New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-14
THE WEEKLY .REPUBLICAl
PASSING SHIPS OVER BARS.
Colonel Gowan's Method-Lecfare In New
York.

Colooel G0wan,s Meth0d-Lecture In New
York.
Colonel John E. Gowan, the able and &C
complishAl American engineer, who 80 sue.
cessfully raised the hulks (some seventy in
number) suak in Scyastopol harbor during
the Crimean war, delivered a lecture in New
York las. week before the Polytechnic
Branch of the American Institute, to large
and appreciative audience.
The subject discussed was the application
of the principle involved in raising the Rus.
sian fleet to the floating of vessels of all
dimensions over sand bars at the entrance
to harbors-an expedient offering greater
advantages than any other suggested plan,
in the opinion Of eminent engineers in Eu-
rope and America.
We copy the conclusion Of the report Of
his lecture:
Many millions of dollars have been liter
ally sunk in the sea in futile efforts to
dredge out bars at the entrance to CONNER
cial ports At the approach to the magnifi-
cent bay Of New York, port Of entry un-
surpassed in the world, exists an obstruc-
ton which effectualiy prevents the passage
of vessels drawing more than twenty-five
or three feet at average high tides, and
which defies the best skill of engineers to
remove or keep in check. The steamer
Italy very recently was delayed outside the
NarrOws for several hours, until she could
run in on top Of the tide. Philadelphia,
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans
and Galveston are each OF them fine ports,
hut similarly closed to commerce, and to a
far greater extent. But with all their
natural advantage it is only at the full tide
that sea-gOing ships are able to pass the
harbor and river distractions, and in most
cases they are obliged to await repeated
tides in order to proceed as far as the city.
The system which advocate is no CHM
era, but thorough, practical, and we'll
topol harbOr, and + have deferred it until
now to state that every weasel which
raised at SevastopOl triumphantly car
ried q distance Of more than fire miles while
suspended to the floating docks, and this with
out straining single timber, as they hung
securely in the supports, and we're borne
along as gently as If resting on the buoyant
bosom of their native element.
Colonel Goyan here described the ma
chinery by which he proposes to float YES,
sells into port, and continued:
have submitted my plans to eminent
engineers in London, New York and New
Orleans, and they all agree that it is the
most practicable and feasible method by
which ships may be enabled to pass bar.
1 purpose constructing docks Of descrip-
ton somewhat analogous to those which
used at SevastopOl, with q heavy trussed
cradle for the vessel to rest upon. In con-
versati0n with the president Of one Of the
largest lines Of steamers which ply across
the Atlantic, he remarked that it was soon
their desigh to commence running a new
line to st. Thomas and Aspinwall, and, said
he: /" Colonel Gowan, If you will apply your
system to the bar at Galveston, We will also
run them there" The Chamber Of~COm-
merce at New Orleans, to which submitted
nv plan early in April, Of this year. also
reported in the most favorable and encour
aging terms in behalf of the introduction OF
my system for tightening vessels over bars
at the choked up mouths Of the Mississippi.
When in May, 1868, laid my plan before
the Lloyd's Salvage Association, at London,
it was referred to q committee of it's officers,
consisting Of Post Captains Russell. Carme,
Hurne and Bonham, Of the Royal navy, who
received it and reported most favOrably, and
their Endorsement was virtually that of the
British Admiralty.
A little earlier Sir Charles A. Hartley,
engineerin-chief Of the Danubian commits
sion for regulating the mouths Of the Danube,
which was created by the treaty of Paris at
the Close Oh tuc Oriulcan war, III lou, WrOLe
me note strongly indOrsing my system.
Here, just in passing, let me direct your
attention to o consideration of the immense
foreign traffic in breadstuffs which could
and doubtless will be carried on when our
harbors are thrown open to large draught
vessels.
With Europe disturbed as at this time by
exhaustive wars, and the producing classes
of the people under arms and unable to till
sx-l,A
degree Of probability the grain mart Of the
countries OF the continent. This, gentle
men, is q matter of great Importance. 1t
costs the price of two bushels OF corn in
freight to bring one bushel Of corn from the
West by rail to the city Of New York-that
is. t,co bushels IN ercsy three are consumed IN
TRANSFORMATION: whereas, if floated down the
Mississippi and thence across the ocean, to
which there is no naturalimpediment except
the shoal water at the mouths OF that vast
estuary, breadstuffs could be sold in France
and England as cheaply, and Of a better
quality, .than those imported into those
countries from other sources.
What magnificent market is that for the
employment 81. American enterprise and in
dustry. With the port of New Orleans ac-
6essibie to first-class vessels-say of 5000 or
COCO tons burden-the native products OF
Oar Western States would be shipped abroad
at figure defylng the cOmpetltlOn VI inc
world. and an Impulse given to thevagricul-
fnral interests Of this country which would
make = the grain-grOwers par excellence OF
I'll Chfgt6ndOnl.
~ have spUken more particularly OF New
a 1aa,,a Il, al lne6tion with the expectation
cSsffeeretn Nfe&dstuffs to Europe for the
Ia ,v,,lsOn that tie great natural artery OF
.,.r continent. the Mississippi, passes out at
fhat mort Of shipment, and-thus 1ners the
"a and cheapest route 70 the Atlantic.
e jfrine : conversation recently had
4 IN the able and far-sighted President q
~ ~ Iii;nois Central railroad, said ne: II
~ k~rhcr et New Orleans can ~ ogened
yS n sSS ~, sr,sna,n vhy tho Teot HeMAry