Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-07-12
THE JETTIES.
statement Of Captain Eads as 10 the
Progress and Condition of the Great
Work He Is COnstructing.
His Complaint of misrepresentation by
GOsernment Offcers-ConcesstOns
BY the Secretary OF War.

New York TTibune.l
James B. Eads, the engineer In charge
of the opening OF the South Pass at the
mouth Of the Mississippi, ia at present
In this city, at the Fifth Avenue hotel.
He was visited by a reporter Of the
Tribune last evening, and made the fol-
lowing statement:
HMaior C, w. Howell, United States
engineer In charge of the dredging Of the
mouth of the Mississippi, mstured the
plans for the Fort st. Philip cana, which
was TO be q side cut through the bank OF
the river into the gulf. A bill was uIan-
imously reported to congress by the
committee on canals and railways In
favor Of this plan. A few weeks after
this l made the proposition to deepen
the water in one of the natural outlets
by the means Of jetties, which are long
dykes or Ievees constructed under water.
/ was to ask for no money until had
secured q navigable depth of twenty feet.
This proposition was opposed by General
A, A. Humphreys and Major Howell.
The canal bill was passed by the house,
but rejected by the senate at the first
session OF the forty-third congress. After
its rejection a commission of engineers
wSs appointed by congress to examine
and report upon the two methods. AT
the second session this committee re-
ported In favor OF the jetties, and there
upon congress granted me the right 10
undertake this improvement upon the
conditions named, and the smallest out.
LET of the Mississippi-the South Pass
was selected by congress for the work. i
have increased the depth Of water on the
bar from eight to nineteen feet, and the
work thus far has been conducted solely
by private means, and without any
government aid. By the terms
OF the concession, congress virtually un-
dertakes to arrange the details Of an
agreement between the government and
myself, and appoints the secretary OF
war the agent on the part Of the govern
ment to carry out this agreement, direct
ing him to detail an engineer to keep
him advised of the progress OF the Work,
while the absolute control Of the con-
struction and design of the same Is left
with me. In a recent letter addressed
to the secretary of war, / complained
that nv operations had been embarrassed
by publications. made at the government
expense and extensively circulated by
the chief OF engineers since the passage
of the act, to prove that the works will
be a failure. i also complained that
Major Howell, without authority Of law,
has been making surveys Of the South
Pass and the jstties, and publishing un-
favorable and untruthful reports, calcu-
lated to destroy public confidence in the
enterprise, while the official facts, which
would disprove these false statements,
have been withheld from me. General
Comstock is the inspecting officer au'
thorized by the act, and be hss not been
permitted to furnish any informa.
ton to me in relation TO his surveys and
soundings, but has been required tC
make his report to the chief OF engineers,
who sends them to the secretary Of war,
from whom they are transmitted to con-
gress, and then published. They are,
consequently, about two months ole
when they are made public, and as the
works have been rapidly executed, and
results follow each other speedily, the
information obtained from time to time
by General Comsteck possesses but little
value. Major Howell, among othel
statements, published an assertion thai
there was only twelve feet Of water be.
tween my jetties; whereupOn l tele.
graphed to the secretary OF war to direct
General Comstock, who was then at the
jetties, to measure the depth Of the chan.
mel with me, and give me an official Ger.
tificate of the same, stating that it was
to correct Misrepresentation made by
Major Howell. This was refused, on
the ground that q fnll survey OF the
works was about TO be made by General
COmstock, and that when the results
were received in Washington a copy
would be furnished me, thus delaying
by this pretext, for month or two, the
information which / am justly entitled
to have promptly. fortunately, the
managers of the Cromwell steamship
line, Knowing their steamers would save
two hours In their time to New York,
began to use the jetties short
time after this statement by Major
Howell, and the passage Of ships draw.
ing over seventeen feet through chan
mel in which a major Of engineers de-
clared there was only twelve feet, be-
came 8 mystery which has not yet been
explained by that officer The effect oil
General Humphreys and Major How
ellis sntsgonism has been to impress
the public with the belief that the war
department, il not the government it.
self, is unfriendly to the enterprise l
have in hand, and such an impression
must OF necessity greatly increase tne
financial problem which really underlies
the jetty experiments. The last account
from the jetties reports the depth Of wa
ter in the channel at nineteen feet, and
in view Of the fact that the work was
only begun one year ago, at the mouth
of an outlet of the river totally valueiess
and unused for commerce, needs no
comment. 1t will be seen by the letter
given below that Mr.. Cameron recOg-
nizes the justice of my remOnstrance,
and comedies every one OF my re-
quests" $3.50.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, ID, C., June p, 1876. }
STR have the honor TO acknowledge
the receipt Of your letter OF the twen-
tieth instant, requesting in substance:
First-That in future the inspectiD G
officer contempt ated la the act approved
Ma-ol, lg-6 Tar no al