The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-07-03
BLOCK AIDE OF THE NISsIssIFpy ROW
Can IL BE EMAiSTAINi

CANIIB BE EMA.STAiNi
The blockade which prcbatly. by this time.
has been practically instituted IN all the ports and
harbors of the Cult OF Mexico. will soon he a
matter of deep concern TO the commercial inter
esis o.; New Orleans, and. indeed, dc whole val
lev above that city, ard turn portion OF the
public attention 10 the mouths Of ihe Mississippi
river, from which commercial vessl are herce-
forth. tore season. To he excluded and rri al.ers
if it is possible To send them to sea. are To enter
upon their hazardous cruises
The Mississippi river discharges i.s water.
into the Gulf If Mexico, about ; 10 rnil,.s y low
New Orleans, by two principles outlets. knopi
OF. the river as the Northeost and the .>eutstcea
Passes
The point Of hiturcation ot The river j. about
ninety five miles below the c'tv. and is knewn 10
tae pilots and boatmen the Head "f the Posses
The depth of the Mississippi. SD >iia!low ct its
mouth above this point ranges from less than
100 feet 10 over lI0 feet-and lis average ittl
below New Orleans is very nearly hal. mile
The cHrrent during the spring and summer
months, while the water is high. Is very strong
averaging not less than two and hall miles
an horr-and serves greatly to facilitate th.. par
pose OF a privateer, OF slipping TO in d., ance
OF the vigilance of blockadibg squadron
The principal channel. Or chict outlet Of the
commerce, "a well as the waters If the Nissis
sippi, is now the more westsardlv Of us rro
great arms-that known as the Southeast Pass
and A. the only one by when vessels drawing
over fifteen ieet of water can 81 all stsgs # the
tide cross the bar which is found at the poin,
where the waters Of the river encounter those Of
the Gulf
The other great outlet, known AS the North.
he Gaa M "A n.iu
tive miles, measured along the coast, east of the
mouth OF the Southwest Pass
This Northeast Pass was formerly the chiet
channel by which commercial vessels passed 10
and from the Mississippi but il is low, by ress
on of natural changes to which all tie channels
have been subjected in the last century, 80 filed
up "a tn no barely uasgsbie or craft drawing
about eight feet OF water. and for these ony ia
favorable conditions of tide and weather
Midway between these two principal passes
and almost equally bisect ng tue angle for med
between them, is another channel, leadir g from
the Mississippi river to the Gulf krown as
the South Pass which was also used good
deal before the American Revolution, nv vessel-
drawing not over eight or nine feet OF water, but
which is now so filled up 10y deposits so as 10
have become partially unfit for navigation.
In addition to these three outlets there is vet
pOrtance, and known H. the Pass I Outre-
formed by the bifurcatiOn Of the Northeast Psss
but which, though narrower than the Northeast
pass itself, Is yet both s,raehter and deeper than
that chaBne, and furnishes the best and shortest
passage for eastwardly bound vessels drawing
not over ii or IL feet Of water, or even l3 feet
with steam tug to help them through
The distance from the nav gable cha mel across
the bar, at the mouth of the Southeast Pass 10
that at the mouth Of the Pass a T Ontre ia about
thirty miles Ii will be perceived, therefore. that
to etitcrualy blockade the port of New Orleans,
Pp ytsss eFpSRf "!! aea ta sss e. aihhd NE use
OF many well armed vessels OF light draft, and
increasing look out at the three navgable enfran
ces to the river, as well as at the mouths OF she
outlets of Lake Ponchartrain, in the rear OF the
city
This difficulty will be increased bv the great
width OF the mouths of the river, and the heavy
Ogs which will prevail thore, serving frequently
to veil, for long periods, the hull OF vessel "
ing within few hundred yards o: the man-oi-
war in search of her
The difficulty is also increased by the light and
loose nature o! the bottom Of the river on the
bars, which is SO movable aud almost fluid tha'
privateer OF light draft, vet drawing more thai,
the actual depth of the waite ; may leave the
channel and sometimes escape in dense fog
while blOckading vessel might be actually eros
sing the bar.
A vessel receives such aid from the current
that it might go safely to sea with the wine
right, though its keel may cut two or even three
feet in the soft mud on the bottom of the river
! The difficulty OF maintaining this blockade viii
be further increased by the insurgents at New
Orleans arming their numerous ard poweriu
steam tugs, and other available craft, and dc
scendng at favorable periods, in sufficient fore
to engage the lighter vesses a, the outlet Of tn
particular Pass at which the blockading squad
ron happens. for the moment, to be weakest &
1t is Lot TO be doubted that a very large fore
OF steam-vcsse!s will be required TO fully guar
the several mouths Of the Mississippi; and i, ha
therefore been suggested to the Government, b.
an engineer whom We have reason TO believe
capable of forming a correct opinion in the prem
ises, that the blockade of the Mississippi R'v,
could be far more easily and efec,aally maistainc
by taking possess;e "a of the pot,t knosrn as IL
Head Of the Passes-;he point OF divergence &
the three principal outlets, and placing wei
armed vessels, and land or floating battery Q
two just above and at that point, SO ss complete
ly to nd all the OUt. of the river at ouce
The character Of the Mississippi aud both il
shores arG represented to be extremely tavor'
ble to the institution OF this form Of inland bOci
ade.
The borders of the rivers at the Head Of tf
Passes, and indeed nearly all the way up 10 Fo
Jackson and st. Philip, are composed Of so
and very unstable muddy material, of which II
surface is but one or two fee: above the level
the river. and but three or four feet above th,
of the Gull Of Mexico in fact at the Head OF tf
Passes, and twenty miles or more above th;
point, there are numerous places where the sa
water Of the Cult is separated from the fresh vi
ter Of the river by nothing but these soft bani
of mud, frequently not more than two or tbrs
hundred yards, or even less than that, in widt
where halt dozen men, in few hours, can ope
; a canal through which tie water Of the Miss
sippi will rush into the Gulf, and speedily cut
self passage of great width and depth.
just such an artificial outlet was actual
formed some years ago by a bostmsn, to enab
, him to take his skif by short cut from the ri
er into the Gulf when the water poured throus
; his ditch with such violence that it was but
: short period before it dug out channel for
: self half as wide as the Mississippi and sixty fe
in depth
It vas accordingly proposed to the Admin
tratioh, some tine since. TO take possession OF q
, Head of the Passes. where steamers may lie
, safety by these mud shores, and intercept eve
crafts that attempts to enter or leave the rive
Their position here would be perfectly secu
! against surprise. An artificial outlet from Il
= river to the Gulf above their position, on ea
+: shore, would place an impossible most betwe
: their batteries and any approaching force.-N
York Times
= EXPLODING A CROCODILE. A porten of q
n. .-{-