New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-13
ii lCommunicatedl
THE PASSES-MOUTH OF THE MIS-.
t SISSISPPl.

The editors of the PicaaHxne this morning.
eminent dredge boat Essayons, as also the
oficer-in charge, very severely. The officer,
Major Howell, is evidently able to cope with
any editors on the subject of dredging.
The writer will leave this matter to them,
but begs to correct few remarks touching
the Southwest Pass, pointing ont some Of
the errors of said article. When nature
had already provided eighteen feet OF water
at Southwest Pass Now, does not the
editor know that the ''Wiggins," with dou-
BILE wrought iron screws, Bishops plan,
some two years ago, worked upon South
west Pass, commencing on Is or l5la feet OF
water, and left it at eighteen feet ten inches,
having the evidence of Board OF
three disinterested gentlemens report
to Mr. William Creevy and others,
interested, and by reference to the
books of the Pilot Association, you will see
that vessels have been going out ever since
drawing eighteen to twenty feet, and you
say mature did it, If nature does it, why
did it not do it every year for fifty or one
hundred years back! When the Virgins"
went to the bar there were twelve or fifteen
vessels aground on the bar, or waiting to
get over, and quite as many every year at
times were detained. The only natural
causes we know Of that aided were high
tides occasionally. caused by winds, and
then they required a number of tugs, and
M do al-a to or
vessel over. Instead Of nature opening it
and keeping it open, she shut it up by caus-
ing mud Jumps to rise up, sometimes
entirely out of water. Nature, also,
caused hard crust Of nearly foot
thick, to form all over the bar, so hard that
a vessel sticks fast. The sea captains, and
very many others that know, will say and
have said that the screws upon the Wig
gins broke up the crust, cut away Jones"
mud lump and others; Strengthened the
channels, so that vessels have been going
out ever since, as before mentioned, and
the tOwboatmen can take out any vessel now
drawing eighteen feet with one tug. They
say that the screws OF the large steamers
keeps the bar open; if so their screws work
ing much above the keel Of the vessel, how
much better would it be for two large
wrought iron spirally tlanched screws,
thirty or forty feet wide, working from two
to ten feet below the keel doe These, by
the assistance of water, the currents will
give twenty or twenty-four feet depth: then
if the one screw of the steamers, does any
good, why not the screw of the
Essayons do some also. Again, you
say "as for the principle of the
Essayops it is radically wrong" if you think
SO, and think the screws of large steam.
ers, and the screws of "the Virgins" are also
wrong, then for the sake of the good Of
commerce. suggest plan. What use Of a
plan if nature does it! You say the
mud which the "Essayons stirs up
as Often'gOes up the river as to sea-ward."
We say, and so does General Humphries'
report, and hundreds Of others know, that
about eight feet Of the current of the Mis-
sissippi river is always running ort over
about the same depth Of salt water on the
bar, which salt water may be nearly still,
or going in or out slowly, thus We conclude,
and have some experience to prove. that if
the sediment is raised, and puddled into
the upper or Mississippi current, it will be
bound to go TO sea. Very respectfully.
BOSTON MOUNTAIN.
August II, 1870.