Idaho tri-weekly world. (Idaho City, Idaho) 1875-1875, 1875-07-09
The Mouth of the Mississippi

Captain j. l.. Eads, for the improve
ment of the mouth Of the Mississippi.
The Importance of such work to the
great valley of that river can hardly
be overestimatcd.
| The Delta of the Mississippi is
formed of narrow strips Of land, most.
ly low-lying banks, through which the
river winds until it makes it's exit to
the Gulf by number Of narrow pass
es. In some of these channels prcvj-
ous attempts have been made to deep
en- by dredging, with but partial sue
cess, however, as single flood has
been known to carry down sufficient
sediment to fill them to their original
depths; and the current besides, emp
tying into the open water at the
mouths, speedily left ut that point
bars OF: blue clay. surmountablc only
by light draft ships. Capt Eads pro-
poses an cntilgly different plan-that
which is known as the jctty system
which has succeeded most admirably
at the mouths of many European riv-
ers. Captain f. will operate at the
South pass, one Of the three principal
mouths. The bar ut this mouth is COW
cred with seven feet of wafer at it's
shallowcst point, is about two aud q
half miles long, and increasing at the
rate of about 100 feet Year. The
channel is about 80 feet wide, and
Captain +. proposes To gradually mar
row it, working from both sides until
the increased force Of the current will
scpur out the channel instead of con-
timing It's present deposit Of mud.
The work is II he done in the fol-
lowing manner: " W.lIow,wigS are to be
bound into bundles. called in engineer.
ing parlancc "iascinc>.' These fas-
cincs. say eight or ten feet in length,
and as many inches in diameter arc
put together IN the form Of a raft like
timber logs, towc1 to the required
spot. and loaded with stone until they
sink. This process is repeated with
successive rafts until continuous
foundation is laid the entire length of
the proposed line of icttics. The first,
or foundation 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 wild
est 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 narrower than
the one below it, until the topmost line
will not bc more than ten feet across.
By this means channel is created
with sloping sides. The water gradu-
ally fills up the interstices between
the twigs with sand and sediment and
in the course of few years the
structure becomes as solid as wall,
being in fact a submarine lcvec. 1t
will readily be seen that an almost in
quantity of willow twigs
will bc required to construct these
Two long lines of ietties the whole
cngth Of the South Pass, and the
work Of cutting and preparing them
will furnish employment to great
1nmber of men,.
Some of the piling will have to be
lone ut the head of the pass in order
% provide for the proper regulation Of
he volume of water in the new channel
It various stages of the river.
Capt. Eads regards the construction
If the jetties in the South Pass as
more feasible and easy Of accomplish
nent, than the work would be in the