The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-20
The THREATENED BLUFF.
WHAT MUST BE DONE TO PRO.
TECT 1T.
Suggestions BY Capt. Leach Of the
U. s. Engineers That Spur
Dykes VIII Do 1t.
To the IditOrs Of the Appeal;

nave reeu Win mucn interest your
report of this morning headed Cob
bling the Bluffs" You do not exsg-
gerate the CAVITY Of the situation, as
l have bad the same opinion for tev-
eral years, for doing business at one OF
the exposed points l have necessarily
been a close observer of the changes
going on at the river front of the city.
These changes are the result Of the re-.
vetment work placed in HOpefield
bend TO svtrt y Threatened cutoff
through Four-Mile Bayou, which
would have left Memphis on a lake.
The object OF the River Commission
was to sop the caving in at Hopefisld
bend aud make the current cut Hope
fed point away, snd by reveting the
harbor OF Memphis from the mouth OF
Wolf to the foot OF Beale street cause
the current to strike the Tennessee
shore below the harbor, the southern
limit of which is B ale street. In this
the River Commission has been emi.
Dently successful; but the gain of
North Memphis is the loss Of South
Memphis unless immediate steps are
taken to avert it. In 1884 the cur
rent struck the Tennessee ride Just
above the mouth OF Wolf river, but
the cutting away of Hopefeld point
about 1900 feet, and the head
Of the bar over 200 feet has caused the
current 10 strike the Tennessee side st
Besle stIest aud below. AS Hopefield
point must continue to cut away Sou'h
Memphis is inevitably obliged to
lose a great deal of property by cav
ing, as it will be directly exposed to
the currer t. II not checked it will
a v into Tennessee street at the foot
Of Pontotoc and into Shelby street at
Butler, possibly Trezevant street. The
bluff of Memphis has 80 far stood
better than any other en- the liver fer
the reason that it has not been 40
fully exposed to the force Of the cur
rent. That condition 70 longer ex-
ists, for which reason 1 believe the
caving will be much greater hereafter,
provided property owners and Others
interested take no steps to avert il.
At eixty to seventy feet below the
crest of the bluff there is a strata Of
sand of an average thickness, of forty
two feet, es shown in the deep well
borings. This strata yields readily TO
the current and the superintendent
bluff breaks and caves into the river.
l can only account for the apathy of
South Memphis property owners as
regards the danger they are threat.
ened with 10 tie belief that they
thought those in the river front, while
protecting themselves, would neces-
sarily project them. In this they will
find them elves mistaken, as the in
vestments and property immedia' ely
exposed are worth nothing like the
cost necessary to protect it. Nor can
property owners rely on the railroad
companies owning tn cks in Ten
nessee street. AS the Belt Line project
end q union depot is engaging atten-
ton, in an interview with Mr. r. T.
Wilson lest week, he stated that while
the connection OF his road in Tonnes.
see street was valuable he had no idea
of undertaking to tackle the Mitsis-
sippi river slone, and would 20 around
the city as he did at Vicksburg and
abandon Tennessee street.
By united effort of property owners
west of Shelby street the railroad
companies will no doubt cooperate
giving substantial aid. At my II quest
Capt. Loeb, United States ~engiuesr,
unoffcislly made a plan, which | be-
lieve will be successful. His plan,
is not revetms nt, which
would necessitate the sloping the bluff
off and remove its weight. He rec
ommends the spur dixie plan, which
would involve ZONE loes OF the bluff
by s'oping so as to give a firm anchor
TO the shore end of the bikes and pre-.
vent caving in their rear;
the first dixie 10 be placed Just below
Beale street, 200 feet wide, and to be
extended 10 deep water; the dikes to
he success i've layers of mattress work,
covered with stone sufficient to sink
and keep the work in position; bikes
to be placed at Intervals OF 300 to 400
feet apart to as far south as the foot of
Ire zevsnt street. These dikes would
throw the current away from the bluff
and the deposit between The bikes
would evidently fill up and support
the line OF bluff and prevent cavipg.
The estimated cost of the dixie plan
is $25 per lineal river front foot, which
II extended to Trezevaut street., say
1900 feet, is a total Of $4,000. Prop
erty-owners in South Memphis have
an equitable right to demand OF Con-
gress sufficient money to protect their
property, for had it not been for the
successful effort of the River Commits
zion to arrest the threatened cut. off in
Hopeield bend and the revetment
work done in North Memphis all the
property in South Memphis would
have been free OF danger. Asthe case
now stands, much valuable property
has already been lost, and much more
II be within the nexttwelve months.
Nothing can be expected from the
or county government, 81 the
scope OF their duty extends only to the
collection OF taxes. Respect ullv,