Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-03
THE SOUTH PASS.
Cruise of the RIx-sSundings and Tx
aminHtIOHs by Captain lads and
Others-ResuIts all Satisfactory.


New Orleans Times OF MOnday.l
On Tuesday morning at quarter-psst
eleven, the United States revenue cutter
John A. Dix started from the Lake End,
with perhaps as merry party as ever
sailed in pursuit of a sniff of salt air or q
view of the briny. 1t consisted Of Cap
tain James B. Eads, Colonel Andrews,
Colonel James F. Casey, Mr.. p. J.
Kennedy, J. L. GubeTnstor, Esq, Hon.
Johnson Armstrong, Hon. g. w. r.
BayIey, Mr.. Bsyley, jr., Mr.. Isaac n.
StOutemyer, Mr.. Hunt, Mr.. COrthell,
associate engineer of the works, George
Deifenbahl, and one or two others.
Steaming through the Rigoletts, the
Dix cast anchor on the suthWest end Of
Cat island for the night. She was, how
ever, under weigh and off by dawn,
aud the first day out was spent in haul
ing the sein in the reefs neighbOring
Chandelier island, the essay being re-
warded with unparalleled success.
Nearly four barrels of the most magnifi-
cent specimens OF the finny tribe were
brought 10 the surface in one haul, and
pompano from that time became drug.
Having spent a delightful time, the
party started in the evening for Pass
a-POutre, where they anchored that
night They steamed up the Pass and
down South Pass Thursday morning,
breakfasting at the latter point. The
entire day was DEVOTED to sounding,
three hundred measurements being
taken, extending a distance of three
miles, with cross sections Of six
miles. The pitch from the outer
edge Of the bar was discover
ed to be quite sheer, the depth
increasing in three miles from thirty
feet to thirty-eight fathoms. The depth
in the channel was found to be uniform
as the party progressed outward, and in
consequence the new current to be Gre
sted by the jetties will be a straight line.
The pass is five hundred feet in width and
preserves this distance between banks
throughout its length. Its banks are
steep, there being twenty-five feet water
throughout the pass, distance Of fifteen
feet from either bank. Returning to
the head of the pass S, the Dix steamed
down Southwest Pass and anchored off
Pilot Town in a heavy fog. Friday
morning a boating party examined the
old Craig and Ryan jetty constructed in
1857, finding to their surprise the heads
ofthe piles driven down seventeen years
ago in a state OF tolerable preservation.
The line extended fully a mile, and
sounding with bost-hooks, they demon
strated the fact the stTingers are still
intact. The sounding at Stake island
indicated nineteen feet, which shOaled
up to fourteen and sixteen. At the low
er part OF the old jetty was from thirty
to thirty-three feet of water; depth
apparently produced by the DETECTION
Of the current caused by this jety. The
mud lmps and Cow Horn reef were
visited, and the remainder OF the day
was spent in drawing the sein and
sounding On Saturday morning the
Dix again came into South Pass, and the
maps of the coast survey were carefully
examined. He then went into the Jump
/ to ascertain the character Of the willows
grown upon the islands which there
abound. Ssplings Of suitable size for the
manufacture Of the basket work OF the
/ ietties were found ia immense quantities
! Again anchOTing at the head Of the
passes, the party visited Captain Brad
! ford, ST the Coast Survey station, where
/ immense quantities of anchors, buOys,
and other heavy msterisl were seen.
/ They found eighteen feet OF water at the
head Of South Pass, were the Dix an
I chored Saturday night. The United
! States survey, under Captain Maringer,
has rapidly progressed, and is both
! minute and extensive. The depth OF
water in the chanLei Is from thirty TO
fifty feet from its head to tine lighthouse,
and eight to eight and q half feet upon
the bar. Work will probably begin on
the east bank Of the pass, and extend
out TO the bar on that side. This line
alone Captain Esds thinks will give 8