Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-26
DOWN The RlVER.

~ NA8kG&k@ ~
Not Favorable.
Government Engineer John Ewens
arrived in Vicksburg on the
City Of Cairo yesterday from above on
his regular gauge inspection tour of
the Mississippi and tributaries, from
st. Louis to the Gulf. During the
journey thus far the following gauge
stations were put in good condition :
Fulton, Tenn; Memphis, Tenn; Hell
ena, Ark; the mouth Of the White had
to be omitted on account Of the heavy
ice, but will be looked after as soon as
the ice has run out:
"Greenville is to-day in the most
critical condition of any city on the
great river. While the destruction at
present is dormant, yet we can see that
beneath the great volume of water
that is at present holding the bank in
place there are forces at work that
will cause devastation to land and
property that has not been equalled
since Napoleon, near the mouth of the
Arkansas, succumbed to the current.
The detection of the current at this
place with reference to the bank is the
most favorable one possible for cutting
and cavings. At Argyle, about six
miles above Greenville wonderful
changes are in progress. What
these changes augur for Greenville
no person at present can tell. 1t
certainly will have an effect as the
depth OF the river at the two points
referred to are very nearly the same,
so that some change is inevitable.
Another interesting point at present is
the bend between the foot Of Ozark
Island and the mouth of Cypress
Creek. At the upper side of this bend
the river is making a marked advance
across the neck by caving. The dis
lance across this point at present is
less than $500 feet, while, by water, ii
is nearly IL miles. That the river will
take advantage of a shorter route al
this point, at the earliest possible time
is very evident from the changes thai
are now in progress. Such a change
would shorten the distance from
Helena to Arkansas City about
twenty miles. l find caving banks, tt
an alarming extent, all the way down
Now as to a flood, or unusual stage
of the river this year, that is something
which l think no person can fOretell
The conditions on which to base a pre-
diction of this nature are so varied an(
scattered that it is utterly impossible
for any one to form any opinion tina
will not be conjectIrous in its nature
Leaving out OF consideration rain ant
the conditions Of temperature and at
mosphere, one can, from the data a
hand, form a very fair idea what tn,
present conditions of things lear
towards,if they are allowed to continu
without Interruptions due to rain AM
atmospheric changes.
From a careful examination of such
l think the indications at present ar
very favorable, and point away from
high water. The river, of course, i
bound to 60 higher than it is at pres
ent, but it m ust be borne in mind tina
the present stage is but 81 feet here
while the maximum is over so. l
you get more than 10 feet more here
/ shall be surprized, that is if the condi
? tons referred to remain the same. Th
reasons for this are very simple. Th
watersheds of the upper Mississippi
t the Missouri and the Ohio which EN-
brace what l term the frozen distIic
f were very low when winter overtooI
. them and hence have this year a vas
: acreage of snow and not water to con
tribute. This latter element disaE
pears so gradually in those highe
ATTITUDES that its effect cannot be az
, probable as far south as the uppe
| boundary Of the overflow distric
again, at st. Louis and Gray'S Poin'
3 Mo-, the lowest stage ever known wa
Attained, which means a large resevoi
o for food water above Cairo. Agar
! the warm waters of the Cumberlan
and Tennessee have fastened the di;
solution OF large ice fields in advanC
f. of the warmer weather. The Arkanss
p and White river, which wit
the Tennessee, Cumberland al
Ohio form the great feeders {
q floods, have nearly reached tn
maximum contribution for tn.
! season. So taking all these things tt
g gether, l can see nothing Tut what
hopeful and favorable this year for
freedom from the disaster that shaC
4 owed the years of 1882, 1883 and 1884
Mr.. Even goes from here to Warner
ton, to make more special slope obse'
v v~ations, thence to Natchez, Red rive
e landing, thence down the Atchafalay
e to Barbes landing, Simmmesport an
v West Melville. AT Barbes and Yves
Melville guage bulletins will be cree
q ed for the benefit of the Teche an
C%ourtableau packets; from the Atcha
a alaya to Baton Rouge and Carrolltol
thence to New Orleans.
II Reporting Against a GoVernmer
r Telegraph.
1 Wa eITTNcrOJ Fob 10 Tho hon,