works OF construction and deilcc-
tion located at suitable points above as
shall ultimately effect a diversion OF the
main body of the stream to the Vicks'
burg side, and the recession of the shore
line above the city by the usual process
An carly effect will be TO relieve the pres
sure and therefore to stop expenditures
at the delta point. If the restoration OF
navigable low-water front TO portion
of Vicksburg ut II reasonable cost Il
practicable, it will require several years
for its consummation. The commission
rcnews the recommendations that pro
vision be made by law tor the appropria
ton by the United States through pro
cccdlngs in the federal courts o.
land and material needed in the work
OF the S75 900 appropriated for the
salaries, expenses of the commission for
the last fiscal year, there remained OF
hand at the end OF the year S2272. O.
the $4,000 appropriated for survey,
there remained $lG,liS. The cXpendi
lures for improvements from October
/ to the end of the year were 81 ,G3G, $50
aud there remained on hand on July
| 1885, S3S9,918 to meet the liabilities ant
/ carry on the work OF Improvement. ThI
estimates of the fiscal year Of 1886, which
/ were transmitted to the secretary OF wa
| in July of 1854, are repeated. Thu
estimates for 1887 are as follows Fo
continuing surveys of the Mississippi
river between the head of the PasSe
near its mouth and its headwaters, 500
000 for salaries and travelling cS
penses of the commission, 500
{ 600; for continuing the in
provements from Des Moincs rapid
to the mouth of the Illinois river, $500
600; from the mouth OF the Illinois rive
to Cairo, 100000; from Cairo to TIL
head of the Passes, 100000; for the in
proycmcnt of the harbor at Columbu
Ky, $4,000: ut Hickman, Ky, $40, O0C
Mt Memphis, 1000; at Greenvillc, Miss
Sl8G,0 900; at Vicksburg, $4,000; ;
Nalchez, $1,000 at New Orleans, 1929
GOO. The cost OF improving the Missi
spp river, the commfssio
says, in the manner an
to the extent contemplated, wi
doubtless considerably exceed the est
mate formerly submitted by the commit
} sion. For this there are two reasons
First, it has been found necessary
make use OF stronger and tlrmcr, al
Therefore more expensive, met
DDS of construction than tho
/ which, from want of expel
/ iltutdl hhphlNhE'N bldb NoNllldlt W.
} based, and, second, that the percentae
OF loss from floods has exceeded VIII
: was thought TO be a fair allowance +,
I this contingency. Much of this, HOY
i ever, would have been spared had strong
, methods Of construction been resortt
to- and the future loss from tn
( cause may therefore in some measure
i avoided In other respects, also, cXpei
D ence gained in the application of new NJ
r united devices cannot fail to tend
! economy. There must be no last groul
I for the apprehension that Il
$ ultimate cost Of this improyeme
y will be more than ordinari
: great or will exceed what the goyernme
c will be justified in expanding on gre
g NJ, tinr"l work in the success of which
4 large aud 80 varied interests are involve
d In order that the Increased depths
Z ready secured on the two reaches
j bad navigation may be utilized Al
!, made OF some practical view the il
i provement should be extended up strca
Il and down, Indeed, 1t cannot be 81
II that the navigation has received any be
S eft as long as improvements are
p strlcted to localities hemmed by b
r river both above and below.
N MIGHT bp hettnr yypro a tnilJln cc,,r