Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-03-10

The diversion OF rivers and streams OF
the Upper Mississippi valley emptying
into the Mississippi into other streams
emptying into the Gulf OF Mexico, and
gauging the flow OF these waters by the
use OF locks and dams, are suggestions
made by Samuel T. Yourtee, of Delta
bridge, La, in a communication to The
Times Picayune. Mr.. Yourtee claims to
be thoroughly familiar with conditions,
as he is an old riverman and was in the
service OF the Mississippi River Commits
sion from 1888 to 1897.
His letter follows:
Having fifty years experience behind
me as a navigator and steamboat owner,
and having notice closely the various
phases of river commerce and of river
improvement, l have formed opinions
that / believe are in the main sound and
worthy of consideration. When ! began
steamboating there were no government
lights to mark the channels; no snag-
boats to remove distractions; no dredge-
boats to deepen the channels. The boats
were adapted to the river-large ones for
the season Of plenty of water and lighter
ones for low water. The development OF
the vast territory along the Western and
Southern rivers was accomplished through
the then existing commerce on the rivers.
Presently new factor in transpOrta-
ton appeared, in the shape Of railways.
Slowly but surely they were extended
through the populated sections that river
commerce had butt up; competition be-
tween rail and river then began. 1t soon
became apparent to the river interests
that formidable competitor had APP
peared and that existing navigation
methods and conditions must be inn
proved. A first call upon the govern
ment for snagboats to keep the channels
clear of distractions was granted. A
second call for lights to mark the chan
nels at night was granted. A third call
for deepening the channels was honored,
and special commission created to plan
and execute the work.
Notwithstanding the immense sums OF
money expended and providing and oper-
ating snagboats, in placing and main
tanning beacon lights, in providing ex-
pensive plants and prosecuting the work
OF improving the channels, We have seen
the commerce of the Western rivers fade
into insignificance, all of the immense
sums of money spent in various meth
DDS named practically wasted, insofar as
they maintained river commerce, because
there was a failure to carefully investi-
gate and measure the possibilities of the
railway, which has proven to be the
twentieth century mode of Transportation.
National Drainage Channel.
1T is now certainly pertinent to ask
il another and more serious mistake has
not been made in exploiting the Missis-
sippi river as a commercial proposition,
to the neglect OF its true, larger and more
important junction. viz: that as ma
tional drainage channel.
"There are doubtless many citizens OF
New Orleans that remember the strenu-
Gus fight of Captain Jas. B. Eads for
the adoption of his plan to clean out the
bar at the mouth of the Mississippi; how
he was opposed 10y the chief of engineers
OF the army and OF course by every men,
Der OF the corps; how finally he was
compelled to show the faith that was in
him by making a conditional contract
with the government that he forfeit all
pay ii not successful. The world knows
the result.
'The success of Captain Eads converted
the army engineers to the theory OF
contraction The Mississippi River Com
mission, created by act of Congress in
1879, was charged with the work Of i'm
proving the Mississippi river in the in
terest and for the benefit of navigation.
They selected two of the shoalest and
most troublesome reaches in the river
the upper one at Blue Point, Tenn, the
lower at Wilson'S Point, La. and applied
the contraction principle successfully but
at such cost that it was abandoned in
so far as being practicable method to
apply to the whole river. 1t appears
that it then occurred to them that
combination OF the landed interests that
wanted levees to protect their lands and
of the improvement interests that wanted
deep water for navigation might work
together in the building of levees to pro-
tect the land and at the same time con-
tract the water and scour out the bottom
of the river and deepen the channels.
"The extension OF levees then began
until now they extend from the jetties
to above Cairo. They have been raised
in height from time to time to meet the
increasing food lines until now they
stand in many places twenty-five feet
or more above the surrounding land. Has
the bottom of the river been secured out,
giving deeper water for navigation, or,
incidentally, for drainage? No, on the
contrary, the plane IF flood height has
been increasing at an alarming rate. Have
the levees proven the protection sought
by the landowners?
"There evidently has been a mistake in
that contraction work located
on the hank of me river and not in it,