New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-17
MOUTHS OF THE mIssIysIPPI.

The Jotty System-Fort st. Philip Canal
Ex-Governor Hebert on the Situation.
We find in the Washington Republican OF
the tenth instant the following letter from
Ex-Governor Hebert:
WASHINGTON, D. c., March Z, 1874.
Hon. William Window, Senator in Congress-
SIR-You will, trust, pardon this liberty.
1t Is unnecessary, at this time, to enlarge
commercial benefits OF permanent outlet,
from deep water into deep water, near the
mouth OF the Mississippi river. This work
OF paramount necessity has engaged the at
tention of engineers from the period of
Spanish and French occupation down to
the present day. The idea of canal il BY
no means a new one. 1t has the respect
ability of mature age. For year after year
we have ''tinkered" with the mouths of the
river-scraping, dredging, dragging, blast
ing, jettying-all to no purpose and with
out permanent results, large sums Of pub.
lie money having been literally thrown
away. A board of officers of tho United
States corps of engineers have, after ma
ture and deliberate consideration, reported
favorably upon an outlet called the Fort
St. Philip canal" This report is approved
and Endorsed by the chief of engineers.
The surveys upon which this report is
based are as full and complete as such pre-
liminary examinations are generally made.
In all contemplated great wOrks-whether
Notifications, railroads, riverimprovements,
canals, etc.-preliminary surveys are al
ways in order to establish, first, expediency,
practicability. feasibility. This being &C.
complished, a further survey, more elabo-
rate in details and scientific data is made,
looking to the final location Of the work.
So soon IS Congress indorses the first re-
port. it is in order to make the second and
final survey.
arguments upon which the recommendation
OF canal is based. The report is in your
hands. and speaks for itself. 1t is we'll
worthy OF careful study, and will bear the
most hypercriticsi scientific investigation.
would simply remark that it would be
establishing an unusual and dangerous
precedent to reject the opinions and con
victions OF men eminent in the science and
practice Of engineering and adopt the
crude, visionary specufstions OF Outsiders
to the profession, without Surveys aud ex.
aminations of any kind, and that, too, when
millions are at stake. Money, in my hum
BILE opinion as an engineer, is as surely
Thrown into the sea- as you ADEPT the
''jetty" plan.
1t is an immutable law in physics Fiat
when the cause of an evil is periodical, o.
constantly recurrent, the remedy must be
Of the same nature. Dredging the shoal
mouths of a delta forming river is of this
compile ion-a periodical. temporary, ever
costly remedy-the labor of Sysiphns.
The Getty system has been tried upon
the bars of the Mississippi, and found want
ing. The record is upon the books of the
Treasury Department, showing hundreds
of thousands sunk into the pockets of specN-
lators and into tho waters of the Gull OF
Mexico.
The great Mississippi-the largest ia me
world At sediment-bearing rivers-bas been,
in obedience to the inevitable laws Of gravi-
tation, .iettying itself for unknown and I'M
told centuries from the foot Of dIluvial to
the gulf margin of alluvial formations.
The result has been to stretch its hydra
heads deeper and deeper into the gun.
pushing the bars farther and farther into
the open sea. time over time. Artificial
ietties will only accelerate the process.
This belongs to the inevitable. The zap
petite of the ''jetty" system will increase
with what il feeds on" and the work prove
lah, If he lives long enough, may yet see
the day when the mighty, uncomfortable
and remOrseless Father of Waters will hGrl
it's turbid ana s.gressise hoods upon The
eiatAns shores OF peninsuiAs Yucetan.
Surely it is not unwise or irrelevant IN the
matter Of work Of such Importance and
pregnant With results Of such magnitude,
one which has for years staggered the
genius and inventive tsco}tes Of the nost
competent and distinguished engineers, to
respectfully suzgest patient reflection, grave
consideration. intelligent investigation, and
3 resort to tia exhaustive resources OF
scientific and practical engineering in it,
higheat sphere OF application.
have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Your cbedient servant,