THE ATCHAFALAYA OUTLET 117 
ENGINEERING AND MINING. 
THE ATCHAFALAYA OUTLET. 
There is a great deal being said about the danger of the Mississippi River 
seeking a new outlet to the Gulf, by way of the Atchafalaya Bayou, and the 
people of New Orleans are justly anxious over the possibility of their city becom- 
ing an inland town, with mouldy wharves and grass-grown streets. 
The Red River flows into the Mississippi at a point about 210 miles above 
New Orleans. From the former just before it reaches the Mississippi, the Atcha- 
falaya starts out and flows through swampy forests in a direct course to the Gulf 
of Mexico, Its length is 160 miles and it is 327 miles from the mouth of the Red 
River to that of the Mississippi. 
The Atchafalaya was formerly a sluggish stream, hardly worthy the name of 
river, with a depth at its beginning of only two or three feet. Cows grazed on 
the reeds in its bed, huge rafts of fallen timber clogged its course and unexplored 
forests bordered its banks. This was the condition forty years ago but since 
that time there has been a wonderful change. It is now a mighty river with a 
depth of more than 125 feet and its swift torrent rushes and whirls among the 
old trees, sweeping them away in its resistless course. 
In the current number of Harper^ s Weekly is given a sketch of this stream 
which has become so important. The Government engineers were divided in 
opinion as to the best course to be pursued in regard to it. Capt. Eads advised 
the closing of the stream by a dam, and, when a majority of the board disagreed 
with him, he resigned his place. There is danger both in closing this outlet and 
in leaving it alone. In the former case the Lower Mississippi country is liable to 
be overwhelmed with an excess of water, while in the latter event it is likely that 
the Atchafalaya will become the main channel of the Mississippi. 
If the present channel should be changed there would be vast benefits and 
injuries. The latter would be inflicted upon the New Orleans and the costly 
jetties would become useless. The city, as is well known, is 116 miles from the 
mouth of the river and ships have to come up this distance. The current below 
Natchez is sluggish and winding. But if the Atchafalaya becomes the main chan- 
nel there will be a swift deep ' current flowing straight out into the Gulf and 
Atchafalaya Bay will become the great harbor of that coast. Morgan City in 
such case would become a rival of Galveston and a larger town than Mobile or 
New Orleans. 
It is questionable whether or not it is possible now to check the threatened 
calamity, for the water in both rivers is very high and it is a difficult matter to 
■dam a stream which is over 125 feet deep and whose current is exceptionally 
