THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PROBLEM 17 



to the Gulf is about six hundred miles, the journey by water is twice 

 as long. On every one of the many turns and bends throughout the 

 whole twelve hundred miles the river is constantly undermining and 

 wearing away the outer bank of the channel in just the same way as 

 the outer rail of a curve on a railroad is worn rapidly and must soon 

 be replaced. The fine-grained, loose character of the soil greatly facili- 

 tates the undermining action, especially during the irresistible rush of 

 flood waters. 



This habit of eating away its banks is perhaps the worst which can 

 be charged against the lower Mississippi, and presents one of the most 

 serious problems in the whole question of control. Needless to say the 

 unceasing changing of the course is vitally important to the plantation 

 owner, who sees his fertile land steadily vanishing, often at the rate 

 of 300, 400 or more feet a year along his entire water front. It is 

 still more important to the towns and shipping points located along 

 the river. New Orleans is the only big city located directly on the 

 river flat, and, fortunately for the city, it is at a place where the river's 

 course is now comparatively straight. Other cities, like Memphis, 

 Vicksburg and Natchez, are located on the high bluff where the river 

 swings close against the eastern side of its valley. These latter towns 

 have secured immunity from floods, but even simple changes in the 

 channel would deprive them completely of their water fronts and strike 

 fatal blows at their prosperity. 



Even the present extent of the river traffic demands that there shall 

 be more or less villages directly along the river and steamboat landings 

 at various points, but every one of these places enjoys only a temporary 

 existence. Since the river current hugs close along the outer side of 

 every curve in its course, it follows that the deepest water, and hence 

 the main channel, also lies near the outer bank. The natural result is 

 that all steamboat landings and all important shipping points must be 

 located on the outer banks of curves, as is found to be the case all 

 along the river. The difficulty which lies therein is obvious enough, 

 for with rapid undermining of the outer bank of all bends, the river 

 is alwa3 T s tending to destroy the water front of every place so situated. 

 The history of the landings below Cairo shows that practically every 

 one of them has been driven back before the advancing river at the 

 rate of 100 to 150 feet a year for the last quarter of a century. 



That this condition is felt on a larger scale than by mere landings 

 is shown by the case of Greenville, Mississippi. This city of nearly 

 8,000 people, the largest river port between Vicksburg and Memphis, 

 is the flourishing commercial center for an important part of the lower 

 valley, yet imminent ruin is even now staring it in the face. Green- 

 ville stands on the outer bank of a great curve in the river with three 

 other curves up-stream from it. Narrow necks of land separate the 



vol. Lxxm. — 2. 



