New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-19

1 NSoAAsVA40S40UO
throwing off their Southern associates
They have done it before, why can any
thing else be expected of them in the
future?
ANOTHER GAME OF SHUTTLECOCK IN TIL
| CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
On the call Of Genelal Reauregard and
others, fourteen members of the Chamber
OF Commerce held special meeting
Monday night to Eecommend an attempt
to improve Southwest Pass by means Of
jetties, at which meeting the following
resolution was passed, as expressing
the sense Of said Chamber of Commerce,
over the heads Of such of the fourteen
present as opposed the resolution:
WHEREAS, The special board of engineers
appointed by the general government to
consider and decide what plan should be
adopted for obtaining deep channel to
connect the Mississippi river with the Gulf
OF Mexico, have adopted the jettylng of one
| OF the river mouths or passes, giving the
| preference to the South Pass, instead OF the
Southwest Pass. because it was deemed
most economical, but not on the ground
that 1t would offer as good and desirable
navigation for ocean vessels as would the
Southwest Pass;
Whereas, The present and prospective
commercial interests and necessities of the
mlilions who are and will be inha bitants of
the Mississippi valley, and the dictates of
wise economy, demand that that channel
should be improved, which alone will suf-
fee for all the wants Of commerce, and
Irwin vovI l. g
this Chamber in favor of canal outlet
Resolved by the Chamber Of Commerce
OF New Orleans, That our Senators and
Representatives in Congress be and they
are earnestly requested to urge upon Con
gress the improvement of the Southwest
Pass instead Of South Pass.
The gentleman who pre- sented the reso-
luton, and whose name heads the call for
The meeting, stated that in 1852 he was a
member Of board of engineers convened
to consider the question of improvement
at the mouth of the Mississippi. By refer
ence to the report of this board, it is found
that the board recommended: l. Stirring.
2. Dredging. 3. Trial Of jettes at South
west Pass. 4. Trial of jetties at Pass-a-
IOutre, if successful at Southwest Pass.
And finally stated, sBut in case of failure,
the board believes there is yet plan to
fall back upon, viz: ship canal"
The estimates for jetties as submitted
by this board were: For Southwest Pass,
S315, 200; for PASCAL Outre, $4,000.
Shades of Eads !! where are your millions
as compared with these simple estimates :? |
General Beauregard in his address be-
fore the fourteen is reported as stating
that 'his plan for the jetties was to put
down two rows Of piling, secured against
worms; the rows to be filled in with fas-
cines loaded down with concrete or
stones" This was the plan Of the board
Of 1852. The General is then reported as
stating
An experiment of so-called jetties by
some private individuals from the West
was authorized. and it failed completely.
Why let another "private individual
rom the West" monopolize further failure
It cost of millions when the same re-
ult can be obtained at an expense es.
mated s315, 900? i
And again, if the last Board of En-
'ineers erred in designating South Pass
s the seat of the jetty experiment, what
5 their judgment worth on their other
In 1852 it was thought that South Pass
7ould do for 'jetty experiment.. In
1913 General Beauregard addressed a
stter to the president of the then board of
ngineers, which is on official record az a ,
art of the report of the board, from
7hich we extract the following:
l consider the construction of shin ca i
al, below Fort St. Philip, from the river TO {
'reton Island harbOr, entirely practicable, 6
D the depth Of about twenty-five feet, 6
1hich would be sufficient probably for ali s
lture commercial and naval purposes.
The Importance OF this canal, in military e
Oint OF view, can not be overestimated. for I
would make of the Mississippi river safe a
arbor several hundred miles long, capable
floating the largest ships of war, and a
avy yard of construction and supplies
ould be established anywhere in that dis
.nce, perfectly safe from attack, and where
Il materials for naval purposes could be t
ad in the greatest abundance and at the | 7
heapest rates.
The construction of jetties at the mouths ]
the river would be practicable, in nv J.
pinion, only at great outlay. and the ex-
1t result can not we'll be calculated; nor if II
ractlc able, Can the length of time be deter +
ined that it would remain unobstructed
= the formation OF new bar outside Of the y
d one. d
Should the experiment be tried, however,
ass-a-rOutre would, believe, offer fewer
'stacles than any of the other passes. A
From this it appears that in 1873 Pass e
rOutre was the proper pass for jetties F
should the experiment be tried c
Now comes another board of engineers s.
I'd prefers South Pass. Mr.. Eads con- e
stently insists upon Southwest Pass. t.
here is a correspondence Of which we a
ar through the St. Louis Democrat, and L
hold the fourteen members who met on "
onday then flop over again to Southwest b
ISIS, and the New Orleans Chamber of tt
with its two hundred or more Ii
embers is again placed On record by less ft
an tenth Of their number at q called n
Getting. al
Is this dignifed or wise? Men should
we some fixed convictions in regard to Ia
bjects they have given attention enough c]
to qualify them to speak with authority D
ION, or else their opinions will be taken Of
lacking weight. Bodies of men like fl
e Chamber of Commerce should not be 81
aged backward and forward by 1.-THE n,