Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-02

Would Reclaim Nearly $4,000
Square Miles OF Land.
Its Advocates Delighted With
Their Prospects

OF Securing the $40, 900, 600 Approprla-
tion-The states Cannot Construct a
Levee system-It is Vast and DTeri-
torious Undertaking Which Only the
Government Can Garry Out.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2.-Neyer before
have the gentlemen who have for so
long been coutending for an appropria-
ton sufficient to pay for complete
levee system for the Mississippi river
been as sanguine of obtaining what they
have zealously labored for. 1t appears
to them that they will at least secure an
appropriation of S10,000,000 with which
to have the system completed and they
are consequently in high feather.
They present as one Of their arguments
that the construction Of the levees will
make available for settlement and culti-
walton an area, now unpToductlve, equal
to that of the state of Indiana, and that
the annual production of the country
will be increased by some $3.50, ,000, 600
The states themselves cannot con-
struct levee system. For one thing
they have not the jurisdiction to use the
means necessary 1t is stated by ex-
perts that rs per cent. of the cost of
levee construction since 1880 has been
expended in the replacement Of levees
destroyed by caving banks.
From this it is evident that a perma-
nent and secure system of leyees can not
be had until means be devised for the
preventi&u 9f caviug; and this can only
be done T. teaching the cause and apply
ing the rd9edy there.
Thestatements of the officers who have
been for Years in charge Of the works on
the river is that this caying is caused by
changes and disturbances in the current
and channel of the stream. A cave or
cutoff, which accelerates the current
and interferes with the regimen of the
river, creates disturbances below and
above to an unknown extent
A cave at one point creates one at an
other. this result continuing until the
river has recovered its normal slope and
velocity. lti is evident, therefore, that
while states and municipalities may
build levees they canndt lie protected
from destruction by caylng banks be-
cause the jurisdl dlction Of the state does
not extend tc the control Of the channel
of the riyer, and the cause~Qf caying is
often it. beyond the limits Of the state
affected
The fundamental defect in the present
system of levee building is that the
levees have not been designed and con-
structed ON engineering principles This
is the testimony of experts III such mat
tars. The great desideratum has been
to pile up as much dirt as possible in the
cheapest possible way so as to cover the
greatest extent of territory with the
highest bank of earth obtainable with
the means at hand. This procedure has
prevented such treatment of the fOunda-
lions as the character and service of the
levees demanded, and it is to this that
much of their failure to resist flood
pressure is attributed.
1t is well understood that the only way
to secure a complete and well-construct-
ed levee system for the Mississippi is for
the Federal government to build it.
Congress seems to be IN the right mood
to undertake the construction and the
levee people are consequently happy. 1t
means very much for those living near
the southern portion of the great river,
but it also means much to all who are
at all concerned in the maintenance of
water transportation route to the
south.