New-York tribune., 1873-06-20
OPENING TIE MISSISSIPPI PASSES.

NATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK TIDAL
BAR TIE GREAT Observation-Disclosures THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL EXPEDIENT FOR IFS REMOVAL
TIE TOWING MONOPOIIsTs UP ~ ARMs-IHEIR
oUTRAGEs UPON COMMERCE.
FROM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
NEw-ORLEANs, June 5.-One hundred and
fifty thousand bales of cotton between 1900 and $4,000
hogsbeads Of tobacco beside great quantities or grain
and provisions from the West, l ing idle to-day in
the warehouses OF NeW-Oreaus while tho markets OF
the of Europe proherinc Tor them the ready
money and Offering prices that would give profit alike
70 the producer and the merchant Some OF this pro
duce has already been partially sold Not less than
6 900 losheads Of tobacco have been sampled and see
ected by the agents OF foreign buyers and the prices
agreed upon but the sales have not been completed
simply because it is impossible 20 get ships TO take the
purchases away. The -mt is true Of the cotton, the
corn the wheat and the provisions treEhts are cnor-
mousy high. shipping agents are charging almost any
rates they t and yet il is almost impossible 10 get
TRANSPORTATION at any price Two small steamships
loaded here within the past few days for Havana al
81 25 barrel two three tunes as much as freishts
now cos- from New-yorl 90 Liverpool and all other
ocean transportation is equally expensive. And yet
though ia spite Of tins, 10 is cheaper % move the crops
Of tire Mississippi Valley i'm This % market than by
railroad to the Atlantic coast there is produce enough
waiting to be shipped TINS city 10 put millions Of
dollars into circulation, relieve the merchants. relieve
the planters aud iu.usc lie into the business OK
the whole Mississippi Valley.
For the people OF S.w-OEaans ana Of Louisiana DO
not suffer alone FOR the want of Tonnage from s pur.
The Mississippi River and its tributaries are the great
natural highways of the nation which largo per
ceutase OF the surplus products the great West
destined 70 reach a market either among the cotton
planters the south, ln Cuba Mexico, and south Amer
ica or across Jhe Atlantic the great European Hars.
Already trade OF importance seeks this nat
ura channel spite OF obstacles that are sometimes
almost usuI nOuuta3c, and 10 requires only better
system ircgutiug upon the rver-,ue substitution ot
bargrs. several OF which be cleapg toweu Dy ono
tuz for the expensive and shOryel dOatiIs palaces
now emplOyed-and the uucorlIg OF the mouth OF TIC
Nssiss ppi solve ID direction, az least Ae grcas
question OF cheap transportation. The first OF these
reforms may De safely left 90 those Interested in the
great iIeigAung interests ;lo 2ss-ppi the second
is one ia which Congress Viii DO asked % assist by
jIdICiJus appropriation.
IHE PASSES OBsIRCCTED BY TIDAL EAR.
An examination Of any good map Oi Louisiana VIII
show that the part oi rne Mississippi River between
New -Oreaus and the Guf OF Mexico similar shape
10 mans extended arm and hand, with the fingers
stretched as far apart possible. The rom the
elbow 20 the wrist VIII represent the mau river which
flows IN sOuth-easeTy direction, ana If the left hand
be used for illustration with palm turned down. the
wrist viii represent the head Of the passes From this
point the river separates into numerous smaller streams
represented by fingers the rghthand being the
Southwest Pass, and the efthaud the Pass-a-
TOutre These the only Two that nayigaDe.
Those between them are known the South Pass the
Southeast Pass. &c From NewOreans % the head Of
the passes is 50 miles from the mead OF the passes 70 the
tidal bar Al the outlet OF SOuthEst Pass Is IT miles 10
that which obstructs the mouth Of Passa Outre 10 is 10
,ofes The surface OF tine land between New-Orieans
and the passes nowhere much above the level Of the
river much Of the way it s confined to ts channel by
means OF levees. In the lower part Of its
tn NJ land on either side Of the stream very narrow
vary1Dg from 100 feet To mile or two in width; beyond
tbis are shallow lagoons filled with little isets.
Tho navigation OF the river attended with little dan-
er r difcuv until the outlet Of the passes is reached
where vessels encounter tidal bar over which the
water l shallow and the channel narrow. This bar is
composed Of various materials which are washed down
v the river and deposited az the point where the fresh
,eets the salt water OF the Cult AS Major How
ell the United States Engineer oihcer III charge here
exDaiped n 10 me- the brings down at different
seasons different kinds and quantities OF material in
u.peuson aud rolled along the river bottom on its way
10 be finally deposited on the bars at the mouth Of the
several passes The lighter material consisting Of veg
etab and very fine sand carried the iurthest
ont and deposited on the outer slope Of the bars and for
miles out IL the Gulf. The heavier material Whch IL
rolled along the bed Of the river consisting OF caY ana
sand is only tumDled the outer cress Of the bars
y IL
over the lighter matter that has preceded IL
/ The vegetable matter underneath this envelope in
time decomposes generating marsh gas Which, alded ny
the pressure water within and without tie bars where
the envelope weakest throws clay mounds known
as mud Jumps" These Jumps often burst open at the
top forming little mud volcanoes, emitting considerable
salt water aud marsh gas and the oDstrucions at the
bar are q fore. either light soil clay mud Jumps
The bar a into the GuIf the rate Of nearly $50
feet year aud the length Of the passes h thus annually
Increased The width OF the bar at the Southwest Pass
is from IA " a miles aud the natural doDh Of water