New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-01
The Jetties.

Captain Eads has furnished to the press
the following statement:
PORT EADs, March 81, 1876.
Nj j. s. " alsh President South Pass Jetty Com
DEAR SIR-Our recent eOundings have
been very elaborate, and embrace the entire
length of the jetty work and extend several
hundred feet beyond them into the gulf.
They have just been mapped out, and re-
veal the following interesting and encOur-
aging facts:
A vessel drawing eighteen feet would
now encounter but two places throughout
the entire channel over the bar with less
than eighteen feet of water on them at
average flood tide. The first of these is
about 5000 feet from the upper end of the
jetties, aRd on it there is seventeen feet
five inches, and the length of the sbosl,
measured with the current is not over 300
teet. The second shoal is about 2200 feet
further down, and is about 700 feet long
The least depth here is one inch less than
fifteen feet.
entire length Of the channel and believe
l am safe in saying that this is quite equal
to the present normal depth on Southwest
Pass bar. This channel is not crooked, and
throughout four -fifths of the length Of the
ietties the eighteen-fo0t channel is at least
200 feet wide.
The length of shoal water which vessel
drawing twenty feet would encounter in
passing out through the jetties is not more
than 5000 feet. One of the government
dredges would cut down this shcal in a week
and thus open twenty foot channel from
the sea to the head Of the passes. twelve
miles above. Here there is sixteen feet Of
water over shoal about $500 feet long,
through which the dredge could make twen-
ty feet in a few days. Colonel Andrews is
pushing the construction of the DETECTING
dyke at this place which is intended to re.
move this shoal. This work will soon be
80 far advanced that it's effect upon the
shoal will be apparent. The sinking of the
third tier of mattresses will be commenced
on the dyke in few days. The closure of
Grand bayou is steadily progressing. A
sill of foundation mattresses is already
sunk across it's entire width and tomorrow
a second tier three feet thick will be sunk
on them.
The soundings in advance of the jetties
are exceedingly satisfactory, and fully sus-
tain the correctness Of the theories upon
which tho application of the jetty system
for improving the mouth of the river is
based. Instead of the bar advancing in
front of the jetties go confidently predicted
by its opposers, we actually find marked
Oeep0nlng OF tno Wator ZOE SoVorAl nunuroO
feet out in front of them. In some cases the
increase is as much as ten feet. About 600
feet beyond the ends of the west jetty We
have fifty-four feet of depth where there
was but forty -four last May.
This is not a hole, as forty-fve to fifty
feet soundings are found over large area
within 1000 feet of the jetty ends. The
storm ten or twelve days ago was the
severest ever known at this place. but be.
yond sinking barge load of willows it did
us no damage. Careful examination of the
works reveals NO injury to them from its
violence.
A large amount of deposit has formed
on the sea side of each jetty, nearly out to
their sea ends, which not only gives them
greater security, but materially lessons the
cost OF completing them.
Very respectfully, etc.,
JAMES B. EADS.