New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-04

clusively to the greater volume OF water Pc
the banks. And we are going 10 get sun mo- . .
water there before we get through: When we 90 90
get THROUGH though the hghwater Inn ,s wi i iS
the case of the Po that the Concentration q the
Of es Tf
Is now settled beyond dispute
UNLIKE THE RIVER NILE
But. Major are not occasional overnows GOOD
thing for the adjacent country! Is 1t not so along
the Nile? What would be the effect II the ievees
were left In their present condition. as some very
excellent people adviser
well In the first place. when we get an Overflow
we are likely to get altogether too much water.
Neither corn cotton will stand inundatfon ior
more than day. The flood water drains o" so
slowly into the Yazoo and other natural streams
that our plantations often submerged Tor weeks
at a time This Of course. ruins the crop II we
could control the water, as they do In Egypt win
a system Of canals and vast basins, II would be
different matter. But you must remember that the
Nile does not rise above Its banks. The banks ere
by ADMIT hs waer to the irrigation
TEN at the right stage; and the water Is kept Il"
In the next place the Nile has no tributaries IKE
the Ohio, Tennessee. Cumberland ana missouri n
WAYS comes at the right season. and the Egyptians
can count on 1t with precision Inc ceremony 6 ~,
s oh ahe Samd he be Of
Misssspps tributaries in different seasons hes
tween March and June We cannot regulate tbs ms;
There hundreds OF square miles Oh NV
tom lands that can be made to yield large crops,
II only protection from these watery lnvaslons &c
guaranteed Occasionally people living on high
ground out of danger. protest against district'
State and National taxes In aid OF the ieVee sys-
TENS but 95 per cent of the inhabitants OF the
broad regions really affected are advocates OF H.
Are the deposits left by overfiows benefc'ai or
otherwise?" ia. a T.,
IF a lcvee bursts. and there is a swift flow IN
water that coats the surface. and does more harm
than good But the silt brought In with a gentie
overflow has fertiliziag qualities But as nave
iust pointed out, a natural overflow Is ikey 70 pe
excessive and we can't insure It's coming just wnen
we want II. fear, therefore, that we snai nave 70
stick TO our levees If these bottom lands are to be
occupied and cultivated as they ought to b.
sIPHONS FOR IRRIGATION
In this connection the suggestion has been onered
that great siphons might be used to carry water
over the levees from the river TO the bottom ands
for PURPOSES Of irrigation These having been fed
from the top Of the bend, would work continuously
for weeks without the aid OF pumps The no"
could be controlled by suitable valves Huhoreds,
even thousands Of these might be constructor
along the stream at a very moderate cost, and APP
narentlv with the most beneficial results. Inc
srrculi,rists Of the lower Mississippi Naiey couio
then have their water as do the Egyptians eHactIy
when and where they wanted it. II the engineers
ond State authorities Of the Southwest nave hot
already considered this scheme II might De wise 10
do so 1t does not properly come within the scorV
of the Mississippi River Commssions work 10 t eH
pertinent with such slphons Inc p'"'i'@'" " Wv
ones 20 make the test