New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-26

the thirteenth instant by the SecTetary o.
War. l. will pc seez that General Com
stock re:rains from expressing any opinion
on the work, simply reporting facts as he
found them:
OF'igs or rHR CE,gp oY ES- MIN.
Washington b. G.. y. a=nber a., ls7A. s
SIR have the honor TO submit herewith
the report OF Major C. 4. CoDstock, corps
OF engineers, OF his recent inspection os the
Work OF Improvement Of the South Pass of
the Mississippi river, showing the progress
made by MIR. James 3. Eads in that work
from the date of its commencement UP TO
NoveiL per ! / last.
This inspection and report have been
MADE il accordance with the provisions Of
paragraph ten Of the fourth section of the
river anu harbor act OF March g. SO. and
1 would suggest that in further compliance
win the act, this renort be submitted to
Congress.
Attention ia respectfully invited 70 the clos
ing paragraph OF Major Con stock report,
referring 10 the importance of al earlv APP
preparation By Congress Of the amount
necessary TO carry on the examinations,
surveys and inspections now required 70 be
made by the terms Of the fourth section OF
the above named act, and for which 10
means were provided by tie &C, itself
In this connection ] would refer - the
annual report and appendix from this Office
wherein will be found the detailed estimates
for conducting these inspections during the
current fiscal year, aud also toy the year
ending June 30, 1877. These estimates hay e
been submitted TO Congress and are printed
IN the book Of estimates, page i-1. The
amount required for the current fiscal year
is Sl6,Gjf
A. A. HUMPHREYS,
Bigadier General and Chief If Engineers
Hon. ". w Beiknsp, Secretary OF War,
IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOUTH PASS Or THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
New ORLEANS, November N, 49,.
GESERAL-I have the hnsor to report the
progress made by james Is. Eads in the i'm
provement of the South Pass OF the Misss-
sippi river from June !, 1873. when the
work was begun, 10 Novem Der / /. ls7j.
The work done is, in general terms, as
follows:
Al the mouth Of the pass, and or its east
side, row of piles has been driven which
starts from the lands end, and while fol-
loving the general direction of the pass,
yet curves gently TO the westward; it is
prolonged till it reaches th!rty-fve feet of
water outside of the bar, the length of the
row being about II, 800 feet, and the dis
tances between its piles varying from eight
10 twenty feet. Excluding the last 1900
feet of the row, it's piles were driven IN less
than ten feet of water.
A parallel row at distance of twelve
feet from it, toward the channel of the pass,
and about 5000 feet long, makes double
ow, Tor that distance from the lands end.
first layer of mattresses these being
TWO and half feet thick and from forty 10
fifty feet wide), resting on the bottom, has
been put down along the channel eide of
the piles for about l. 900 feet.
At different places a second layer thirty
five feet wide has been placed against the
piles and on the first the aggregate length
of this layer being about 400 feet.
Sheet piling has been driven along that
part of the row, which is double 10 an ag-
gregate length of 340O feet
About 1900 feet below the head of the east
jetty, and 1000 feet from it, row of piles
nom the west jetty begins. This row has
its piles twenty feet apart, is nearly parallel
TO the east jetty, and its end outside of the
bar is opposite to the end of the piles for
the cas-. jetty. lite length is about 700
feet.
Single layers of mattresses, thirty-1ve
feet wide, run down both sides OF this row
of piles to point about 1900 feet from its
head.
A line of piling 500 feet long runs from
the head of the west jetty to the west shore
of the pass.
Shops, clearinghouse, and ways for the
construction Of mattresses have been erect
ed at the mouth of the South Pass.
At the head of the South Pass a line of
piles ABOUT 5000 feet long has been begun,
and 100 piles have been driven, the dist ances
between the piles varying from eight to
twenty feet. This row of piles is nearly
prolonged 10 the west bank of the South
Pass upstream into the main river.
Having now given q general description
of the work, some details will be added.
EAST JETTY.
Referring to the tracing forwarded here
with for details of location, the work on this
lefty is as follows:
Starting from q wharf at the lands end,
on the east bank Of the South Pass, a line of
piles numbered up TO HOO, running south
east and bending slightly to the south, has
been driven. The outer end of the row il
in thf1e five feet of water outside of the bar,
and the length of the row is about l ], 800 feet
Starting from its upper end, the piles are
eight feet apart till the seven hundred and
eighty seventh pile is reached; from the sew
en- hundred and eighty seventh to the eight
hundred and eighty ninth pile, the dis
tances are sixteen feet; from the eight hun
dred and eighty ninth TO the ten hundred
and eeventy-seventh, the distances are
twenty feet, the intervals thence to the
eleven hundredth pile being ten feet or less.
A second row, parallel to the first and
twelve feet nearer the channel, was begun at
the same wharf with the same intervals be-
tween the piles. 1t has been carried to Pile
GIL, about 5000 feet from the wharf.
The piles vary from twenty-five to sixty