Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-13

making great shipping point on the Mis-
sissippi river at all times; In seasons,
when the great stream is a terror In its
| might. as well as when its channel is
shifting as the sands which its currents
drive In their ceascless flow to the ocean.
The canal will make the Yazoo river a
navigable stream at all stages of water,
for hundreds Of miles, and will thus be
OF incalculable advantage to thousands
| of people who have no other means OF
sending their products to market. or get
ting supplies. 1t will result in the rapid
| settlement OF thousands of acres Of lands
all over the eastern side of the great delta.
1t will be asked why the diversion of the
current will do all this. 1t must be un-
dcrstood that the present mouths OF the
Yazoo are so shallow, in low water, as to
make II impossible for boats 70 enter that
i stream when there Is plenty OF water for
hundreds Of miles up for good boating.
This will be remedied by the canal. The
canal will enter the main stream at
I point where the waters of the Mississippi
will make very slight deposit. and q
| small sum which will be required to keep
1t out OF the way will be a mere pittance.
| 1t will make q harbor for Vicksburg at
! all times. The outflow OF the Yazoo, even
| In low water, is sufficient to keep open
channel in front of the city sufficiently
| large to admit the largest steamboats,,
and will flow sufficiently rapidly to solve
| the problem Of sewage and health which
has perplexed the health authorities for
some years. 1t will be of interest to know
| that the sewerage system OF the city was
constructed in the early 70's, when the
water from twenty-eight States flowed
by our shores. Within a few years af-
terward the rapid current was turned into
| a stagnant pool in front of the city. This
condition results from the '.cut off," OF
which mention has been made.
A glance at the .'scene in the harbor be-
fore the cut off, will show the once great
Importance OF this city as shipping
point Vicksburg sees in its visions great
steamboats,, finding crowded landing
place with difficulty, for the discharge OF
thousands of tons Of cargo and hundreds
of passengers. That dream will be fulfill
ed when the canal which is now almost
certainty will be completed; when the
Sunfiower, the Tallahatchie, the Yalo-
busha and the Yazoo shall pour their wat
ers through this great artificial river.
The canal, while work OF vast impor-
tance, will be completed for less money
than any work OF that size has e>en been
accomplished in this country. The fact
that the canal simply puts back the chan
mel to where it was in years gone by Is
powerful aid in this great work The
canal, following the dotted line in the
| map, will be 9.31 miles from the main
stream of the Yazoo to the place where it
will join the Mississippi OF this dis
lance Old river will furnish deep chan
mel already dug 2.T5 miles. Lake Ccnten-
NAL 1.56 miles, while the harbor itself is
2.O3 miles in length. The harbor canal,
which has been kept open by the Gov
eminent, will require very little, if any,
dredging to accommodate the greater vol-
ume of water which will pass through it,
This leaves an actual cut of 297 miles
to be excavated. The average depth Of
the cut to be made is only n few feet, as
the land through which the canal will run
is for the most part low swamp At the
upper end there is high ridge on the
bank of Old river about half n mile wide
sloping back to the low lands bordering
on Barnett lake. This ridge has been cut
down so that at the stage Of water known
as danger line boats Of light draught could
pass into the canal. At the lower end
there is similar ridge on the banks OF
Lake Centennial. which has also been ex-
cavated, and with very small rise there
will be little difficulty in going through
the canal.
The amount Of material that will have
to be handled including the work already
done, is immense. The Government has
had to purchase 1.13j acres of land. or
this it has actually cleared for the dredge
and scraper 106 acres. 1t has blasted
6,I76 mighty stumps. for which there has
been required 81 800 pounds Of dynamite,
81 so pounds of Judson powder and o.
562 fuses. The, canal will require the re-
moval Of $3.50, 900 cubic yards of earth to
allow the necessary volume of water to
pass through. In addition to this there
will be necessary the construction of a
dam at the opening or the upper end Of
Lake Centennial to prevent the water
from flowing ont by that route. This dam
will require 2,070.0OO cubic yards of
earth. To prevent the dissipation OF the
water Of the canal over the low lands
through which it will pass, levees will
have to be constructed on each side,
which will require 100000 cubic yards OF
earth. This will make grand total OF
nearly 1O,OOO.OO0 yards Of earth. At 10c
per cubic yard this will cost about 81, 0OO,-
900. Capt. Willard is Of the opinion that
the work can be done for very much less
than this in many places. although as an
average that will be about the correct
figure. The work remaining to be done in
the way of excavation will be by dredgcs
of the latest and most improved makes.
There is no stone in the way Of the work,
and it is estimated that the most success
full work ever done by these monster ma
chimes will be done on this canal.
The,entire- cost will not quite equal ST.
2g,O, OO0, Of which $40, 900 has been spent
or is ready for use. In the river and har-
bor bill which has just passed the House
an item Of $500, 900 for the completion Of
this work is included. 1t is almost GER
tain that this sum will be available with
in q very few months, and by the LIST Of
January, 1898, the world will see the ac-
complishment Of one Of the greatest pieces
OF engineering Of modern times. Vicks-
| burg will regain its former prestige as
great inland port and harbor. and a
| mighty empire be opened to the immi-
grant from the crowded cities Of Europe
| and the East.
Power from the Waves.
| rAs ow,o,.; N, ants with tho GorJo oh