the Editor of the Sim,—As the coiisdtvaiicy of the Soochow Creek appears to be a matter of considerable interest to the residents of Shanghai, perhaps a few remarks from one who has ven a good deal of study to the subject idol stroils may prove of interest to attracted attention in years past; and I ail informed that efforts have-been made to remove the obstruction by dredging. The increasing, formation of, these banks in the slack water of the embouchure is now exciting 5] interest, from the fact that, in add impediment, there is being created artificially another supposed source of evil,.in the shape of an embankment on the Hongkew side. The ebb tide in the Huangpu River, flowing with much greater force nearly ata right angle across the mouth of the Soochow Creek, checks the ebb of this affluent, anid, while backing it up, causes slack then, the alluvium which has been in suspension by the velocity and turmoil of the current sinks to the bottom, and raises the bed of the river. This formation will rapidly grow, because the force of the ebb will be less aa the depth of the mouth decreases. This is not the only evil of bar across the entrance of the Creek; for it is an established principle that shallow water checks the influence of the tidal waves by its steepening action. The best meaus.of keeping the embouchure of a tidal river open is by allowing the free flow of the tidal flood and tidal'ebb, The tidal flood sweeps along with sand, mud, and other deposits, and hias a tendency to silt up; whereas the, ebb tends to scour, so that it is desirable, i is benefit of the flood, to try and increase the force of the ebb..
Confining the channel at river will lessen the deposition of silt in the embouchure; but in the case of the Soochow Creek it would so materially intorfore with the tidal action that no benefit would result unless the, outlet of. the Greek could be turned more in the dow earn direction of the Huangpu River, causing the current of the Soochow Creek to run more in the line of that of the Huang; This might be effected by bunding the Garden side of the Crock and throwing as much as possible upon the lo, this enabling the Soochow to discharge lower down the main river. Therefore it would be better that the Garden foreshore should, be entirely reclaimed, atid the Soochow Crock confined between embankments,.bué as near as possible to the road. which rane in front of the Astor House toward the Japanese. Consulate. If possible, portion of the garden of the Consulate Which projects into the river should purchased, so that the sharp corner which' considerably interferes with the entrance of the flood tide should be rounded off.
Confining the channel upon the Hong: kow side as T have already described would have the following effeota —It would direct the' axis of the flow of the Soochow Creek in such a manner that it would discharge itself further down the Huangpu River and prevent that ourrent setting #0 ould open aftes channel to'ti it would be more ina line River.
—The ebb tide would more freely di charge itself, as it would not' run in such direct opposition to the stronger ebb in the main river.
.—It would be the best and most economical means of improving the Creek, as would work with it and the two currents would help each other.
The question now arises what effect the the new bunding or reclamation now in progress will have. I have called this a posed evil, because so many people ha the shrewdness to imagine that it will prejudicial to the navigation of the Creo! but without being able to explain why, If this reclamation is carried out it will have the opposite effect to that which would be gained by gitiding the Soochow Creek along the Hongkew bank, as I have already described, for——It is the wrong side of the Creek to reclaim.
2.—It will change Uio line of the otirrent in the Soochow Greek and drive it more toward the Garden side, and cause it to discharge itself farther up the Huang) River instead of down the river, which it should rightly do.
3.—By directing the current of the' So chow Creek up the Huangpu River it is brought in direct opposition to the atrongor tide in the main river.
4.—It will turn the channel of the Creek more out of the line of the tidal flood, That the navigation of the Soochow Cros! depends upon the tidal flood and ebb which bears the cargo-boats up and down ita course, nobody will deny.
To gain the full beivefit of those tides it is necessary that the direction of the lower channel of the Soochow Oreck should'lie as much as possible parallel to that of the tidal currents in the main stream, Tami, Sir, Your obedient servant, Joun C. Ferausson, Civit Engineer. Nanking Road, 19th February, 1884,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.