The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-07-20
fT'"IJTTHIIDUS
THE MISSISSIPPI JETTIES.
interesting Interview with cant. i
u. Eads-hed Tape and Jealousy in
the Engineer Corps
New York Herald


Perhaps no work of scientific engineer
my has more engrOssed public attention
within brief period than the project o
the IetIieS undertaken by Capt. James Il
Eads III the opening OF the South Pas
at The mouth OF the Mississippi river
! The distinguished engineer was foun,
by He|dM reporter al the Filth ayenu,
Hotel yesterday, and very cOurteousll
gave him great deal OF information in
regard 10 the obstacles met with i'm il.
accomplishment. lle said The report.
IRON the JettIes continue 10 show the
most encouraging progress. Since the
! closing OF the Grand Bayou the increas-
ed volume OF water appears n
have accelerated the process Of
deepeniHg the channel. . Soundings
taken recently although | have not
heard from there since the 9Th inst
commencing outside The bar and enter
ing the channel west Of what is known
a. the outer red buoy. shows the follow
ing depths p feet. 23l. 2Ol. 22l. IJI
-, 10. -, -, l34, 20l, 2il, -. y. Il. 2Il.
l53. 2l4. q, 20! %. 23i y. 23l. PSI. Iji
"a and ~. The largest vessel. YOU viii
tiiu, see, can pass through safely: but
there !, no doubt, after little more
work, there will be a clear outlet from
the city Of New Orleans via South Pas
for vessels drawing over twenty feet.
The captain then showed the reporter
an acknowledgment Of his services 10 the
Guy, III one OF the newspapers there. of
recent date.
IHE HISTORY Oh mn JETIIKs.
Now, said the captain, will give You n
brlci and succinct history of tile iettics
and the way in which they came TO be
constructed. Major {. ". Howell
United States engineer in charge of HE
dredging operations At the mouth of the
Mississippi, settled the plans for the Fort
u. Phillip canal, sort Oi side cut
through the bank OF the river into The
gun The committee In congress on
canals and railways unanimously re-
ported bill iavoring thi, pIan. A litrIc
later ] made the proposition 10 decnen
the water in one Of the natural outlets bv
means OF Jetiies, which are nothing more
or less than long dikeS or leyeCs con
siructed under water. agreed To ask
Tor no money until had secured a nayi-
gable depth OF twenty feet. Ihi, promo
sitlon was zealously opposed by Gen.
Humphreys and Maj. Howell. The canal
bill was passed by the House Of Renre-
sentatlves. but rejected by the senate AT
ue hr>t session Of the fOrtv.third
congress \ commission OF engineers
was then appointed to examine and re-
port upon The two methods. This com
inittee as Is well known. reported i'm IA
vor OF the jetties, aud congress then
granted me the right to undertake. the
Improvement under the conditions
named. and the smallest outlet ot the
Mississippi-the South Pass-was select
ed by congress for the experiment. The
result Is before the world. The work
mas been carried on, too, solely by pri-
yate means, without any aid being asked
OF the government.
NOW. wish TO emphasize "A very nice
point: congress directed the secretary of
war, the agent on the part OF the govern
,heht, 10 see that the mutual agreement
between the United States and iayseIf
was properly carried out, aud the abso.
lutte control Of the construction and de-
sign OF the same was left with me re-
Gently addressed a
LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
complaining that my operations had