The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-10
CAPT. EADS'S PROGRAMME.

the St Louis Republican, descriptive of the
method Capt. Eads intends to adopt il build
ing the jetties at South Pass, will be found
particularly interesting to our readers. We
are glad to learn that the Captain will visit
New Orleans in few days for the purpose of
making preparation to commence his gigantic
work, and we sincerely hope that our citizens
will give him fitting reception. He is a man
of vast energy, and of great professional abil-
ity, just the man to grapple with the tremem-
dous difficulties which, from the nature of the
operations he will be obliged to confront
Should he succeed he will be regarded and
honored as one Of the greatest public bene-
factors of tho age. The people Of New Or
leans should give him all the encouragement
and assistance within their power:
priation," as Col. Sellers would say, and the
festivities proper to the occasion have been
duly observed, the next objects of public in
terest in connection with the great work of
opening the mouth of the Mississippi are the
methods by which ths work itself will be
carried on. and the preparations in progress
Accordingly, a Republican reporter yesterday
called on the captain at his Office IN the H.
snrance building, to learn the facts. Capt.
Eads described the method OF building the
jetties quite infinitely, and gave manyinterest
ing points as to the nature OF the undertak-
ing. the number of men that would be en-
ployed on the work, the difficulties to be en-
countered, etc.
The jetties are made of willow twigs. 1t
may seem an odd proposition at first thought
that the untold hydraulic forces OF the
mightiest river in the world are to be brought
into subsection by willow twigs. But why
not? Many human will which in mature
life has psrceptibly influenced the current of
events has, in earlier years, been subjected
by willow twigs, and certainly if these
agencies are potent enough to control the
human will. they ought to be powerful
enough to control other things when they
have a mind and will to assist them. The
first thing is to cut the twigs. They are then
bound into bundles, called in engineering
parlance ''fascines." These fascines are, say.
| eight or ten feet in length and as many inches
in diameter, though, of course, their size is
| varied at the convenience OF the wOrkmen and
according to the requirements Of the work.
Having been cut and properly secured, the
fascines are put together in the form OF
raft, like timber logs, towed to the required
spot, and then loaded with stones until they
SILK 10 Tue DCttOm lulS pFOCeSS ~ IepcdIcl
with successive RATS until continuous
foundation is laid the emf ire length of the
proposed line of jetties. Ths 6rst or founda-
ton RATS will be from Is to 200 feet in width,
according to the depth of water where they
are sunk, the deepest water requiring the
widest RATS. AS soon as the foundation is
completed in this manner another line of
willow RATS is sunk on top Of those already
down, and SO on until the surface of the
| water is reached, each line of RATS being mar
rover than the one below it until the top
most line will not bs more than ten feet
across.
! By this means channel is created with
sloping sides. The water gradually fills up
the interstices between the twigs with sand
and sediment, and in the course of few
years the structure becomes as solid as a
wall, being in fact submarine levee. 1t
will be readily seen that an almost incalcul-
a Die quantity of willow twigs will be re-
quired to construct these two long lines of
jetties the whole length of the South Pass,
and the work of cutting and preparing
them will furnish employment to great
meny men, The stone work will not be
elaborate, inasmuch as the rock will not re-
quire any cutting or dressing, being used
merely as weight to sink and hold the RATS
in position. But very little pile work will be
| required. and Capt e IDS said he could not
tell until after a careful survey of the channel
how much pile driving would have to be
done. He did not know how much work
would have to be done at the head of the pass
| in order to provide for the proper regulation
! of the volume of water in the new channel at
various stages of the river, and as most OF the
piiing would have to 90 done in this work he
could not now determine its extent
| With res yect to the relative merits of the
two passes, the South and South vest for test
ing the practicability OF his plan, Capt. Eads
said that while the securing OF perman Mt
channel, such as he contem plated through the
Southwest Pass, would BIZ Of greater CONNER
cial advantage to the country than the channel
he could make under the provisions Of his
grant through the South Pass, yet the work
| would be less difficult AID OF much smaller
proportions in the latter than in the former
pass. The bed of the river tn o1sh tho South
Pass, he said was OF a character much better
calculated to render the work easy thai that
through the Sou Invest Pass. The latter Was
much longer than the South Pass, and hence
the velocity Of the current in it was less, by
reason Of the fall being more gradual.
Resides. the yniI,ma of ter flo Eino