The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-08-01
How Captain Eads Proposes to
Deepen the Head of South Pass.
From theINew Orleans Times. I

From the New Orleans Times.
The latest adVices7 from South Pass
show that the work of securing out the
channel between the jetties is prOgl ess-
ing favofably and satisfactorily. Since
the closing, OF Grand Bayou, the amount
of earth removed from the channel way
has been very great.
Each days soundiugs indicate that
the jetUied channel is gradually be-
coming straighter, wider and deeper.
'Frum petnt with II three hundred feet
of the mead OF the Pass to point within
one Thousand feet Of the sea end of the
ietties, there is a clear, wide channel Of
considerably over twenty ieet in depth.
The official survey made on the 18Th OF
July showed adepth OF more than 70 ieet
of water ON this ], 900 leet, with the ex-
ception of 45O feet, where several sound
ings indicated d less depth than 20 eet,
but not less than 1S1a leet. On July IS,
however, on this space of 450 feet the
soundiDgs showed a depth OF over 20
.eet, with three exceptions. One sound
ing indicated 10 leet, and two 1917 leet.
These three suundings extended over a,
space OF 10 feet in length up and down
Tue channel, showing that from 20 feet
depth inside TO 20 feet outside the dis
tance was but TO teeJ, with u least depth
there of ~ teet. The action OF The cur
rent upon the mud lump outside OF and
in front of the, jetties has been very et-
fective.
This mud lump, it will be remembered,
has been constantly spoken of by the
opposers of the jetty system as an Ubsta-
Gle sure to defeat the success of the jet
ties. The latest survey, however, shows
that the current has divided this lump
in two parts, and that through it now
there is channel over one hundred feet
wide and twenty and half feet deep,
which channel is every day deepening
and widening. The ship James A.
Wright was toWed through the jetties
yesterday by two towboats. Captain
Nj orI ison, of his vessel, stated that he
thought that in very short time he
would be able to take his ship through
South Pass loaded to q depth of twenty
lWo feet.
For the improvement of the entrance
to South Pass Capt. Eads has already
settled upon his plan, and the prepara-
tory surveys are now being made. The
plan embraces a system of wing dams
and dikes, the object of which is TO con-
fine the water to ID much narrower space
than it now occupies, and to increase
the current and scour. An official sur
vey made some time ago showed nat the
shoal extended from the head of the Pass
up the river Tor a distance Of 1900 leet,
and from the head OF the Pass. down the
Pass for distance OF 800 feet. Over
LnIs 1000 feet the depth of water was
from 16H to II feet, anu over the $40 teeB
from 19 Lo ~ feet.
/ To make deep and permanent chan
nc! through this shual, Capt. Eads pro-
poses to bulld a series OF wing dams.
Two wing dams, one on either side of
the river, wall be placed 5000 Ieet above
the head OF the Pass. The one on The
lett bank going down will extend into
the river from the bank 400 feet, and
the one on the right l POO leet. ,Ihe
space lett between these two dams for
the passage Of the water will be $1,000
Ieet. AT a distance OF 2,400 feet be .ow
these will be placed two more wing
dams. The one on the left side going
down will be 1,200 leet in length, and
will jUt, at a rIght angle, from a dixie
3,200 feet in length, already built and
known as the EasC Dixie, running from
point 800 feet below the head OF South
Pass to a point about $40 feet above this
dam.
The dam on the right will be 900 feet in
length, and will have neither dixie nor.
bank as a base. The open space be.
tween these two dams, for the current,
will be 500 ieet, which is about the aver
age width OF south Pass. This system
oil dams and diKes will leave passage
into Southwest Pass of 2, 400 feet, and a
passage OIL the same width into Pass a.
POutre.
Work will be commenced on these
dams as soon as the surveys are COM
pleted, and it is confidently believed
that depth of water of twenty feet or
more will be obtained at the head Of the