The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06
THE MISSISSIPPI.
AND THE MISCHIEF 1T MAKES.
Some Important Observations from ono or the
Most Competent Critica or the Dny-Tho
Lines upou which y Great and PerpieN-
ing EnnInNerInE Probletn May he eolved.

Most Competent Critica OF the Dny-Thc
Lines Upon which n Great and Perpiex-
iuE EnrlneerinE Problem May ne solved.
To THE EDITOR OF THE = THE Sun Of
May 80 contained an anonymous article In de-
fence of the levee system from which the writer
is compelled to dissent. With no personal In
terest in the question whatever he must protest
against n system which in the opinion Of com.
pctent and practical engineers will cause great
destruction OF life and property, and newt
ably. IL persisted In, render tho lower Nils
sisslppi Valley uninhabitable and cause tho
Abandonment OF the plantations.
The opinion of the writer, as set forth In the
Sunday issue OF THE Sun OF May %, is that no
single system yet Representatives, the levec.
tho outlet, the revetment, or the jetty-win solve
the problem; but there must be O combination
OF all, intelligcntly applied to existing conditions
by skilful engineers after careful study OF To-
~calitics; but moro efficient than any. and ono
that has been apparently overlooked, Is a sys-
tenn, not Of low water outlets, but of high water
waste weirs, that will have no influence upon
the ordinary navigable stage. but will relieve
the excess in food and prevent creyasses by sub
shutting permanent facilities for discharge.
This principle has been universally recognized
In the construction Of canals. When, in time OF
excessive rains, tho feeders of the summit levels
bring in sufficient water to endanger the banks
uilu thubC miniotNI OiVNaSooo, ONOhy
who understands his business will provide waste
wcirs. over which the water pours whom 1t has
reached a certain level and is discharged by tho
natural water courses OF the country.
That a principle 80 well known and so con-
stantly applied in canal engineering should not
have been recognized and utilized In tho I'M
provement and protection Of the Mississippi Val
ley is beyond comprehension. Nothing has ever
been suggested that can compare in efficiency
IN 1900. -.Al -.tA - ,.-a.N atR
There are n number Of points where a large por-
ton Of the food waters Of the Mississippi could
be turned into the Atchafalaya and other SEQ
ondary streams, and discharged by short cuts
into tho Gulf. II tho ridges west of the st. Fran
els and east of the Yazoo were not too high TO
be cut through by a reasonable expenditure OF
capital, an immense volume Of the flood waters
could be diverted into streams which have not
half tho distance to the Gulf, and by increased
slope would give q more rapid discharge.
1t may be suggested that oven a cut Of con-
siderable depth, 10 secure q connection with a
secondary stream. might not DO beyond the
limits Of reasonable expenditure. As the ma
terial IS entirely alluvial. a stream. small at
first, would soon enlarge itself. and would do the
work Of transportation in effecting such en-
largcment.
Col. C. p. Goodyear has demonstrated that
dynamite can be used as a most effective agent
| " oet al iuhitliCo "a wv
way he has Increased tho depth Of water on the
with an expenditure OF capital only about one.
tenth OF that usually required, and no good
be used in the enlargement Of rivers as well as OF
ocean channels. The velocity OF flow In tho out
N them the material thrown sTa in would be carried 70
the mouths, OF the secondary streams. which
streams sts might in many cases be s tnns Snsda ana ING
by cutting of some OF the horseshoe bends.
The reader is referred TO the article of May 20
for IA more detailed explanation OF the proposed
Your correspondent Of May 80 is an advocate
OF, continuous levees. but the arguments by
fa!lasio 1s '1 They viii Ii Se fS%EthsSft ocns i8sssdi %
lower VI rs M iissRsh dnh have s'R been str stsen 5stSes th sey
have not broken, and the conclusion reached is
strength crevasses would be impossible. This il
a great mistake and may lead to most serious
SSens sinSiS ssoa uss III, f,,U %ssk ieye ones we seve eR MsS.
There must be relief somewhere, and this is so
well understood that i the strong lev . must ~
opposite side Of the river from cutting them TO
provide an outlet for discharge and thus pro.
tccting their W property at the expense OF
their neighbors..
writer procured and read hundreds OF pages of
reports. testimony, argument. and discussions.
truth. The facts disclosed are at variance with
the statement OF your &C., iSorfrs ad on lem Of May so so;
not been rising; that, on the contrary. the bed
Of the river has been deepening and the area Of
discharge increasing; SO thS' tn. the h heiFht Of foods
to fact. There is q scour in portions OF the river
In times OF flood, but 1t IL not continuous. The
tendency is TO dig holes and form shoals. In
narrow places, with leyees or high banks, q seopl
material will be quickly deposited when an en-
larged cross section is reached. II the river were
straight, the cross section uniform. the velocity
and The volume constant, conditions would b
widely different. and theories which apply te
such assumed and impossible conditions do moi
nt the extreme variations that actually exist.
1t is an established fact that an immense mas!
Of material is brought into the Mississippi by tn
reach the DUH What becomes Of the remaindei
I and, of the additional mass abraded from III.
!, banks by the action of the currents With fret
T overtiows a large portion OF this material would
form deposits upon the swamps and low lands
and strength to control tho floods the only plac,
. OF deposit would be the bed of the river. and e
bed to rise would be contrary to fact and Il
common sense.
: the mouth Of the Ohio to the passesa at the jetties
, then the level at the commencement OF the de
t the Subsequent rise from deposits has been NOR,
l than 800 feet, not only in the bed Of the stream
: but over hundreds GO Of square SSsIe d miles q area tSs UNIT.
{ brought into, the Mississippi in time Of fioo'
from tho tributaries oyerfows upon the low
: lands, whore there are no levees, and after de
posting Its burden OF earthly material, finds III
, way 10 the Gulf through the swamps and sec
: ondary channels, and to that extent relieves tn
main stream, so that authorities assert that tn,
flow at Lake Providence, New Orleans, and tn,
: lower Mississippi generally Is only about one
a half OF the volume that II would be necessar
for the river To discharge II loyees were built 8
high, strong, and continuous as to prevent an
, overflow.
In the consideration OF the Mississippi prot
a lem some facts must be borne In mind. .
In the ordinary stage of water tho fall is sal
to he 8 inches per mile from Cairo to Memphis.
$ inches from Memphis 10 Vicksburg, 3ia lnche
From, Vipk ulprv IN tha nnuth nf the Red RivnI
y . inches from the mouth Of Red River to New o.
leans, and only l inch or loss from New orlean
TO the Gulf.
n The material carried into the Gulf Is so fin
that II a quart Of the water be placed in a glas
jar and set away to settle 1t requires ten days 10
the water to become clear, and yet the quantit
OF this material carried into the Gull is so emo
o nous that since 1898 the MI ten miles out frot
the passes has been $50 feet, witch, at the sam
= rate continued. 1t has been estimated woul
carry II to the surface in eighteen years.
In the face OF these facts Is II safe to assunl
l. that, with any possible expenditure OF capita