New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-06
~ TEL EGRAPh
THE CANAL,
General Sypher's Speech on The Fort ct.
Philip Canal Bill-Speeches tor and
ARainst- -Sheldon:a Argument.

OF Ine mississippi valley. lie gave q 06-
tailed history of the bar its distractions,
and attempts to improve it; also the his
tory Of the canal project, from the survey
Of Buisson to Howell.
He said every engineer, both military
and civil, approved the practicability Of
the measure. The success Of the iettiee,
as proposed by the report of the majority
Of the committee, depended upon these
conditions: First, a foundation upon which
TO construct them; second, Gttoral cur
rent to carry away the matter held IN sus-
pension. Neither OF these conditions is
found at the mouth of the Mississippi.
The system is, at best, an experiment
which the government is not warranted in
testing to the exclusion of the canal, in
view OF the immense interest involved.
He said The plan of improvement by jet
ties had failed wherever tried. except at
the Danube. and there was successful en-
tirely from special cause, the conditions OF
which are NOT present a: the mouth Of the
Mississippi.
He ridiculed the 10 cure no pay theory,
upon which the advocates Of jetties based
their arguments, and said it was the great
doctors arguments, which must be repudi-
ated by statesmen. These gentlemen know
we'll the generosity of Congress, upon which
they can rely for liberal relief bill in favor
of the celebrated jetty engineer, when his
The open river mouth argument, he said,
Is mere clap-trap.
He presented statistics showing New Or
leans to be the second city in the Union liz
the value of hey i'm ports and exports, and
eaid: We demanG for the metropolis of the
South, the entrepot Of the Mississippi val
ley, eqpal harbor facilities with New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and San
Francisco, none OF which have less than
twenty seven feet Of water for vessels visit
ing those ports. New Orleans is entitled to
no less.
The discussion of the canal and jetty
schemes was continued yesterday up to ad-
iOurnment, with great interest and ability.
by some of the ablest men in the House,
Lewis. of Tennessee, ard Stanatd, Of Mis-
souri, for Eads, and Sypher, Hawley Of H.
| linOis, Sheldon, Conger of Michigan. and
| Cobb for the canal.
Governor Ssanard's speech was chiefly
| devoted to the necessity of improving the
| navigable outlets of the river for deep YES
ae!s, whether by canal or by jetties or by
other methods He said members from the
| Mississippi valley can not go home to their
| constituents without reporting their votes
| for some etfectual remedy for our great OBJ
structions TO navigation. He warned men
whose interests were in other directions
| how they ventured to refuse so reasonable
a demand, for the future power of The West
| had better be conciliared. He paid Captain
I Eads high compliment.
General Sypher's speech was extempo-
| raneous. but was very energetic aud search
| ing, with some of the acu.est hits OF the
| whole contest.
| Gener a. Sheldon. who has weight in the
! House. had written speech which he held
! in his hand. out delivered it with ease and
force. l; covered the leading grounds OF
| tie discussion and may be pronounced eX-
! hauscive. His halt hour was extended by
unanimous consent Tor the completion OF
his speech.
The hour of adjournment came before tie
! speeches engaged were completed, and II
was agreed that these speeches be heard to-
| pay. kasson and McCrary for the canal
and HurIbart for the jetties, and this will
close tre best discussed subject of the ses
sion AMI The moss important work before
| Congress. The previous question will be
forced and the subject disposed of.
The motion debated was that the canal
! bill reported by the minority be substituted
FOR che jerty bill reported by the majority.
The Bill as 1t Passed the House.
The Fort St. Philip canal bill that was
passed is the one introduced by Mr.. Nc
Ccary, May l6. The points of the bill are
that work is to commence at some pOlnl
| O6lOW r Ort 81. duu cOHLlGuc W TIC
gulf at some convenient point IN Breton
pass. construced maintained and super.
| vised at the expense OF the government
| Twenty thousand dollars has been appro.
priated for the preliminary survey. The
! canal is to be kent open day and night free
Of toll TO any ana all vessels whose govern
lrents are Il commercial amitv with ours
Louisiana shall cede its Jurisdiction oveI
the lands required by the canal and the
| military WORKS for lrs defense. The cost
shall not exceed S2,0C0,0 900.
No money is 10 pe expended until tht
entire work is under contract and $4,000, ,0Oi
Is appropriated. one-third OF which may bt
expended each year. Contracts go 10 the
lowest and best bidder. and are to bt
awarded by the Secretary of War
No contract is TO be considered unless &C
companied by $4,000 forfeit.
! Contractors shall work according to th'
| plans and under the direction OF the en-
gineer department.
The canal shall be completed within three
years from the commencement thereof
Extracts from General sheldon's Speech
The philosophy of letties is that, by mar
rowing the channel or contining the cur
rent, a greater velocity will be secure.
which will accomplish the removal. whicl
before there has been failure to do, be
cause the obstruction will be moved
against by greater perpendicular force
That the bar is gradually pushed out fur
ther into the Gulf by the current of tn
river, is undoubtedly true; and that th
river provides its own jetties SO fast as tht
earth ACQUIRES solidity, is a fact denonstra
ted to common observation. Nature take
it's own time, and does it's work slowly, an(
az well as possible under the circumstance
and with the material at hand. But th'
process does no good in accomplishing wha
commerce demands. As natures jettie
advance the bar advances, inc. asing it
obstruction across the pathway of snipf
Like the ghost of Banquo, lit will no
down" Artificial jetues are designed I
assist nature 70 build where nature ha
made no attempt. They must be strue
lures of considerable weight TO have sutf
Gent strength to Withstand the pressure Q
water within and the force of the wave
and strains from without. Nature
jetties do not extend beyond th
bar. On the contrary the bar constant
maintains an advanced position. Hence, t
remove the obstruction temporarily artif
cial structures must be built beyond tn
Greet for so soon as the current passes OF
yOnd the point of confinement il loses W
iocity and consequently its eroding power
To build them on the soft and treacherou
foundation is TO hazard their sinking G
their overthrow by mud Jumps. They wi
not be house founded on a rock by an
means. Ii jetties were constructe
/, with such deep foundations as t
resist all disturbing forces the
might stand for a time at least.
seems preposterous to me to attemp
10 acquire depth of twenty seven feet b
building jetties On the bar where the waite
is but fifteen feet deep, for if erosions tab
, place to the extent desired there would b
. great danger that they wonld slide into tn
. centre, and form more difficult obstru
, | ton to remove than the bar itself. The bs
, is composed of such materials in fact as