THE ATCHAFALAYA. 159 
for the convenience, comfort, and information of the excursionists, by the Presi- 
dent of the Association and the officers of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. 
R. and the Mexican Central R. R. and the Denver & Rio Grande, R. R., as 
well as by the people of the towns where we stopped, and that the whole affair 
brings up naught but the most pleasurable recollections. C. 
THE ATCHAFALAYA. 
Helena, Arkansas, June 7, 1883. 
Editor Globe-Dedocrat. — Your correspondent interviewed again to-day 
Col. J. B. Miles, the great river prophet of Helena, upon the much-discussed 
question of the Atchafalaya in connection with the published remarks of R. S. 
Elliott, a river engineer of some reputation. Col. Miles said: 
" I am glad to find that Mr. Elliott agrees with me in my theory, but he 
says that I turn to prophecy with sad results, and then goes on to quote Major 
Stickney, of the Mississippi River Commission, to show the fallacy of my proph- 
ecies. This is but another illustration as to how differently people receive the 
same statement of facts. Mr. Elliott considers Major Stickney's report as fatal 
to my prophecy or theory. Now, there is nothing in this report at all in conflict 
with my notions. I already knew the depth of water in the bay, and all the other 
facts set forth. If Mr. Elliott will study this report he will find that Major S. 
referred to the present condition of affairs and the present amount of water flow- 
ing down the Atchafalaya, which is estimated by Major Harod at 400,000 cubic 
feet per second, while at the same time he estimates the amount passing down the 
Mississippi at 1,600,000 cubic feet. 
" Now suppose all this water, 200,000 cubic feet per second, was confined 
to the Atchafalaya at its head, don't you think it would root its way to the Gulf 
and make a channel for my big steamers at last? I venture to prophesy that it 
would. When Major Stickney mentions jetties he shows exactly what is needed 
to make a channel, simply to concentrate the water already there, or to increase 
the amount. I therefore still make the same assertion or prophecy, that the 
water flowing down the Atchafalaya will root a channel of the same depth as at 
the head, or Simmsport, all the way to the deep water of the Gulf. Mr. Elliott 
thinks the water will spread out over the low lands and the channel be lost. He 
does not seem to know that the Mississippi has a way of its own of answering 
this objection, namely by filling up these low lands to the height of its overflow, 
making natural banks and assisting my rooting operation. If Mr. Elliott will get the 
engineer's report he will find that about all the slope from the Mississippi to the 
Gulf is in the first eighty miles, at which point the high water mark is only eight 
feet above the Gulf level, while the high water mark at the Mississippi is fifty-two 
feet above the Gulf. This gives a slope of nearly eight inches to the mile for the 
first eighty miles, and less than one inch from the head of Grand Lake to the 
Gulf. 
