New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-11
MAJOR HOWELL,s OFFICIAL RE.
PORT.

MAJOR H0WELL,s OFFICIAL RE.
| PORT.
Major Howell has submitted to the Chief
Engineer Of the army the following repor,
upon the condition and improvement of the
mouth of the Mississippi river:
| UNITED STATES ENGINEHR OFFICER I
| New Orleans. La, September Is, 1878. 5
| Brigader General A. A. HUI IN oh reys Chief of Rng
neeIs, United States Army, Washington D. c.
| GENERAL-I have the honor to submit
the following report of progress made in all
! works OF river and harbor improvement
under my charge, for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1873:
Improvement of the mouth of the Missis-
sippi river at Southwest Pass and at Pass a.
rOutre, Louisiana.
| SOUTHWEST PASS.
At the close OF last year l reported a
| good eighteen foot channel available at
! this pass at mean low tide.
On the sixth of July the depth had been
| increased to nineteen feet, and on the
| twenty fourth to nineteen and half feet.
During August the depth was maintained
at from nineteen to twenty feet.
During September it varied from eighteen
| to twenty feet.
| During October from eighteen to eighteen
anu uHll lcct.
| During November but seventeen feet
could be kept, aud the same during Decem-
| Der ana January.
In February the depth was increased to
| eightee feet toward the close OF the month.
| Ia March the Towboat Association eff
| tected a blockade Of the bar, rendering
abortive all efforts at dredging, as is fully
stated in another portion Of this report. In
consequence, on the first of April the
Il 20, %n D,cc nr,tyn
Commencing work on that date, with a
channel but eleven and a half feet deep at
extreme low tide, twelve at mean low tide,
we had, at the close Of the month, a chan
mel fifteen feet deep.
In May the channel was deepened to sew
enteen and a halt feet extreme low tide.
In June this depth was maintained, the
channel widenad, shortened and straight
ened, as shown by charts submitted here
with.
For further particulars see tabular state
ment accompanying this report.
THE DREDGEs.
The McAlister, the new dredgeboat, was
placed on duty early in July, 1872, and kept
steadily at work until May l6, 1873, at
which date, having become completely dis
abled from wear Of her shaft castings, she
was ordered to New Orleans for repairs,
which are now being made.
The Essayons, during the summer of 1872
was placed in thorough repair and after
ward held in reserve to replace the McAlis-
ter, in case of breakage, or reinforce her in
case two Gredges were considered neces-
sary. Her retention after repairs we're COM
pleted was a measure of economy war
ranted by the good condition of the bar at
Southwest Pass until the towboat associa-
citation blockaded the bar and obliged me
to put on all lny available force to relieve
the blockade.
At a suitable lime during the coming fall
it will be necessary to make the usual an
nual repairs to the Essayons.
END DOCKS.
The old end dock, built for the Essayons
in 1868, has besome worthless from decay
of planking and timbers, and, having sunk
for the second time. is now lying on the
bank at Algiers, where she was left by the
falling waters OF the river.
A new end dock was completed July 5
for the use Of the McAlister and Essayons.
This dock is, l believe, the largest of its
kind ever built, and has some novel fea-
lures deserving mention.
The after-end is fitted with water tight
bulkheads, forming three compartments for
water ballast, by the use of which the yes
sci locked is relieved OF much of the strain
Incident to the use of end docks.
Ballast can be added or pumped out as
called for by the removal or replacement of
heavy machinery, and all change of strain
avoided.
The facility with which this is done with
water makes its use a grea. improvement
over the old method Of putting in and out
iron or stone ballast.
The after end has also been fitted with a
long spout. through which the propeller
shafts can be taken out of tue ship and re-
placed when repaired. The shaft Of the
McAllster, twenty-tour feet long and fifteen
inches in diameter, has just been taken out
this way with as great ease as could have
been done IN a dry dock.
This novel and useful feature fits the end
dock for doing all repairs, except to the
hull. amidships and below the water line, a
portion of the dredges only needing repair
once in three or four years.
The open end Of the dock has been fitted
with a complete set of mods for the
dredges, arranged SO that they can be eX-
changed in few hours.
M0lds for other steamers and ships com
ing to this port can he arranged in the
same way, so that laden vessels slipping
propeller or rudder, with the permission
nf the Chief of eng ineers, Can use the dock
for their repairs without the delay and eX-
pense of taking out cargo, privilege that
will save each vessel several thousand dol
lars.
When the repairs to the McAlister shall
have been completed the dock will have
paid for itself. The Essayons will then be
repaired in it, with an expected saving Of
about $4,000. the items of which will be
given in my next annual report.
The barge Cavallo has undergone thor
ough repair, and is now in good condition.
The launch Survey has also required and
received repairs, including new boiler,
and has been kept in almost uninterrupted
sera9iSeo Itlna6ng aboGe 1890 aRYles de9ing
TIE Searo
The Ysem OF repairs R9as bees larger than
from the fact that the Essayons
is getting old, ana the barge had to be en-
tirely renewed above the alter line.
Surveys were continued with regularity
during the year, affording thorough in
regarding changes effected in the
channels across the bars by nature and by
dredging.
So much of this information as was con-
siderable desirable by the commercial com
munity was made public through daily
kilograms and monthly charts posted on
bulletin boards in conspicuous places, and
through charts furnished masters of vessels
and others interested.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Of 1873 125 900 90
Total available since June so, 1872. $500 275 "A
EXPENDITURES.