The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-25
THE QUESTION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Tho n velIers on tho Banks Favor the Leveo
System-More Money Needed at Once.
100 Doses One Dollar

l
| System-More Money Needed at Once.
WARRINGTON May 24.-When the delegation
| OF citizens interested In the proposed appro.
| priations for tho improvement OF the Missis.
| sippi River we're heard before the Committee
| on Commerce q few days ago, the Chairman,
| Senator Frye said
well. gentlemen, you have lifted a great
| load from my mind. l have been entirely ut
sea as to what is tho proper plan for protecting
the country from overflow. but now begin to
see daylight"
The friends OF the levee system have,
therefore. taken heart, and will 90 to work
with renewed energy to influence the COM
mittees OF Congress The recent convention
at Vicksburg sent delegation OF twenty-five
representative citizens TO Washington. They
have been hero two weeks or moro. and have
appointed an executive committee Of six. who
will remain here permanently to urge the
necessity OF appropriations for the preserya-
ton and improvement of the levee system. The
committee is composed Of the Hon. Hiram r.
Steele. OF Louisiana, Chairman; Gen. John II.
Rice, OF Fort Scott, Kansas: A. W. Crandall, Of
New Orleans; Patrick Henry OF Arkansas;
Thomas A. Shields OF Cairo. ILL.,, and L. w.
Gould. OF st. Louis. Gen. Rice Is especially
active in presenting the views OF the citizens
to congressman. He has made his headduar-
tiers at Natchez for the past three years, and has
in mind some important facts relative to the
Mississippi and the late overflow. Gen. Rice
said to-day:
Il have read the editorial In The Sun Of May
al with considerable interest. aud feel that
THE Sun. while honest in it's convictions, Is de-
sirous that the very best thing possible should
be done In solving the problem OF tho Missis-
sippi River | desire 10 say that the people of
the VI Mississippi valley who live on the banks OF
hat tN md No al M tpH
States and State engineers who have been on
gagged upon the river. some OF them for years.
Solution Of this i great problem. and that Is that
It must be solved by the plan OF the Mississippi
River Commission: No new plan "a a. or system Is
give the best conditions OF navigation, and at
the same time too,Giye perfect assurance against
in u the Sht of the sie hood. are resssurod
that the levee, system Is the, only sys-
viii held the water in the Shanne
Of the river at low water. Floods without
levees, with outlets at every low place. SLOW
hills OF sanI and when low water comes the
river is unnayigabIe. Tho prediction OF great
and dsmSTp a h9oi SHs Ealing
professed scientists. who really know nothing
about the river, and Notwithstanding the late
miles OF levees came 80 near holding the flood
that only % erevasses all told occurred with
o o Of the county inundaied that was
in the floods of 1882 or 1884.
THE immense quantity Of sediment washed |
Inc bed the river in years past. was because |
the water was not confined TO normal chan
nei does sI' not tie" lend 10 iii up The river.
f1Sv b sry Mr. opR2 sssr 5 SaM yd1E
leges. He has no evidence OF 1t. On the con
trary. every one who knows anything about !
the river knows that the narrower the channel !
|
scoprs out the bottom. and, the shal How places
IN the river are only to be found where, the
Point. Beach, Lake Providence. Gasscock's |
Island, and many other places. At Natchea
and over 100 feet deep. Ten niles below. Wat at
Natche2 Island. tho river wdens over one mile
and a hall. and at low water last summer the |
Rouge to the Gulf the, water is confined TO a
narrow channel. and there is continuous water
mile Of The river. it has been monstrated
! hat tho amount OF silt carried depends upon |
the volume Of water and its velocity, hence |
mel you increase the velocity. The Increased |
velocity picks UP the silt and carries Il to the
the bottom bv the river widening out and the
Con. Comstock. Mr. Fadd. Leach Kingmap.
commerce Committee that the bottom, OF the
river had not risen only where Tiled up, in
here was no evidence that the eveed rivers Of
Europe. notably the Rhine Rhone. the Poo,
hundred years. aud our guess is that no reser-
'oirs or dykes provided with hoodgates can DO
oqnd in any alluya river in Europe. but
oms mat cannot be secured out BY tho water.
The people Of the MisslssiGp! valley have the
The engineers say 100000 will secure
he, delta against all floods, We believe
should be n national work. The people OF
axed themselves since the war s2l.OOOG0j,
md yet they have no control over tho river.
ND one State can make no compact with
mother to aid in controlling It,"