The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-02-25
THE GREAT VENTURE.

Capt. James B. Eads, Of st. Louis
has agreed to undertake the greatest job
which was ever accepted by any one man
in this country he has agreed to con-
tract with the government to deepen the
channel on the bar of the Mississippi to
the depth at 80 feet; that it shall be
good for at least twenty years, and when
that's assured that the channel will never
again be obstructed The improvement
is to be perfected within three years,
and then he is to receive So, 900, 600 from
the national treasury; If the required
depth of water is not secured he is to
receive nothing; but Capt. Eads holds
that after that depth is obtained 1T will
require constant attention for twenty
wears; he estimames that expense to be
$500, 900 per annum, but he says that
inasmuch as he is to receive large sum
on the completion of the jetties, he COW
enants to keep them in repair for twenty
years for the sum Of $3.50, 900 per annum
SO, in fact, he is to obtain 81 600, 900
for this great undertaking, but, as he
estimates that the repairs will cost him
50, 800, 900 in excess of what he is to
receive, that he really obtains from the
national treasury only IS, 100000
Government engineers have estlma-
mated that it would cost to carry out
Eads' plan 920,000,O00. Inasmach as
Capt. Eads is to agree to do the work in
a manner that the government shall APP
prove, for 81 200, 900, it is no surprise
that the bill passed the House by an
immense majority, and we trust will
pass the Senate, because nearly all the
risk falls upon Captain Eads. His plan
! is to scatter the annual sediment which
flows down the Mississippi river, upon
the bed of the Gulf of Mexico, where
there is such depth of water that In no
probability can a bar ever be formed.
The jetties will extend i've or six
miles into the Gulf, and he has calcutta
ted that by the action OF the currents of
the river, and the counter currents of
| the Gulf, the sediment can never again
accumulate so as to form a bar.
The waters of the Mississippi are nav
| igable for the distance of 10000 miles,
and If the mouth of this great river can
| be rendered as easy of entrance as any
harbor in the United States, it will be OF
unreasonable importance to New Or
leans. and of vast benefit to the western
and southwestern states,
If Captain Eads perfectly succeeds IN
all he undertakes to do, We think he Will
be regarded as the greatest civil 9ngi-
neer of ancient OF modern times.
The bar at the mouth of this great
river has literally defed the utmost
efforts of the best engineering talent OF
the land for the past sixty years LII mas
been temporarily removed, but soon
after reformed. Eads' plan Is grand,
because it is permanent, and is really
designed to make the river and the gulf
do the proper work.
Capt Eads not only invests in the I'M
dertaking all his genius, but his entire
private fortune, which Is reported to be
colossal from four to five millions OF
dollars. One would think he had money
and reputation sufficient to satisfy him,
but he is permeated with a grand aInbl-
ton of so improving the navigation OF
the Father of Waters that his name
will be "a household word throughout
the land. If he fails he loses fame, for
tune, reputation and in fact everything