New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-18

The Improvement at the Mouth Of the
01ississlppi.
Since the commencement of operations
under the direction of Captain Eads q con-
siderable Improvement has been effected in
the navigation of the South Pass, and it is
now claimed that ships of sixteen feet
draft can traverse it ct mean high water
without any difficulty. BY means of en-
bankments formed Of mattress work, pro-
tected by sheet piling, the channel of the
South Pass has bean 90 narrowed that tho
dredged the bed clear Of . large pOr-
ton Of the mud deposit, and Captain
Eads asserts that there is now good
reason to expect . complete removal Of the
bar Obetructing this mouth of the Missis-
sippi by the action OF the constantly incress-
ing volume of water. But Q grave question
arises in connection with the ultimate
deposit of the mud thus removed from the
mouth and channel of the South Pass, - it is
been recently discovered to exist several
hundred feet to sesward of the lower tor
minus of operations, and which il believed
to be due to the accumulation Of the mud
that has been dredged by the river current
as above described. Regarding this i'm
portant discovery we will express our Opin-
ion by repeating the warning of the Herald
on the sixth and eighth of last September,
when the commission of engineers was in
scheme and determine finally the plan OF
operations. Referring to the danger of an
overhasty action on the plans, the Herald
editorial article says: Objectionable errors
may not become apparent until . vast
amount of harm has been accomplished; in
deed, Q temporary success may crown the
efforts of the engineers 1T certain points on
the sphere of their operations, only to rem.
DER the evils sought to be abated IRENE
diable." And again, suggesting the very
difficulty that is now believed to have pre-
sented itself outside the mouth of the South
Pass, 80 gradual closing up, by deposit, OF
the Southwest and South Passes of the
river, which will in time open on an area Of
slack water between the Gulf stream and
the shore line" These remarks were based
on our belief that the selection of the
South Pass for the proposed jetty i'm.
pr0vement was not wise one, the project
being intended, we presume, as . work OF
utility and not of mere experiment. The
latter reference in the article quoted IL in
tended to show what would happen If the
Mississippi was permitted to adjust it's out.
lets in accordance with the natural eastward
trending of its channel below Baton Rouge
which point marks the limit of the general
southwark flow of the river. The oblitera
ton of the old western outlets by filing up
shows that if advantage is to be taken Of
the enormous volume of the river waters to
render their outlets natigable, only those
that exhibit and favor the natural tendency
Of the river should be selected and i'm
proved. 1t is impossible to force the Missis
sippi to follow a perfectly straight course
such as that represented by the line from
the forts to the mouth of the South Pass
Tho Southaaat Pass Dreseute q more fAvOra
BILE line. discharging as it does in the
general direction Of the littoral current
which is calculated on to remove the ex
cavated mud from the river INTO deep water
We publish today Q card from Captain
Eads addreesed to directors to his scheme
in which he presents the latest phases Of
the improvement. We would deplore the
failure of the Eads jetty plan in this in
stance, but we are Of opinion that its fail
ure would be in application instead OF prin.
ciple. because of the injudicious selection Of
the Smith Pass-Ne,r York Herald,