Year: 1869

| SIDE next 10 the lthCt HhUulu NC ol


buekshot or stiff earth, with a wall of


sand 6 or 5 feet thick in the interior to
cut of the craw fish, one Of the most
| fruitful causes Of creyasses in leyees.


On the front of the ievees should be a


belt 500 feet in width, as a part Of the


right Of way, permitted to grow up in


thick timber, living and perpetual
hreakWater against the waves Of the
river during storms; and along the


inner base at a distance Of twenty feet,


should be cut a sipe ditch, and at the


further distance Of forty feet, another


sipe ditch, throwing the material be-


tween the two, with cross drains at


suitable points, to conduct the sipe water


away from the levee through the natural
drainage Of the country; thus forming


good turn pike for the entire length


Of the leyee, which would not only form


and excellent highway for travel, but a


perfect safeguard to the slopes Of the
| Ievee, now so much cut to pieces by


constant driving over them, and serve


by thorough drainage to keep the levee


dry and prevent sloughing and conse-
ouent danger of breaking. l enclose


cross section of levee and roadway, from
which it will be seen that the thickness
through the levee at the highwater line
will be 62 feet, and that the slope next
to the river viii be 5 base to l per
pendicular, which is but little less than
the natural slope Of a sand bar, to l.
Both slopes Of the levee being thiekly
set with Bermuda and the force of the
waves being broken by the belt Of thick
timber in front, the waves viii roll up
the fat slope Of to l so gently as to
cause no perceptible abrasion, and with
81 feet at the water line it can never
break. The average thickness at the
base would be about 102 feet


The levee being thus constructed I
would donate it to an incorporated rail
road company upon condition Of their
laying a track and equipping it, and
entering into a bond to maintain it for
ever without further cost to the country.


From the Tennessee line to Memphis
is about Is miles making the total dis
tance from Memphis to Brunswick 26S
or 270 miles The company as their
means permitted would bridge the Yazoo
and extend the road to YicksbUrg. The
light grades and easy curves viii per
nit the use Of light locomotives, not
exceeding I S or 20 tons and a light rail
say 10 or 50sibs per yard. Such a road
fully equipped will cost at present prices,
about S3, SOC, O00 including the grading,
bridging and superstructure from the
Tennessee line to Memphis / will not
stop here to discuss the probability Of
this road being a paying institution.
The engineer will discover at once, that
In Its perfect freedom from mechanical
structures, its light grades, easy curves,
gentle slope Of embankments, absence Of
all cuts, it possesses in the highest degree
every physical element constituting a
good, safe, permanent roadway, suscep-
tible OF the most economical operation.


This arrangement would offer the most
thorough police system foT the protec-
tiOn of the levees that could be devised.
Experience has demonstrated the system
Of inspection hitherto pursued in Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana to be worthless.
4 railway company having S3,6OO,000
involved could not afford to let the levee
break and this WoCld be your sure
guarraute for protection; besides, posses
sing always an available force Of about
200 men, with all the necessary imple-
ments for work, which could by teie-
graph and train be concentrated at any
threatened point in six hours and every
mile Of the levee passed over daily by
inspectors on foot, it will be seen that
the means are always on hand to be
used at moments notice for averting
danger, and that, in the most effective
form possible, and acting under the most
powerful Of all incentives, self-interest.


With the perfect repose and security
f! from overflow this levee would afford.
| and the easy access the railroad would
give, the people would pour in from the
exhausted uplands to till the rich allUv-
jal lands of the valley, and in a few
years We should see the hardy Irish,
German aud Dutch emigrants focking
| in bv thousands to iud homes in a con
genial soil and climate Then will the
vast cypress and oak forests be cleared


up and converted into lumber worth
millions Of dollars-the sVamps be


drained and the country filed with
Thousands Of small farmers, be made to
bloom as q garden. The YazOo basin
in all the elements Gf climate, soil and
products required to support a dense
population, is surpassed perhaps by no
! portion of Europe or America. Bel
| gium, the most dopsely populated State


Of Europe, has 432 people to the square


mile. At that rate this district would


sustain a population Of 100000 But


assuming only the rate Of Massachusetts,
l5S 70 the mile, and should have a
population Of $4,000 And who can
! doubt that when thoroughly protected
with ready means Of ingress and egress,
It's geuial climate and fertile soil will In


vite a dense population


And here l ask the particular atten-


ton Of the people Of Memphis This
district is completely locked in. There
is 40 egress on the east, for the Talla-


hatchie and Yazoo rivers-in going
| West to seek the Mississippi, the rail


read intereepts the farmer and his pro


duce before he reaches the river, and
! by its superior facilities for quick, Ger


taia and therefore cheap transportation,
captures him and brings him and his


cotton direct to Memphis, where he


invests It's value in dry goods and gre
ceries, to be returned over the same
road to his home Memphis has but to


reach forth her hand and appropriate


absolutely the whole OF the trade Of this


vast district with its prospective popu-


lation of 100000 and its products


counted by the million 1t is not too


much to say that within FIVE years after


the completion Of this leyee and rail


road, Memphis viii receive over the


roads500, 900 bales Of cotton per annum,
and while I would not detract an iots
! from the great benefit to be derived
from other roads in contemplation,
believe this ranks above them all in
present importance to Memphis, and
should command the most earnest effort.
Of her people to secure its construction