The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-06-25

pliance with q resolution of this House
Of March IA, 1871. This view 10 clearly
supported by Messrs. Humphreys and
Abbott in their Physics and Hydraulics
of the Mississippi. when they recon-
mend a. the more feasible pan the tedi-
Gus process of dredging now in vogue
Say they, after . full discussion of the
jetty plar:
TIE plan Of stirring up the cotton by dredging
harrsvs or seIapsis over the bar Is NO doubt the
most economical and the least osJectiouable-
sies and Hydraulics Of the Aississ'ppi page A56.
Add to this the fact that more than
twelve years after that publication OF
these views by Captain Humphreys, the
principal author, he, as the eminent
Chief of the Engineer Bureau of the
Army, reafiirm them in his approval Of
the plan OF the ship-cansl submitted by
Captain Howell. Hear what he says:
Respecting the apple aion Of the jstty system TO
river, she board. Colonel BsIsaId dissenting re-
ports ivefseiy boz the difficulties attending
the constructions anu the cost OF the sy stem.
Atera car full investi ,ation Of the question Of
OF III. Mississippi River. l am Of opin on that il
dc. not preset, either in its constructions or COST
sup nor adv nj TO the cal al plan One Of the
chief o jet ous - the jetty stem is the unavoid-
able s,i OF cons lily ex ending he per, In
the oIen s.a, exposed 10 the full lore Of storms.
And here beg the Hou-e to recall What
i. saii by General Humptre ys upon tli,
subj C; Of the extension OF the jetties annu-
ally. Til. il what he Gays:
The depth of twenty feet thus ob,an ed NM, ST
be mai 1tsineI by he annual ex en>ion ut the let
Z seven hundred ieet into the Cuff. snd the re-
duct on Of the mud Jumps by ss.iiAbe machinery
vben-ver they be.in To appear This rapid extern
sion Of The mouth o the pas into the cult would
tend TO the volume o. the orter passes as
the expense OF its oSn and II would eventually be
Necessary 10 resort {" another tor the nua-
tion Of the plan -Ehysics Gld Hyird1iics sfMe
MissiSsiPpi, page $50.
Again, in Executive Document No.
go, General Humphreys says:
The conclusion is inevitable the jcities mus, he
| extended annually at the same that the ar
is vanciIg II We intend 10 aiatsin permanently
| the ne depth upon the bar.
| Ii the depth To be msintained is twenty seven
feet at low va er or twenty e!gh, feet zt high
| er, il will lie found by similar process that the
annual advance vii! not be les, than twelve hun-
| dred feet.
| But, Mr.. Speaker, l have neither time
nor scientific knowledge to intellieentlv
discuss the objections to this bill in de-
tail, TO show why jetties are . success at
| the mouth Of the Danube and Q failure at
the mouth of the Rhone and what forces
operate at the mou tn of the Mississippi
to make them either success or failure.
This which the board of engineers says
is sufficient for me, quote from Execu>
tive Document No. us, page 10:
The difficulties at the mouth of the Mississippi.
so far as concerns the improvement by jetiies re-
solve themselves into tn ee sources
| l. The absence Of a literal current
:. The yielting nature OF the banks and shoals
Il > Inc abundance of deposits.
The first and third combine in the yearly and
| rapid ext nsion OF the bar, and compel the work.
OF imProvem. mt TO continue At a heavy annual
| cost until their entire abandonment.
| The second makes their construction difficult
| and their maintenance i'm probable, unless deeuly
FUNDED at a very heavy expense.
/ only add this: From all have read
upon the subject, from careful study OF
scientific reports, from personal knowI
edge to some extent of the country about
the mouth OF the Mississippi, from the
effect 1t seems to me that must arise to
these jetties from the mud lumps 90 we'll
!. described by Humphreys and Abbot, ON
page ij2 of their Physic ard Hydrau-
les of the Mississippi. | conclude that
| sha be recreant TO my constituents il
l sanction by my vote = measure fraught
with such interest TO them whose chan
ces Of success Is 80 problematicaI, pro-
vided surer method can be had.
adhere to the plan of the Saint Philip
Canal. That this project involves .
large outlay OF money none deny; that il
can be made success noue deny. Even
Co'onel Barnard, who dissents from the
majority of the engineering board on the
jetiies, says: 81 do not doubt the entire
prscticability OF the canal construction, ~
tie thinks the majority report, that no
Extraordinary engineering difficulties
need be spprehended," undertakes the
real difficulties TO be anticipated; which
is undoubtedly true. Colonel Barnard's
objections, in a word, 10 the canal pro-
ject is as TO details If execution and NO,
To its feasibility.
adhere to this plan OF improvement
because, first, it is sure plan, and
second, it is just as speedy in execution.
IL is sure, say these authorities. First
Bepjanin Ruisop, State engineer of Lou
isiana, as early as 1882; second, L. Poole
of the United States engineers. ana Cap
tain ". ii. Chase, who elaborated the
matter and furnished specifications for
the canal as early as 1887; and, third,
X. Nontaign. n civil engineer. revived
the subject and gave IL careful study;
and, lastly, Captain g. W. Howell, whose
plan receives the sanction of the moet
eminent board OF engineers this country
ever produced, in the report submitted
to this House in the document | have
referred to, to all of which there 70 nc
dissent And, Mr.. Speaker, why should
there be suppositiOn that an earnest
effort in this direction will fail! After
the triumphs of engineering which ouI
age has Witnessed, can it be possible
that the art will find Waterloo in the
Saint Philip Canal, This will be the
story, will it not? At Suez and Port
Said engineering skill followed Out
harbors, and then, taking fresh water
from the river Nile and salt water from
the Red aud Mediterranean Seas, it led
these waters through separate paths. over
trackless deserts, through morasses and
lakes, into hills where the excav alton
in some places was eighty feet in depth,
in all a hundred miles from sea, making
highway for the heaviest ships, and
married ia indissOlnSle bonds the conti-
nents OF the old world, but failed At the
Insignificant ditch Of Saint Philip? Sir,
| IL - VHhb ACoo6Po
accomplished, Howell and his able sssO-
ciate Can accomplish if it shall become
necessary. They can build the Saint
! Philip canal, and the country could we'll
afford TO pay for it what the SueZ canal
| cost IL it were not TO be had at cheaper
| rate. In importance OF results Saint
| Philip is little behind Suez. The one
links continents; the other will link the
commerce OF the Mississippi Valley with
the sea in its natural way.
Mr.. Speaker, the relief afforded to Us
will be just as speedy by the canal as by
the jjetties, II successful. In proof listen
to this from the text OF the bill:
Unless the said Eads and h IS associates shall Sc
cure twenty .e=t Of water, her. matter divided
within thirsy months Of the date of the approval
OF This act, Congress may revoke the privileges
herein granted, and caLoel the obigz tons he..ln
asssmed by the United states. ana Congress nav
revoke the privileges herein granted. and cancel
ire obligations herein assumed BY the United
States unless said Pals and hrs associate. shall
after securing twenty feet 81 water, secure an al
diiioIai depth Of two f.. during zach soecesdibg
year thereafter, until tventy-s feet shall have
secuf ed, and two feet saditior al or twenty
Gig iert, within elty- four mCutLs After