The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-06-03
The River Problem.

the mouth Of the Mississippi river Dr.
George III. Ticlfenor delivered the APP
pended remarks:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen OF the
Chamber OF Commerce:
We present to the world to-day the
stupid spectacle Of the people who
have deliberately choked the discharge
of a mighty river 1850 miles in length
and confined its outgoing TO an outlet
(the ietties) witha comparative dis
charge capacity of boys squirt gun,
and men wonder how the vast quantity
of mud and sand borne by this mighty
stream is filing and raising the bed of
the river. True it is that our scientific
friends who control the Levee Commits
sion, and the expenditures of the mil
lions annually voted for the river,
boldly declare that this is simply a de-
lusion; and SO they 60 on building
levees higher and higher every year 60
demonstrate the correctness OF their
theory and the perpetuation of their oc-
cupationsl Science hath its bubbles
as the water hatb.and this is of them. z
Will our poor deluaed people never
learn that science has its false prophets
as we'll as religion, and that when we
give up our right of private Judgment
and submit ourselves to the dictation
of few mediocrafies who have labeled
themselves scientists. it is q clear case
of the blind leading the Sind and
plunging into the ditch with the inevi-
table result.
There never was time when Louis
lana so needed a strong able man;
strong enough to be able to rise above
cliques and combinations, never mind
how strongly entrenched. ard who
seeking only the general good would
demand Of the scientific Leyee Com
mission that it submitted its assured
facts to the test of experiment. That
it allow proof or disproof as to the
constant rise of the bed of the river.
under their bungling and stupid all
lleyee theory. Toreject combining out
lets with the levee system in the State
of Louisiana, is to admit to the world
that w are scientifically hvpnotized
and held spell bound by our levee all
{. vocates from one season to the next.
| The poor pianter in the valley, how
/ does his account stand with his mcr-
chant in the city? Compare accounts
with the year of 1870 UP to 1898, going,
! going, almost gone.
i Why should we of the State ofLouis-
lana object to quickly passing the vtsi
volume of water that annually de-
cends to the gulf? Is there a man
among us that disputes our ability te
do thisP We not only pass the water
b. Increasing the discharge in less
! TIME, but think of the millions OF dol.
lars saved to the State BY reducing the
annual strain upon our levees by short
ening the period Of pressure. At tht
s same time the water remaining Oh til
natural banks for a less period they
would not be dissolved and slide int1
midstreaD. as i the case now from
Z water standing for months every year
When the drainage is combined Will
our leyee system, then wecan proclaim
to the world in the language of one o
II our grandest knights flour waterway;
in a speech delivered in Baton Rouge
Trim up your levees; place Rosett'
gravel or asphalt on top of same. ans
Il give to the ladies . promenade wall
, and drive, With outlets your levee
would be permanent, less cavins
banks aud fewer changes in our leve
lines
: Captain Eads, in his report. advise,
the closing of the Atchafafalaya b.
placing sills or dams across tn
, stream, so as to stop it from enlargin!
and to force gradually the waters Q
the Rcd into the Mississippi river
, The reasons assigned for SO deing wa
t that when Red river empted its entir
volume of water into the Mississippi
river we had higher banks, that til
bottom was cut aud by the additiona
flow of water from the Red river, max
ing the Impression OF the mind Q
J thousands of inhabitants of the vale
that if we would force the Red rive
, into the Mississippi river again. tn
cbannel. would be improved by doinI
SO.
: Now, did Captain Eads lose sight Q
/ the fact that when Red river was pour
ing its entire volume of water into til
: Mississippi river that all outlets wei'
5 wide open, giving free and rapid dis
charge of water to the gulfp Did h
forget the fact that $5,000,000 wort
, of distractions had been placed at til
, passes for the benefit of New Orleans
Did he suppose, or his associates, tina
every body would close their eyes an
l refuse to look back and remind th
| present generation why it was that III
: Mississippi river could carry to th
gulf its own water and that Of Re
) river and It's tributaries?
: Yes, turn the Red into the Mississir
pi river with all the natural cutie;
closed by levees, and the mouth of th
river damned up, what spectacle wi
t be presented to our once happy and IL
, dependent people What man capabl
of finding any calling in life could ca
all this rot filing, Was it outlets thu
gave the Mississippi river the dee
channel that Capt Eads referred
I when Red river emptied into the Nil
sissippi river! (Outlets in those day
drew the water off from the bottom {
$ the river as well as from the top.
Every outlet carried its portion of mu
: To onr marshes and the low lands an