New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-18
VOLUME X.-NO.


rse rswbeass and ~ Jsssles.
On tho frat dsy Of April, Mr.. Eads pub
,,,hed il tho New Oflsans papers lstter
.ddreesed to Mr.. J. 8. Walsh, president Of
the south Pas Jetty Company, IN which the
following statenent appeared:
Avessel drawing eighteen feet would now
y .rcounter bot two places throughout tho
sntire channel over the bar with less than
s;chteen feet of water on them ct average
Sccd tide. The first Of these is shout 5000
fsct rom the upper end Of the jatties, and
a Il there is seventeen feet tive inches, and
"a length of the shoal, measured with the
ssytart. 10 not over 800 feet. The second
shout 700 feet long The least depth here
4 ene inch less than fifteen feet.
This ie the shoalest place throughout the
arf;re length of the channel, and 1 believe
I am safe ia esying that this b quite eQsol
i q ihAe present normal depth on S0uthscest
Pnss bar. Chis channel is not crooked, and
throughout four-ifths of the length Of the
;eft;es the eigkteen-foot channel is at least
800 feet wide.
The length of shoal water which q vessel
tarawing twenty feet would encounter in
passing out through the jstties is not more
Ina 5000 feet. One OF the government
Sredges would cut down this shoal in q
veek s.d thus open twenty foot channel
from the sex to the head of the passes.
twelve miles above. Here there il sixteen
feat of water over shoal about $500 feet
long, through which the dredge could make
twenty feet IN few days.
This statement doubtless inspired action
on the part of Mr.. u. Highly, as Is indi-
Gated in the following correspondence,
which appeared in tho Picays nc yesterday
i New ORLEANS, April II, 1876.
To the Editor Of the Picayane:
At this time there is large amount of
tonns ge in this port which requires more
water to load OUT than there is now or
likely to be on Southwest Pass bar.
There IL ale0 large amount of corn in
ali the States vest OF the Mississippi river
awaiting deeper water for transportation.
South west Pass has sixteen feet with the
aid Of the government steam dredges,
which is about the average low water depth
which it has had since the dredgeboats
have been there. This depth IL through .
long and crooked channel.
South Pass has now twenty-five feet, ex-
cent for half mile ct the outer end, where
there is at least fifteen feet six inches, and
in many places twenty feet II is believed
one of the government steam dredges can.
in week or ten days, make . channel
twenty feet deep through this and through
tonnage can all load at very remunerative
fates, and thus materially benefit the CON-
me,cs of this city and all the valley States.
The following letters and memorial will ex-
plain the plan proposed.
Tho memorial will be presented to our
mercbants and shippers to-day for their con-
alteration aud signatnres. Prompt action
krAa taHa ao nA.
vautages before Navigation opens through
the lakes and canals OF the North.
L. j. HIGBY.
New ORLEANS, April Is, 1876.
Captain James B. Eads:
DEAR SIR-YOu have so far exceeded cur
expectations in your great work of making
deep water at the South Pass that the mer-
chauts OF New Orleans ara sll anxious to
render YOU their assistance in . memorial
70 the Secretary OF War to grant you the
aid Of the dredge steamships few days to
work on the bar at the head of the pass,
and, if desirable, at the mouth.
1t this should meet your appreciation,
will, With the cooperation OF our meI-
chants. apply to the Secretary OF War.
ou'' ' L. !. HIGBY,
5ke 49, PoRT EADs, April Is, 1876.
Mr.. l. J. Highly. Rev orlsAns:
DEAR SIR am in receipt of your valued
favor of this date, rendering the voluntary
offer of the merchants of New O.leans to
use their influence with the honorable Sec
retary Of War in having one of the govern
ment dredeeboats placed at my disposal to
hasten the deept ming Of the channel We are
creating. and NY associates have under
taken to secure . permanent channel here
twenty fet + deep before receiving any as
sistance whatever from the government,
and We are determined to do this without
aeling for anything not specified in my
grant from Congress. l shall be glad to
avail myself Of the use OF the dredge if
placed here subject to my directions, and
have no doubt that it will hasten. by sew
eral weeks, the deep channel 60 much de-
sired by tho merchants and ehippers OF New
Orleans.
Our enterprise has been, however, ad.
ve.seiy cricised by q large and influential
portion Of the community, and innumera-
bic diecouragemeHts have been thrown
around it. These have been gradually sur
mounted, snd it has 1T last won its way
into the confidence of the public by sheer
dint of results aeoomplis he'd. IL was only
yesterday that ten months elapsed since
the fret blow wss struck upon these works.
ana in that short period We have dou0.ed
the depth on the bar, and vessel drawing
twenty-five feet can now go through IL
more than one and One-hsF miles nearer to
deep sea water than when We commenced
work. DO not wonder at the impatience
of your merchants, Notwithstanding this
result; but under all the circumstances l
think there is manifest piOpriety in my
leaving solely to others equally interested in
occurring deep channel at the earliest mo-
ment all action in the matter you suggest
Very respectfully.
N T.
The following is q copy Of the memorial
slluded to by Mr.. Highly:
To the Hon, A,onso Taft, Secretary Of War Of tho
United States:
We, your mem0rialists, merchants of
New Orleans, beg leave to represent to you
that tho work of deepening the channel
across the South Pass bar, at the mouth Of
tho Missieeippi river, has progressed
20 rapidly that . navtkabie depth OF twenty
feat to sea viii soon be obtained through
said pass.
To make this depth available for COM
merce, it 10 necessary to obtain GORE
spending depth Of channel across the bar |
in the Mississippi river above the head OF |
tho Pass. We are confident that il you
viii iesue the necessary instructions to |
Major G. w Howell to operate one or both !
of the government dredgee ON said bar,
that . like depth Of twenty feet can 90 oo-
tanned into the head Of South Pass in very |
short time.
This will enable an our large ships to |
lead with grain this spring, which will ma |
terially bene 1t the farmers and merchants
Of the Valley states and the whole North.
west, and add considerably to the va'ue OF |
the present ceresl crop. And your memo
rialists will ever pray.
Mr.. Highly was very active yesterday in