The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-27
Control of the mississippi.

1t is evident that the Mississippi river
commission, Notwithstanding the fact that
It has spent many millions of dollars on
the Mississippi river improvement, has not
yet succeeded in controlling the river.
How much damage the present floods will
do the government work before it sub
sides cannot, of course be estimated with
any degree of accuracy, but IL Is pretty
safe to say that nearly all the Ievees which
the government has built will be destroy
ed A very large part of them has been
swept away already. and others are
crumbling into the swift moving current
daily, and are being carried toward the
gulf
The problem of the control OF the mighty
river remains unsolyed, and 1t is a ques-
ton whether 1t win ever be solved. The
river commission has done vast amount
of work. but the floods which come in ex-
traordinary volume, at periods varying
from three to five years, Destroy much of
what the commission does in the way of
Improvement
Doubts as to whether the commission is
working upon a correct theory have been
expressed. Such doubts are natural. The
aim of the commission is to deepen the
rivers channel and protect the adjacent
lands from overflow, but with every flood
the channel is changed and the levees
are swept away, thus exposing the lands
to the food.
II, we are not mistaken the late James
B. Eads, who constructed the jetties at
~ ~. 4.
for the control of the river. 1t was that
IL the river were Strengthened. making the
distance between st. Louis and New Or
leans by water many miles less than il
is. the current would be so much accel-
Grated that a channel would be cut so
deep that the river would not only ac-
commodate the floods, but there would be
no need for Ievees. The lowlands would
become highlands and all the great
swamps along the river would become
dry.
The river commission is working upon
this theory In a modified form. 1t is max
ing cut-offs here and there, and is trying
to deepen the river by combining. the wa
ter in the river by means of levees. The
cut-offs the commission makes. however.
are so slight that they have no practicable
effect in increasing the velocity of the cur
rent.
The charge is made that the money APP
proPriated by the government Is not al
ways spent 20 the best advantage. that
levees are built. through political inlu-
ence. more for the protection OF certain
territory than for the advancement of the
river improvement. The commission Is
not responsible for this condition OF af-
fairs, assuming that the charge Is true
but Il indicates how favorltism may Sc
riously interfere with the greatest public
undertakings and prevent them from be-
ing successful
What the loss by the present flood will
be cannot be approximately estimated. II
viii include many lives ana many mill
ions OF dollars worth of property. And
the channel of the river may he so chang
ed that towns that were on the river
banks when the flood began may be a
mile or more inland when the flood sub
sides. Nicksburg was once the river bank
but 1t Is now three miles from II and
Groenville has been forced back two miles
In order 10 avoid destruction.
The Kentucky senatorial fight drags
along without the least bic Of snap or gin
ger IN Il. The gaiety OF the nation was