New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-26

\ AuA common street, opposlte the lily HOtel
Weretwn cur thanks for fayors to the office,
of steamers Mary E. Forsyth, Commonwealth
Magenta, New Era and Swallow. y
AT tho time of our leaving the landing, til
steamers Baltic and Grey Eagle had not made thei
appearance; they will however be found at til
landing shis morning, ready to receive freight. an
will leave again this evening, the former for ST
Lonis, and the latter for Skipwiths landing an,
intermediate points.
PRRsosaL.--We had the pleasure, yesterday, o
meeting hir. W s. Foster. clerk Of the John Xii
gour, aud Nj. George a. Williams, both from St
Louis. They are enjoying good health.
We learn that the steamer Magnolia, hence fol
ST. Louis, was met running on one wheel. above
Vicksburg
The great Commonwealth is receiving. and
leaves this evening for Memphis, Cairo and st.
Louis. The Commonwealth adyertses to carry
passengers to Cairo for thirty and to ST. Louis fol
thirtY-Gye dollars.
The United States mail packet NJ. E. Forsyth
returns this evening to Memphis, Cairo and ST
Louis. $
The ouachita packet New Era is receiving, aut
leaves onsSaturday next for Camden and wa,
landings.
The Jefferson packet Mittie Stephens was una
W..
receiving, and leaves positively this evening fol
Jefferson Shreveport and all way landings.
IaPoa7AxT IvESrIoE-A Steam Dgedgiaq Ma
ctaiae.-We yesterday had the pleasure Of inspect
ing tie model of a machine, which, if it succeeds,
as th0se beStposted on the matter assure us it I'M
doubtedly viii, must work revolution almost in
navigation the Mississippi river, and. Indeed, on
all Western streams. II Is machine invented by
our fellow townsman and veteran steamboatrnan
Captain Edwin Bell, for fhe purpose of dredging
out sand bars. canals and flats, SO as to make a
good nayigable channel.
The ideM. we should say in starting, was brought
to Captain Belt notice in 1858, while on the Red
River OF the North. The Ans Northrnp, which
Goose Rapids and could not get over them. Capt
Bell at once constructed wing dams, by means OF
poles. logs, brush, etc., and soon had q channel
washed out under and below the Northrup, which
enabled her to float over easily. Afterward, on
the Minnesota river, be lay behind another boat on
q bar. The boat ahead of him. a stern wheeler,
kept working her wheel continually. and finally got
over safe, and made such good channel that
Capt. Bells boat, though drawing six inches more
water, passed over Immediately after, without
trouble. IN the track cut by the wheel of the for
ward boat.
where there is q current floating over a sand bar,
machine might be got up that, by combining the
current to narrow space by sort of wing
dams, and, having the sand stirred up by any
means, would scoop and wash ont good channel,
thus drawing the main current through the canal
50 created. sand keep it clear, if not cutting it
wider and deeper.
He therefore set to work to study mp a machine
that would accomplish this end, and after three or
tours years cf experiment, has produced model
Of the machine, which satisfied every experienced
steamhoatman who has yet examined it that it
will work
1t is merely an adaptation Of the q wing dam, y
principle principle as old as the hills, and
which every steamboatman has seen resorted to
successfully Thousand times Instead Of fixed
dams, u merely uses floating dams, In manner
We will endeayor TO explain.
A couple 0f rows of square fat-boats. three on
each side one hundred feet long. say are fastened
logefher endwise, ~ the shape q letter w The
distance aofpss the month Of the v 10 about two
hundred feeE At the point where the two strings Of
hats converge, Or the foot Of the is an opening
some thirty or MY ieet wide, ana Two or more
Wheels exaciy iikc ne wheels Of Q stern wheeler,
reyoivlng upon aa axle thrown across the aopen-,
ing. These wheels are worked BY an engine on
me mats and aFe used 70 propel the dredging ma
cnl1e from place % place. % well as 70 stir up the
mua ana s nv, e. " Pc, " do mis- more sue,
me wheels can 20 lowered 20 - 70 allow the
buckets to throw mp the sand, which the current,
between thetWo rows of hats, and accelerated by
the working O. me wheel. soon washes out. .s7
the v with ssort Of slide, which can Be pushed
downstD the very bottom Of the bar, thus actually
forming two wing dams. The machine Is to be
It ia dropped, BY means of anchors, etc.. to the
head 0f d bar with the wheel down stream The
fats are theL opened ont and the slides pushed
dam two hundred feet wide ia compressed into
the narrow opening 1t the lower cad, where II
rushes along 81 furious rate. The wheels are
ecooping up the sand, and the swift current wash
down as the canal IL cut in the bar. and proceeds
a& rapid rate down stream. Captain Bell thinks
that be can cut ont i've miles Of channel per day.
The machine Is only designed to operate where