New-York tribune., 1873-06-20

a miles across and the water about 10 feet deep.
ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE TIE OUTLETS.
,-pr,erous attempts have been made 10 improve the
outlets TO the passes the bar the most important
OF which have by the construction OF ettes for the
/ -nose NJ connnlng the river within narrow imits
| which Il was supposed, would cause 10 10 wash out
ob.rucons and thus deepen the channe and the other
| nv dredging The convention Of Congressman who
recently met at 81. Louis passed resolution advising
the construction OF jetes and IL Important 20 know
whether il probable that the passage across the bar
ean he improved in that way, since IL looks as IL
Congress would asked. not by the engineer in charge.
lint by the merchants OF ST. L0us and Others 20 appro-
nriate money for this purpose. I have before
report on this very subject sent 20 Congress
ny the Secretary OF War in 1850, IN which
the whole history of similar attempt - detailed.
unnecessary that should even give abstract Of
o rppor II Is sufficient say that in 1857 the firm of
Craig a. Rlrhtor took the contract open strai -ht
channel 800 feet wide and % feet deep the bar at
the outlet OF the Southwest Pass aud Pass Outrc by
means of pile dams jetties. They had put down
but about 1000 feet OF piles at the Southwest Pass
when two northers" occurred, breaking up de-
about onehird of the work and shatterng the
remainder in places The damage was repaired and the
work extended ~ about 5000 feet, when it inspected
nv Government engineer, who reported that per
ceptble change had been produced In the bed OF the
bar Afterwarl the dam was extended to 5,733
feet about 1900 feet Of which broke up during
I
remainder had a fair trial but was found not
only 10 produce no good result but positively jure
the pass by retarng the and raising It's surface
SO that much Of escaped through the bayOus on both
sides of the pass The work therefore abandoned
and the contractors began dredging From this exper
meut and from other data the best engineers have con-
cuded that it ia mpracucable 70 remove the obstruc
tons at the mouths Of the by means OF jetues
First on account OF the difficulty Of building them
strong enough 10 Withstand storms second, because
tbev oud have 10 be extended every year from 500 20
700 feet 10 keep pace with the advance OF the BAR thrd
because the is so slight that IL rs Impossible 10 Keep
tho water W. the jcttcs; and, fourth because e4pe-
reuce has n. ..I this plan % be failure But these
facts would M Of course stand in the way OF an ap-
/ uroval by the congressional Convention
DREDGING TIE oyIY MEANS or oBrAISISG CHANNEL.
The only practical way OF keeping a channel open
,cro, tue bars .at las yst been tried is 1y dredging
uf fs WORK is not done here A. 10 Is ln Northern MYERS
and barbors that s tho mud is not raised by means VI
buckets aud deposited upon scows 10 bs taken away
The first method adopted was Co attach heavy rake or
crper 10 strong tow and thus drag u along the
bottom across the bar. INTO tc decp waters OF The Gull
Rv the addition Of a screw propeller which projected
below the true keel Of tho boat and revolving broke up
the uua and clay, some of which Was caught by the
rake the channel was improved although very slowly
and at rreat expense. believe that when the dred2es
were kept constantly at work they di, except 40 GER
tain Seasons of the year. keep open channel IIom Is 10
on feet deem Major Howell the present engineer officer
in charge was not satisfied with this imperfect method
of dredging he found that 40 almost AL times there
were two currents passing the bar The surface
current of river water flows outward toward the Gulf
bus tie undercuTeut OF salt water lows inward es-
-ecisUy when the tide ID rising The result OF
. s m 1 , and some N it was carried out bv the
rl{e the most uf 10 was cauCut uy the ulercnTrent
anu carried back upon the bar. The problem wac a.
la Il.
n NAV he carried beyond the bar into deep water.
ms problem Major Howell has solved hs dredse-
boats the Es.ayJu ana IcAc-tcF are pro, ,ll-u n'L
1sed fol hing the boat and steering her. In the
bo- there Is "a false keel projecting below the houOm
Wv tr,i- M +be bof-ou In front of rhc bows there
ls large iron aprOn shaped Ike scIaper Wheh may
De raised or depressed at pleasure When one Oh tAese
boats is 40 work upon the OAR she proceeds stern nl
notion This OOseas the mud. which instead "l neng
caught by the under current anu taAeh up stream
5SAGs sT o 4i2n no fresh S ,fer carant catcs il ami
carries 10 away. Experience has shown that nv TINS
new device the capacity Of Que OF the dred-e-goaa fu
work is increased many times ana cAaLurl tlh De
aept open at much less expense than formerly.
OPPOSITION PROM THE TOWING MONOPOLY
But the greatest difficulty encountered by the engineer
officers at the Passes does not arise from natural causes
Tine towing bu ness across the bar IS huge monopoly.
which has its hand no the very throat q the commerce
NJ Orleans and evcs upon such heavy tolls that
u costs more 70 get large shin from 'hs city INTO tle
doc
maluier of a long voyage IL ls NOT iof tAe li1l' ol
inns as-Ocat0u o. have Ae passage OF tue ydt open oI
f0 nave deep water upon t and 10 ha- ample iacl- rs
not only for misrtpresfnilh- the cohulIDu D o %
MI uf of uIucIlalIu- 10 ana MteIcuus win tue Nulh
or i -g g-I Orleans 10 rha Passes that 10
control alI news tuut comes 10 the city n thaf WY 1T
a- complete control OF tine pilots Is lJ can IelI-e ig
tOE vessel lLai A's AZ , i--rl to ..r'ea .6r,.
lis nOwcr over fhe 7hipNaslef, le t'upI. , ,llC l
fr arIe can get o. sea OF colht ih Ipu-A l'
a.es without Its That uses tins plWei 10 crlp
ue commerce ANA Ou-luct l' '-+'.' i oi AZ @ =" III -
ieraI but I'M every port which hls commerce win
-OiIeaus. For various res0ns lhe Lo"-'otl Asa'
24,!yI i6Ttre II r can Keep the former block
adeo ana tlcu collect 500 an honr pa" h,empg4E =" pun
ye.--is tnHt are aground Oh In i-os, AJIr ioW r.
l9.sa ~ & D' . rrf Association denied tIe report
t re,ad to take vessels ont that way. While south
Wst Pass vas Ji0JEadsd, several sls were Oh le -ai
aud many ol-.t , N,.v-- sraar,arg VINO hld failed
tp ross lt sOUth-Wrst Pass returned 20 Fas- Oulfe
and went through Wlshoui LioaDe' "a w. n + "At -
,,8o ,u an Indignation meeting % Doe taken our the
s ,,t. the snip Lzzio Moses, drawing lsi feet of
usr r id pss-. out ANA the bark Britannia. araw1ng
~ f.cf had s4.d u without help BdI lAg JO" -5l'.AeA
a. re 'lII7I ~ the emergency. They took down nom
r ar eaps me shin TrauqueDir. drawing Isl feet ot
-,tar and detained Itr 40 f.Ot Town. ny M-ea u '
tit y '. c-sc she grounded and hiocklded thr Pass
Ia, rms act alone they wcTe enDed 10 cullecl sl'W"
nom The commerce CHS port To shJ ho'Ahs oI lAe
r-,cgrssIoSAL AcrIoS NECESSARY TO PROTECT rHE
WORK.
Iu1s-1 ana I572. Major Howell seeing that As LABOR
80 I'm vain unless hc could protect las work. assumed
,, ,ufborlty OF directing the time and the mauhI ia
ib rssels should cross the bar In this way ne pre-
ated any serious blockade. But this authority was
~. ti,st was r.veu him by law and this year the
, ioatneu and pilots refused 20 respect H. Inr re-
,oN It i beeu n blockade since the yth or March
~ enc IN, O that mouth there were IS eet OF Watef IN
@ ,nuel Al extreme low tide ana % feet NJ hlsu uue
'., fbe hOtrpm soft owing % an accident 10 Ihe
dredre-boat and succeeding iogs 40 WOih vas i"s ol
- -i.,ve and IN the mean time the . KING PUT
~ - Sbn hard aground on the bar ana eIi her thefe
I5..ye M" could resume dredging, Major Howell was
,It, t mil this ship of. but before ne could accom-
% ~ tbcv mt another and continued TINS unt me
i ,f,rcb all D the time crossing The bar thelselVts
.L-- -- ~ Lul n..-rmclllg Ln nE.rv MlA