The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-06
WASHINGTON.
The Fort st. Philip Canal Bill
Passed the House.
The Future of New Orleans Assured.
Photographed to the Bulletin.1

| d ",
and passed by vote of LAG to So.
the Fort st. Phillip Canal bill that was
passed is the one introduced by Mr.. McCra-
ry, May l6.
The points of the bill are that work is to
commence at some point below Fort st.
Philip and continue to the Gulf, at some
convenient point in Breton Pass, construct
ed, maintained and supervised at the ex-
pense of the Government.
| Twenty five thousand dollars have been
appropriated for the preliminary survey.
The canal is to be kept open day and night,
free of toll to our and all vessels in amity
with ours.
Louisiana shall cede its jurisdiction over
the lands required for the canal and the mill
tary works required for its defense.
| The cost shall not exceed 100000.
| No money is to be expended until the en-
tire work is under contract and s., OOO, 900
is appropriated, one-third of which may be
expended each year. Contracts go to the
lowest and best bidder, and are to be award
ed by the Secretary of War.
No contract is to be considered unless ac-
cOmpanied by $4,000 forfeit.
Contractors shall work according to the
plans and under the direction of the En-
gineer Department
The canal shall be completed within three
years from the commencement thereof.
Extracts from Gen. Sheltion's Speech.
The philosophy of .jetties is that by mar
rowing the channel or combining the current
a greater velocity will be secured which
will accomplish the removal which before
there has been failure to do, because the
obstruction will be married against by a
quarter perpendicular price.
That the Bar is gradually pushed out
further into the Gulf by the current of the
river is undoubtedly true, ard that the river
provides it's own jetties so fast as the earth |
acquires solidity is fact demonstrated to
common observation. Nature takes it's own |
time and does its work slowly and as we'll as
possible, under the circumstances, and with
the material at hand. But thisprocess does
no good in accomplishing what commerce
demands. AS natures jetties advance the
bar advances, increasing it's obstruction
across the pathway of the ships.
Like the Ghost of Banquo, it will not
down." Artificial jetties are designed to
assist nature, to build where nature has
made no attempt. They must be structures
of considerable weight to have sufficient
water within, and the force of the waves
and storms without. Natures jetties do
not extend beyond the bar. On the con-
trary, the bar constantly maintains an adj
yanced position.
Hence to remove the obstruction tempo
rarily, artificial structures must be built be-
yond the crest, for SO soon as the current
passes beyond tile point of confinement it
loses velocity, and consequently its evading
power to build them on this soft and treach
erous foundation is to hazard their sinking
or their overthrow by mud-lnmps. They
will not be house founded on a rock by
any means. If jetties were constructed
with such deep foundations as to resist all
forces, they might stand for a
time at least.
1t seems preposterous to ME to attempt to
acquire depth of q feet, by building jetties
on the bar, where the water is but fifteen
feet deep, for if erasions take place to the
extent desired there would be great danger
that they would slide into the centre, and
form a more difficult obstruction to remove
than the bar itself. The bar is composed Of
such materials, in fact as to require de-
cided increase of velocity to remove it with
in a reasonable time whether such increas-
cd pace can be obtained, to cut away to a
depth of q feet, is not entirely free from
doubt.
1t is well-knOwn law that the narrowing
of a chanCel, INSTRUCTED at it's mouth, will
cause the water to set back and seek escape
where there is less resistance. The Misss-
slppi River has II mouths, Of all sizes,
through which the water would pass and
for many miles above the banks are low and
narrow, and no great elevation would be
required before the water could pass out
over the banks, cutting away new avenues
Of escape.
The recent overflow causes apprehen-
sions of danger, arising from further OBJ
any one of the many mouths now
existing. Whether jetties can be made to
stand or not, or whether the velocity of the
current will speedily or eisurely evade a
channel through the bar, is not the great
question upon which the case is to be de-
cided. The bar does extend constantly, and
jetties, to be permanently effectual must ,
keep pace with it.
Tie bar now extends 33s feet annually,
and as the channel is narrowed and the same
quantity of water continues to debOuch into
the sea-a fact not denied-the same amount
Of sediment must be precipitated to the bot {
tom as before, and SO soon as the same cause |
is applied. To narrow the channel will re-
luce the width Of surface over which the l
water will spread and the bar must ad vance
more rapidly than at present.
An enhanced velocity may prOlOng at first
the distance over which the deposit may #
take place, but in brief time the advance of
the bar will assume its logical and natural ,
extension. ,
Gen. Humphreys estimates the annual {
advance under the jetty plan proposed to (
oe unousauu 10 uWeiVe hundred Ieel per 1
lnnum. I
This will compel an extension of ietties {
vt the same rate and at cost which the :
Government has no right to endure, if bet
er and cheaper plan can be devised. Jet ,
les cannot be extended Indefinitely In I
lime they must be abandoned, after having
incurred vast expense, and the obstruction
will rear its head ag hin and become at once q
Is hideOus as we now see it, 1t was wise {
bought in Capt. Eads to limit his RESPONSE ,
,ility to two years. $
Thompson, Longstreet and Bloomfield are 7
lere i
Congressman Nesmith had telegram that t
oregon had gone Democratic by 1000 ma Q
GRITTY
The Attorney General has decided that,
of the time OF place of marriage It
# the residence of the parties white
XOman marrled To q citizen of this country