The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-10-03
The Bar mt the Mouth of the
Mississippi.
THE Landmark and Observer.

1t the entrance to the harbOr ut New
York were obstructcd by Il bar of sand
or mud, 80 that only vessels of light
draft could cross it, and Congress failed
to provide for its removal or the deep
enlng of the water by dredging and the
whole commerce of the city and of the
nation was greatly affected and injured
thereby, would it be borne in passive
| silence?
Or, if the lighthouses Of the Atlantic
seabOard of the United States of Ameri-
ca were allowed to remain dark and un-
lighted for one year, or for even one
month, would there be no complaint?
| And 1t, by want OF systematic atten
ton, and OF Q regular system Of work,
adapted to the nature of the 0bstruc-
were grounded, and few hundred or a
few thousand kept away or sent to some
other harbOr q thousand miles down
the coast, to which the freight of New
York, or large part Of it, had to be
| sent in smaller vessels, and there un-
loaded, and loaded into large ships for
expectation to foreign countries and it
by this, millions, multiplied to tens and
hundreds Of millions of dollars, were
lost to the country; and by these great
leaks in its business, merchants andpe
pie were brought to bankruptcy, would
| it be agreeable to US, and especially to
New York, for a government Of the
peOple-as ours is theoretically sup
posed to be-tO look On in cold indiffer-
| ence?
And yet this is precisely what has
been done--notfor a month nor fora year
nor since the rise Of the Republican party,
or the defeat Of the Democratic party,
| FIJI 1yrT hA "a
Dor is not that of New York, but of the
Valley of the Mississippi, a domain sur
passing any ever yet given by God to
man, and SO recognized by the ablest
minds OF modern times-Outside Of the
American COngress-and so recognized
by them, only the recognition is as yet
en- q gaseous form, and has not yet as
sumed a solid form, q practical point,
resembling i'll this respect the theory of
some modern scientists in regard to the
origin of matter.
The American Eagle has been made
to soar, by many windy orator, far
and wide over the great valley, the riv-
ers and the lakes, and many conven-
tions have been held, and much honest
and intelligent effort, (and still more
/ that was neither,) has been made, yet
few results have been won, so far as the
rivers are concerned.
In the autumn of 1848, (and again in
1851 the writer crossed the bar at the
mouth of the Mississippi, and at that
time, while vessels of the lighter class,
adapted to the coasting trade, fiOated
over easily without grounding, yet
heavy ships bound for Europe expe-
rieneed the greatest difficulty, and pow
erful tow boats were labOring to draw
them through the mud, at great expense
and some risk of injury to the ships.
One splendid ship, the Forest King,
was stuck in the mud, and upon her two
powerful tow-b0ats were exerting their
utmost force to drag her over the ban
and into the deep water of the Gulf
few rods beyond, which, once reached
she could spread her white wings fol
Europe.
All that was required then was little
dredging out of the soft mud, deposited
by the great river on the bar at itF
mouth, and this is all that is now or a
any time required.
When once the bar is passed, outward
bound vessels enter at once the broad
deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico
while those entering the river are, whel
the bar is crossed, safe from all DANCE
of shipWreck-safe from the dangers O
the seas, and find q deep, safe river, FREE
: from all danger from rocks, snags O
sandbars, up to and far above New Or
. leans, for ships of the largest class.
Of course there have been variou
party dognas aud narrow sectiona
Interests thrust in the way of the i'm
> provement of even the great nationa
| river. but the absurd or criminal neg
Ieet. so long continued, of the entranct
of this great system of river navigation
ESTIMATED by Benton at fifty thousant
miles of boatable waters) cannot be &C
counted for in this way. Clearly it
national, and not only national, bu
being one of the most important haI
bors in the world, the whole world is in
terested in easy and safe access to it.
Were there great natural obstacles t
n be overcome, and these of q kind tia
could only be overcome by q vast ex
iDenditure, like that for the Suez Cana
there might be some excuse for the neg
= leet.
. But there is no difficulty, nor has
ever been claimed that there is any. Til
great Lower Mississippi is comparative
he " gentle, safe, wide and deep, up to til
bar at its mouth that passed, and tl
: broad, deep waters of the Gulf of Mex
: co and the salt sens OF our planet lie bt
= yond.
The distance across the bar is O. mel
trihe-the dredging to be done, a ven
little, comparatively, merely deepenm
h. the water, by dredging out from two
!, eight or ten feet of soft mud, and tn
3, need only be In narrow channel fol
hundred or five hundred feet in Widtl
(eYen much less might d0l and then I'll
largest ships that float upon the seas ca
s steam up or be tOwed to New Orlean
- or far above If required, with the grea
&, est facility.
or work TO be done Is q farmers ditch
r the Erie canal, and when once cleare
the expense Of keeping it so will be bl
= a trifIe compared with the importan,
of this great natural outlet to the Wor
for the very heart of the American CO.
finent. But Just there is the poir
United States dredges (an adequa
force1, under the charge OF q compete
working, practical, faithful and dilige
officer. should be constantly kept the
th iii service, and ready for service.
eea ea No begging petition should ever aga
be necessary, or thought of to seeH
as this, any more than to secure apprOpl
ye ations for lighting up the lighthouses
s. S the Atlantic coast.
81 Dredging the bar at the mouth OF t
Mississippi is not the whole duty OF e
Government, but it should be held sc
Ona to none in Importance, and rs tru
? national as any service can be,
The Mississippi river does no6st0p
- current and wait for appropriations
=. remove d fraction of the sedime
where its waters join the great sc;
lys eeaseleas 1loW pauaes not one lnstaI
so let there be NO break nor interTe
l5s nnrn iii this govern mental duty EV
flle scaVenger carts Of 81 city are alWa