The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-13
THE MISSISSIPPI LEVEES.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE BEGINS
ITS HEARINGS.

CHAIRMAN Comstock OF the River
Commission Declares Himself Op-
posed to the Lake Borgne Outlet
Scheme Other Members Of the
Commission Coincide in His Views.
WASHINGTON, May 12.-The hearing
upon plans for the Improvements of ths
Mississippi river was begun by the Senate
committee on commerce to-day. The menu
bers Of the Mississippi river commission
and a Dumber of other persons interested in
the subject were present. At the REQUEST
of Senator Frye, Gen. Comstock, chairman
of the Mississippi river commission, made a
statement Of the plan under which
the commission is working and the
said the commission had entered
upon a general plan of contracting the
river to an average width Of 35 900 feet. In
some places its natural width is from one TO
two miles. The purpose of this plan is to
deepen the low water channel. The results
OF the plan have been satisfactory, the gen..
eral specifying several instances where the
channel had been deepened. The condition
OF the river for navigation has been inn
proved by the work of the commission.
As TO the Lake Borgne outlet scheme.
Gen. Comstock said it should not be con-
structed. 1t would, in the opinion Of the
commission. result in the shoaling of the
river below New Orleans, aud ultimately
result in greater flood nights at New
Orleans and at Lake Borgne
than at present. If it is
decided to open an outlet the governments
should throw the matter open to competition
and mot eaalr - AT
minority Of the commission" said Gen.
Comstock. 1.-THE majority believe that the
system of levees is an aid to navigation.
For that purpose l would not build levees.
It is necessary TO have them for the protec-
tion OF the country along the lower end Of
the river, and the general government
should bear its proportion Of the expense.
This it has done"
COST OF THE LEvEE SYSTEM.
About $40, 100000 has been expended on
the levees, OF which sum the general gov
ernment has spent about one-third. To fin
ish the plan of improvement for the navi-
CATION OF the river alone would require, in
Gen. Comstock's opinion, S75, 1000. If
levees we're built up the whole length of the
river at the same time it might reduce this
estimate $10.000,000. The two systems
are entirely independent of each other. The
building Of levees would not obviate the
of the river now being constructed by the
commission for the Improvement of naviga4
tion.
WOULD FORM A BAR.
Senator Gibson interrogated Gen. Conn
stock, bringing out the fact that In his be-
lief the opening of the Lake Borgne outlet
would necessitate higher levees at New Or
leans, and result In few years In an accu-
mutation of deposit in the lake which would
ha m nj Inf hap ~ thf. .tx-fh A~x.x -
the water from the outlet.
Maj. Charles X. Scuter, a member Of the
Mississippi river commission, detailed at
length the various features of the plan fol-
lowed by the commission in the
Improvement of the channel of the
river, and the reasons upon which
the commission had adopted them. The
outlet system had been condemned in toto.
The witness said he differed from Gen.
Comstock, in that he would use the levee.
system in conjunction with other works.
constructed by the commissioner for thol
purpose of improving navigation.
ANY DIVERSION OPPOSED.
Capt. 8. s. Leach, Of the corps of engi-
neers, who had been connected with the
work on the Mississippi river since the sum-
mer of 1878, stated his opinion to be that ab
no stage Of the river, and for no purpose
whatever. and at no point should any
OF Lno wafer De ulVerteQ from the stream.
Division Of the stream would result in the
shoaling of the channels below the point OF
division. Any additional statement on the
subject. Capt Leach said, would be merely
an ampliication of this proposition. To
divide the channel at the lake would be to
transfer the head Of the passes to New
Orleans.
BELIEVER IN THE LEvEEs.
Supt. d. G. Kingman. the United States
engineer In charge of the New Orleans dis
trict, said that in his opinion the Lake
Borgne outlet would be a adisappointmenta and
an entire failure as means of relief from
overflow. The only good it would do would
be from the outlet down to its mouth,
which was country Of no particular value.
He had no doubt whatever of the advan-
tages of the levee system. The levee sys~
tenn was also an important means of
improving navigation.
Maj. b. M. Harrod, a member of the
Mississippi river commission since its organ
ization, said he concurred with the majority
that the Mississippi could be improved and
only improved by the work the commission
now approved-reyetments and contrac-
tion and levees. He would build levees,
whether needed for protection or not.