Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-02-01

as well as practical minds have recon-
mendedu uInAe-iess WAYS for their I'M
provemenr. Before the war large Con
gressiOnal appropriations We're expended,
&c different periods, without other than
temporary benefit. During the winter OF
1915, four powerful toWboats worked In
eessantiy for several months on South
west Pass bar. with huzs drege harrows.
dragging The channel. Af-ar spending sew
eral hundred thousauddciiarsi il was found
that a depth oils foet could oniv be main
tanned by Keeping tie drags az work tae
year rOunu. The plan was abandoned
and pile driving reSort-d to WITH no BEN
ehcial result, and the bars at tha passes
still continue 60 puzzles nc minds Of scien-
tihe engineers and pilots Of long experi-
anoe. The bsr ~ Southwest Pass, through
which The deepest drIughJ vessels are
taken, il about three to five niilos in
length. Numerous mud Jumps, composed
Il stiH blue clay, ara "a part Of the OBJ
slructiOus 70 De found ia and nee- the
channel as all Of Tia passes. These Jumps
ara often Of sUdtt-n ami unexpected
growth, in some instances rising up sew
eral feeLin aslngie night. and occasionally
pr0truding above the waters surface. r.
IL, and has always been. "a vaN q question
"a 10 what e0m poses or causes these mud
humps. Gen. Humphreys. 81 his work on
le-ees, assigns their formation 70 the
sNH ~ - AHAA NE AAAE III U
deposits forming the delta Of the Missis-
sippi, and the conclusion is a very reason
able One. For some time past the GOV
IN dradgehgat EszavOus las been
employed in Efforts 90 improve and deem
en- the channel &c Southwest Pass. The
New Orleans Times, IN q recCns article on I
the subject, saws: Whatever bs tine /
aus 0i the distractions, practical men
appear to unite in the opinion that 10 will |
require constant dredging or Fakiug 10
keep the channel al the requisite depth, !
but that such continuous work NAV be
confidently relied on as effective, the sum
q would be- required for this purpose
is generally set down al not Over SlOe. 600
Der aUnum, which is certainly tri-
ling, compared with the magnitude
Of the evil to be Obviated. Scientific
men have proposed complicated and OK
pausiVe works for The Improvement Of the
channel, WHOM would cost millions. M
vet would furnish no assurance that they
would effect their purpose. Continual
dredging would hardly cost more than
the interest On q million and q half and
might cost lees. and with sacR dredging.
there can ba Lttle ar $40 u1abt that the re-
qulSite depth OF water cln o7 maintained
II al tlIues. To be successful, however. Z
the dredging or -sSing must be incessauU. I
Boats must BE- employed OF such ~siinpliG-
itY fin their machinery ana strength IN
lfVii t'H1- u.-Afif sd-- LAiF VIA not ur
constantly getting eut OF oFvteF, and
b. periodically compelled to steam
up 10 New Orleans for repairs. Ship
mssters who have recently crossed me
bar at the Southwest Pass, stata that the
substratum Of soft mud appears 10 he
caused by a hard crast On which the lead
strikes as an : rocky or solid b8Itom, and
IL suriuised that II this superior crust
were broken up by the EssayOus there
would be yuU0h less difficulty in efleeting
tho passage, even with vessels drawing
more tnan the apparent agpFn, and
especially with Steamers. This crust
has often hssa noticed, but il .
appears ia ha harder 80 some times than
~ others. II il represented a. being now
la lis worst condition, and wa hope some (
specimens oft Will 5e obtained and saved
10 add &c whatever practical knowledge
has been acquired of the substance Vi Jae
DISTRACTIONS