The National tribune., 1897-04-15

tlmeS tney cOuiu DC maoe W cAfTy ou Poisio"
of the surplus water. II would be easy, for
example, to divert the water coming down
the Red River into streams which head near 1t
and run into the Gulf This plan was strongly
opposed ON the ground that such diversion
would increase the sitting up Of tho bed OF the
Mississippi and particularly those OF its outlets
into the Gulf, and would result in making New
Orleans inaccessible by ships of any size.
The success of the Eads jetty system in
securing out the Passes and giving deep
channel through the delta to New Orleans has
stimulated the application of somewhat SINH
lar system to the river itself
In 1850 Congress passed law constituting
the +" Mississippi River Commission" which
was to undertake the work Of making navi.
gable channel Of not less than nine feet deep
and $50 feet wide at low water from Cairo to
New Orleans. This Commission has been at
work ever since and has made very much
progress in the way of improving the naviga-
tion, and also much toward protecting the
country from ordinary floods. but apparently
has accomplished little against extraordi-
nary ones. It's method Of procedure embraces
all the different ideas. 1t has built. an extern
sive system of leyees to confne the floods and
make them scour out channels. 1t has pro-
NOTED the strengthening of the rivers course
by encouraging natural cut-ofIs, by arranging
the levees SO as to throw the floods in the d.
rection of making such cut-offs by building
dams across wandering chutes so as to throw
the water into the main channel and by revet-
ing the banks where the current was eating in
and threatening a new departure from the
course in which it should 60. Apd it has
built and worked enormous dredges to cut and
maintain channels through the bars which are
constantly forming. This seems about as hope
full part of the work as any. By keeping
channels open through the bars the water is
encouraged to pursue direct course aud re-
frain from eating out the banks. Conse-
quently. the Commission is continually in
creasing the number and strength of the
dredges and are building some of phenomenal
size.
The management Of the banks presents I'M
usual difficulties. The soft, alluvial soil has
no tenacity. 1t can hardly be made to resist
the erosion of the water. 1t is so deep down
to hard-pan that foundation can be found
for permanent walls of more enduring ma
terials. The water is constantly liable to
burrow under anything that can be placed
across its course-even piling. The course
followed by the Commission has been to
lay foundation OF brush, upon which i'm
mense weights of stone were piled. If this
were done at the right angle to the current
the river itself would at once begin helping
in the work by depositing silt and forming a
bank. Banks that were being eaten into
were protected in the same way. Above low
water they were covered with brush. mating,
staked or weighted down. Willows were
planted to assist with their roots in retain
Ing the surface, and to catch silt when the
water rose. The levees have been built on an
average of about three feet above the surface
of the highest preceding foods, their slopes
made very gentle Il to 3. or even greater),
and covered with thick growth Of the tsna-
| cious Bermuda grass.
Up to June 80. 1895. the Commission had
expended in this work $29. $50, 699.20, and the
appropriation for the present fiscal year il
| S., $50, 1893.
| In all probability the whole subject will be
brought up before the present Congress and
thoroughly reviewed, upon an urgent demand
| from the people of the whole Mississippi Val.
| ley. for q grand, comprehensive system which
will give adequate protection against such ter
| rible calamities in the future.