New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-18


plain the cause of the failure, aad
also the difference of opinion. between
Captain Eads and himeelf. Mr.. Bayley
etatee: Good loveee, built and main
tanned and guarded % they should be,
under well regulated general govern
ment system, can be relied upon, - Hum
phrey and Abbott say, for the reclamation
remedy possible" Captain Eads states:
"These opinions form the basis Of the plan
and Recommendation Of the levee commits
sion. Az tho Improvement I ann conducting
at the mouth of the Mississippi is based
upon views precisely opposite, It is not sur
prising that the chief Of engineers of the
United States army believes the jetties at
South Pass will be unsuccessful" Accord
ing to thuse two distinguished authorities,
il the jetties succeed tho levees will fail, if
the levees succeed sthe jetties will fail, you
pay your money and take your choice.
give another opinion by Mr.. Bsyley. Speak
ing Of the Southwest Pass being tho natural
outlet of the Mississippi, he states: There
need be no apprehension of the loss of this
tSou.hwestI pass by its extension either by
jetties or otherwise, for it is almost GER
tain that the whole river will in time
seek this outlet and close up all Others"
Then. according to Mr.. Bayley's opin-
ion, South Pass instead of having 30 feet
of water, in q few years will be 'cl0sed up."
On the fourth of NJ arch the bark Atw ood,
drawing thirteen feet two inches, tried the
South Pase, and was only saved from be-
coming wreck by being dragged through
the bar. In March Colonel Hardee report
ed the depth at eleven feet; Captain Cow
don reported thirteen feet; on March %,
Captain Bailey, bar pilot, reported fourteen
feet five inches deep, fifty feet wide, out
eide that eleven feet, and yet he could take
q vessel through dra wing sixteen feet. He
must be Q gilt edged pilot. Captain Eads
claims fifteen fest, but does not give the
width. From the above information we be-
lieve that there is not q channel 200 feet
and over eleven feet deep. The Board
Of Engineers gives lowest depth on South
Pass before jetties commenced at seven
feet, to which Major Comstock states one
feet seven inches must be added for food
tide; then eight feet seven inches from
eleven feet leaves increased depth caused
by jetiies. two feet three inches; aud
Of s3Oo,oOO, and the jetties nearly
completed. We maintain this result might
have been accomplished, without . single
yard Of jetty built by the almost uoprece-
dented food now pouring down the Missis
during the epripg fresiets, and again shoals
up in the low water season when the effects
of back water are felt az high az Baton
Rouge. On March 81 Captain Eads stated:
"At the head of the passes, twelve miles
above, there is l6 feet of water over shoal
$500 feet long" Before the jetties COM
menced the board stated: "Chere is .
shoal at the head of S,uth Pass with but
IL feet of water on it. At present this
shoal is securing out" Add IL gives 1877
deep; then, according to this, since the
jetties commenced the securing has
ceased and shoaled up 81 feet. Cap
tain Eads ststee that one of the gov
eminent dredgebOats oOald cut down
the present shoal in week and open out
u twenty foot channel. This We doubt;
but they certainly could have deepened the
channel 2.3 feet in q few weeks, the in
creased depth supposed to be duo to the
action of the jetties.
The board of engineers state that South
Pass is 1873 miles long, and South west Pass
IS miles long. thus Southwest is 81 miles
further into the gulf than South Pass, and
NJ ior Howell with the steam dredges Mo
Allester and EsssyOns takes advantage Of
the strongest current flowing out to deepen
the bar and carry out the sediment, and he
has found NO littoral current, for the sedi.
ment is dropped outside tho bar. Captain
Esds must extend his jetties 81 miles be-
fore he has the same advantage as Captain
Howell, and even then will find no littoral
current, upon which the success of the jet
ties entirely depends.
l now refer to the peculiar letter of Cap
tain Eads to the Secretary of War, stating
as thirty feet of depth will IN all prob
ability be secured before or soon after the
preeent session of Congress, he requires
him to be prepared with the stamps, and. az
bonds are much higher than greenbacke,
generate days. he will take the greeubacks.
That letter was only intended for vig0r-
Gus shaking OF the hay for the benefit OF
the st. Louis Stockholders. Major Com
stock is appointed to inform the Secretary
Of War as to the progress Of the work, and
he is rot of opinion, judging from late re-
port, that any payments will be required at
all. He states: "Should Captain EAds try
various methods seriously affecting South
great value, especially in case the work
should be abandoned by him on account of
its difficulties being greater than he sup
posed" Major Comstock once believed the
jetties would prove successful, but it seems
he is becoming doubtful.
Inow quote from letter dated st. Louis,
April 8. from the secretary of the Jetty
Company, in answer to Captain Cowdon,
aud let the New Orleans merchants read
and ponder: "He is only harping after
Humphreys, Howell and Newton, that the
sion of the jetties. But this has nothing to
do with the Jetty Company stock. None
of these regular engineers have denied that
the channel depth could be produced, and
this is all that concerns the jetty stockhold.
ers who are to be reimbursed and receive
their pSoft from the first three payments.
Bey Ond twenty-four feet depth the Jetty
Company stockholders have NO interest"
This statement does credit to the secretary's
candor, bat says little for his discretion. 1t
seems the company expected that by the
means Of jetties depth Of twenty -four
feet would speedily be obtained, at . cost
Of about $500 900. and they would receive
in payment 81 500 900, making . profit of
over 81 900 600, whom they would have NO
further interest. II the bar formed again
outside it would be none of their business,
and New Orleans and the jetties might 60
to the devil. This Is right smart specula-
tlon, but unfortunately for the company
blocks this little game. As there is no lit
teral current, and it is fast shoaling up out
side the bar, the ietties can never be per.
and If they had "a feet to-day, aud
water shoaling in advance, they would not
be entitled to single payment. I quote from
the jetty bill: "And in case the said COM
mission shall report that tho works are be.
ing constructed upon . design that will not
be of q substantial add permanent chsrac-
ter when completed, eli the facts in the
case shall be laid before Congress at the
earliest possible moment, and psvments
upon said works sh Ill be suspended until
Congress shall otherwise order"
The Mississippi valley is capable of con-
tanning and sustaining the whole of the in- |
habitants of America, but unfortunately
her interests have been made the football
Of speculative engineers and rsscally levee
and there is no lover OF bis |
country who can view to-day her situation |
without emotion. The ships bearing her
products to foreign countries lie stranded