The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-04-23
CONTROLLING THE MlSSiS-
SiPPl.
A Sugge stion for Feature in the War
Exhibit at the ST. Louis Exposition
An Interesting Precedent.

War and Navy Departments on the dov-
eminent Board that as yet the plan OF
their exhibits at the St. Louis Exposition
have not been materially changed from
those shown at Buffalo, and at other
places. In enumerating the features to
be included in the exhibit OF the War De-
partment mention was made OF the large
and, | assume, somewhat expensive, eX-
hibit Of the Mississippi River levee sys-
TEN. As an exposition expert, am go
ing to presume to make suggestion to
the War Department about this particu-
lar feature of the exhibit. The present
status Of the great Father of Waters
that plOughs his irregular course through
greater part of the territory included
in the Louisiana Purchase, proves the
leyee system to be a failure. \ better
system is in successful operationin Egypt
Recently made trip up the Nile as
far as the first cataract. For centuries,
the Nile had levees When the Romans
conquered Egypt, anyone who injured
one Of the dykes which held this mighty
river in check, was exiled to an oasis Ill
the desert for life. Now, you only see
traces OF these levees. along the shifting
shores OF this mighty and mysterious
river. The English have hit upon Il feas-
ible plan to control its overflow by build
ing an immense dam and reservoir at
AssOusan just above the first cataract.
Nirginian, Colonel Alfred LandOn Rives,
| OF Castle Hill, the engineer whose first
notable work was on the Aqueduct
Bridge at Cabin Johns, was offered the
superintendency of the great Nile dam by
the British Government. lie declined 1t,
probably on account of failing health.
| hn inI 70 he, RIt ba
| Nile dam is finished and was inaugurated
| last January with imposing ceremonies.
| The overflow OF the Nile is not unlike
that of our own Mississippi. In the
spring when the SHOWS on the Abyssinian
mountains melt the tributaries of the
| Nile, the blue Nile, the Sobat and the
| Atbara rivers overflow and pourint the
white Nile immense volumes OF water
| The reservoir to contain this vast over
| flow is now being built. The dam at
| Assouan to check it is IN fat accOmDH.
| About year ago, | walked across it. 1t
| is a pronounced success. Two million
waste acres Of land in the fertile Nile Val
! ley will be reclaimed by ii. The dam cost
| @ 900 900 or SO, 900 900. The reSer-
voir will cost as much. My suggestion
to the War Department is that, instead
of the old Mississippi levee exhibit which
| we all have been looking at askance for
nearly two decades be discarded and the
engineer officers on the Mississippi River
| Commission be instructed to make new
model showing how and where we might
build a dam, IL reservoir, and above all,
deepen the channel OF the river. | should
have mentioned above that | saw dredge
boats on the Nile, deepening the channel
| Egyptians, Romans, Greeks. French and
English experimental in vain with this
mighty Eastern Father of Waters. the
White Nile. No less Il person than Ma
poleOn BOnaparte saw at Il glance the
ACCESSIBILITY of q Nile dam and reservoir
This statement can be proved by docu-
ments now in the Bibliotheque Rationale
Paris Perhaps if he had landed at New
Orleans as NJ. Girot and other French
and Americans desired he should do. his
overpOWerlng genius would have seen
the necessity OF Il similar plan to hold in
check the resistless force of the great wa.
terway of the Louisiana Purchase Terri
tory! Who knows?
The feasibility OF the plan can be deter.
mined at st. Louis by the engineers in
the War Department who have charge OF
the exhibit. One thing is certain \ great
deal of waste land would be reclaimed
enough to pay for the cost of the dam
and reservoir. The cost of the Imperfect
leyee system is immense. 1t would be
most appropriate to exploit the project
at the st. Louis Exposition. Just now
the question OfcOntrolling the Mississippi
is OF vital Importance. This time next
year the situation may be the same OF
worse. From New Orleans to Memphis
the overflow is destroying life and prop
erty.
The press bureau of the Louisiana pur
chase Exposition in Washington has re
ceived advices through Hon. George f.
Murrell, Il member of the Virginia House
OF Delegates, and Superintendent and
Treasurer OF the Commission from Nir
ginia to the Louisiana Purchase Expos
ton that the State will eXpend the ap
preparation of $4,000 in an exhibit
| showing the resources of that COmmon
wealth. Space has been applied for il
the departments of Agriculture, Forestry
Manufactures, Education and Mines and
Metallurgy.
Reports from St Lonis show that good
progress is being made by the CRANE
chorus for the dedication exercises to be
held on April 3Oth next This choru,
will consist of 1000 trained voices un
der the conductorship Of Alfred Ernest o
the Choral Symphony
CHARLES EDWARD LLOYD.
Z. :. Since this letter was writer
the suggestion of reservoir on the upper
Mississippi River has been strengthened
by Il visit to the War Department and /;
conversation with distinguished Engi
neer officer, |. 5. \. 1t appears that the
levee system has already cost the United
States Government something over $50.
100000. This does not include the ex
pense incurred by the States bordering
on the river nor the great loss of life anC
property. Not very long ago an engineer
officer belonging to our army, visited
AssOuan to inspect the great dam anC
reservoir at the Nile cataract An officer
who has made a special study of the sub
Iect thinks ii the plan should be developed
the proper place for the reservoir would
perhaps be II miles above St Louis
where the Missouri flows into the Missis
sippi. 1t seems that the question has
already been preached, and an exhibit a
the st. Louis Exposition showing the
plan OF such Il reservoir and dam would
be of great interest. Another practical
suggestion is that if the dam and reser
voir were commenced the work might be
begun i'll time to give employment to the
army OF workmen now employed at the
great Exposition.
CHARLES EDWARD LLOYD.
The papers for the past few weeks have
been full OF the accounts of Unitarian Club
banquet in New York at which two negroes
Were guests. That didn't cause much com
ment in itself but the fact that two mpn1 bars