Graham guardian., 1897-11-19
The Mlss,ss,ppl Ri,or Problem.


In the November number or the
Fofam the methods of affording re-
lief from foods in the Mississippi
valley are examined by the Hon.
Robert Stewart Taylor, a member
of the Mississippi River Conmls-
sion, and by Mr.. Gnstave Dyes. a
civil engineer, who has had an ex-
tended professional experience in
nearly every state and Territory
west of the Mississippi. Both
writers discuss the interesting ques-
ton with fullness ofknowledgo and
acumen, but they arrive at very
different conclusions.
Mr.. Taylor holds that the great
flood in the Mississippi RIVER,
which attracted aud stirred the
sympathies Of the people Of the
United States few months ago,
has demonstrated the practlcal ef
iciency of levee system. 1t has
undoubtedly disclosed shortcom-
ings IN the present structures, but
it has also shown where and how
they are to be remedied 1t what
was saved by the levees be COM
pared with what would have been
lost without them, their utility is
placed in Mr.. Taylor's Judgement,
beyond question. He insists that
the protection which they afforded
against this single food was worth,
many times over, the entire cost Of
the system as it stands to-day.
Mr.. Dyes, on the other hand, is
an advocate of dredging, consider
ed as a substitute for levees. He
maintains that outlets in any form
are inadmissiblc for permanent re-
lief from flood volumes IN the Mis-
sissippI river. CrossJetties or
spur dykes should be avoided, he
thinks, as producing irregularity
IN the flow Of currents. and there
by destroying harmony of energy.
The general plan of transforming
the river into caral by reyetting
the embankments from Cairo TO
the passes is pronounced imprac-
ticable, on account Of the length of
time required to accomplish such a
project, the unavoidable distress it
inflicts upon the lower sections,
while the upper ones are placed
under control, the great primary
cost of construction, and the per-
petual heavy charge for mainten-
ance. The system of dredging, on
the contrary, is commended as
cooperative measure, in harmony
with the natural laws which con
troi the great drainage arteries
through alluvion; and the convic-
ton is expressed that the results
so far attained justify the construc.
tlon of a dredging plant of sufIici-
ent magnitude to meet the require
merits of the situation. Mr.. Dyes's
belief is chat If the shoal places
were dredged to width of Eve
hundred feet by a depth Of four or
five feet through the thlrty-fve or
forty miles which now obstruct
navigation between Caro- and the
mouth of the Red River, per-
manent channel would result there
from in which the high aud low
water paths would coincide. He
believes, also, that the diminishing
slOap for all stages of the river
would gradually adjust itself; that
the energy required to preserve
and improve the channel would be
sustained, and the fiood-surface be
lowered from year to year, and
that ultimately the entire volume
Of water would be discharged be-
tween the natural embankments,
without overflow, and in less than
one-half the time required to com
plete the jetty system.
We need not dwell upon the
timeliness of this discussion, for it
is well known that Congress at its
coming session will be called upon
to decide between the leyee and