The National tribune., 1897-04-15
IMPROVING .'FHE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Now There viii be a Revival of the
time Earnes lpiscussions OF
Ways ard Mell8 \ Of Preventing
the Destructive 0Hshows.

The unprecedented Hood In the MISSISSIPPI
Valley. with its enormous obstruction OF prop
erty. its widespread injury to business OF all
kinds, and very considerable loss OF life, IS
National calamity of the most serious kind
As it may greatly cnrtail the cotton crop Tor
this year, the actual destruction Of property
and damage to business may approach In
amount that caused by the Chicago and Boston
fires, while the misery to people will be ever,
greater.
This calamity is sure to revive, in all their
carnestness, the old-time strife among the diff
ferent schools Of advocates of plans to improve
the river and prevent tho recurrence OF these
periodical catastrophes.
This is, beyond all question the greatest
physical problem ever presented to any people.
Building railroads, digging canals, erecting
bridges, driving tunnels, and other Wanted
achievements of engineering are all plgmy
achievements compared with the management
of the great sea of water which every Winter
falls upon and is gathered from nearly two
thirds of the area of the country, and must
be conveyed to the Gulf of Mexico.
AS we have explained before, it is necessary
in order to understand the Mississippi problem
to remember that once there was long arm OF
the sea extending from the Gulf Of Mexico up
into Illinois, possibly two. thirds of the distance
to the northern border of the State This sea
was from SO to $50 miles wide, and bounded on
either side by ranges Of hills. BoriDgs indicate
that it was probably about 13l feet deep on an
average, for it is at that depth that the hard,
blue clay is found In the course of the ages
this great trough was filed up by the earth
carried down by the rapid streams pouring into
it. To-day the Mississippi carries into the Gulf
every year enough earth to make mass one
mile square and 263 feet nigh. This makes the
sitting up process readily understood. Nowhere
is the level Of the land in this old sea-bed very
much above the ordinary stage of water. AS
the bed filled up the water wandered back and
forth through it, swinging from the hills on
one side to those on the other, and turning aud
changing in its course wherever it met with
any resistance. For some reason it was thrown
clear over to the Missouri hills, between ST.
Louis and Cairo, and leaves nearly the whole Of
its bottoms" in Illinois After the channel
was marked ont the banks would rise slowly
through the centuries. because they would be
covered with vegetation, which wonld arrest
tho current at great floods and cause the water
TO deposit more silt on the banks. But these
banks are never permanent. Being composed
of light, friable soil. any trjfing cause will set
the current to washing them away and deposit
ing their earth some place else.
The river is about 4. 40 feet wide from Cairo
to near the mouth of the Red River, where it
narrows down to 1900, and at New Orleans it
narrows still more. to'e;,5bo feet. The usual
depth is from as to 100 feet. bpt at intervals
the river will tear away its banks aud spread
out until there may not be more than q foot Of
| water anywhere in its channel These shoals
are terrible interference with navigation, and
| make plotting on the Mississippi one of the
highest of arts.
Though the soil is the most fertile in the
| world, not more than one-teDth Of it is Guilt
waited, ON account of the danger of overflow.
1t will be seen, therefore, that any scheme by
| which the floods could be controlled would be
worth untold millions to the country, since II
| would give Us possession of millions OF square
| miles of unsurpassed farming lands.
| With the first settlement of the Valley came
| the natural attempt to protect the lands by
| entertainments or "leyees." These developed
| from individual efforts to comprehensive sys
TENS under tho authority of the States, and
| have Increased until now they measure abou
1000 miles in length, and have cost al over
| wbelmipg amount of money.
Now appears radical differences of opinion a
to what is best to do to reclaim all this valuabl,
land. prevent overHows aud improve nayiga
| ton.
4 Al. T.: Al.
the thing to do is to go on building embank
ments but making them high enough, str0nl
enough, and continuous enough to resist an.
food. They say that this is . work of such mag
nitude, and SO widespread in its benefits that
should be taken out of the hands Of the State
| and private owners, and given into those Q
tho General Government, which alone ha
adequate money and power FOR 1t. They ais
insist that by raising and strengthening til
banks the water will be confined so that it wi
deepen its channel by securing until there wi
DO su flicient depth everywhere and at 3
, times for navigation. The levee advocates hav
| the numbers intelligence, and strength Of
| great political party.
Against them is agrayed party of correspon.
! ing strength and intelligence, which insis
that the levee system is a dangerous and e.
pensiye makeshift. They claim that IL
channel does not scour out, bnt on the col
trary, the bed of the river rises as fast
the banks are raised. thus compelling Q
endless raising Of the levees, at cost Il
crcasing in geometrical proportion, and co
+ responding increase of danger when the breal
: occur. They instance in support of thisvie
f the River Pc, in Italy, which has been leve'
e for over 2,O0O years. The bed of the river b
o as constantly risen until now the surface
e the water at ordinary stages is from Is to
< feet above the surface of the country. and pr
!, = sengers on boats are able to look down upon +
roofs of the houses in the towns. Every Il
years the banks give way to great floods, a,
the loss of life aud property is appalling. L
same is true, in still larger way. of the Yell,
d River in China. which destroys millions Of Iii,
y in its overfows. They also say that if 8.
~ tenn of levees is entered upon it will have
extend to all the tributaries of the Mississip
- which would cost beyond any computation.
Some of these claim that the most feasi1
d plan is to construct great straight canal FIR,
,e Cairo to New Orleans, sufficient to carry off 1
J. floods. They say that while it isnow about L.
ID miles from the mouth Of the Ohio to the he
t. of the Passes, following the course of the riv
in the straight line the distance is only abb
l. 500 miles. The average velocity of the Miss
an eippi current is about 81 miles an hour. If