New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-07
TIE JETTH SPECULATION.
Major Howell Replies to Contractor
Ends, Attack.

Major H0Wou heps1ee 20 COutr0ctOf
Ends' Attack.
Mr.. Eads, the jetty man, having been
brought in unpleasant proximity to certain
facts, through the public prints, which it
has not been for the interest Of himself or
retainers to have go before the people.
took occasion to make an attack on Major
Howell, through the columns of the DEM
ocrat, instead OF meeting and disproving or
explaining the state of affair at the mouth
of the South Pass jetties in manner to
satisfy very natural and strictly reason
able public curiosity.
In the columns of last evenings Democrat
Major Howell makes the following reply:
UNITED STATES ENsISEER OypIcs,
New Orleans, May 6, 1876.
EDITOR DEMoCRAT-Your editorial of
the third instant, elicited by the lengthy
telegram from Mr.. James B. Eads, which
appeared in the New Orleans Times
writing letter published in your issue of
the fourth instant) which is calculated to
create a wrong impression on the mind of
the public.
Mr.. Eads is mistaken in supposing that
because he has a contract to try to improve
South Pass, this fact bars me from con-
tinuing to completion a series of surveys
made commenced under orders received
two years ago. The series would have
been incomplete without the recent gaug-
ing of the passes and reconnaissance of South
Pass bar.
The results, when fully submitted to the
public, will greatly interest hydraulic engi-
neers, and 20 far toward refuting many of
the absurd statements and theories ad-
vanced by Mr.. Eads before commencing
his jetties, and on which all his specious
plans are based.
Perhaps this is the reason why, in his
usual brow beating manner, with which the
people of New Orleans are so familiar, he
attempts to choke off investigation.
The surveys have been made at govern
ment expense, because needed to aid in
solving the great problem presented at the
mouth of the Mississippi
If the results had been available before
| the passage of the jetty contract, it is prob
able that the country would not have been
saddled with the adventure.
Ny charts, observations for velocity of
currents. amounts Of material carried in
suspension by the river water, and volumes
of discharge, have always been open for the
| inspection of any corte0us gentleman inter-
| ested in seeing them. In this there is no
| improperly, as Mr.. Eads would insinuate.
The ineinuation in regard to the St. Louis
| telegram is one that no Just man would give
such publicity without first satisfying him.
self as to the facts. have not seen copy
of the telegram; do not know what it con.
| tanned; but know this, that if the inform
| alton on which it was based came from my
office, and was honestly used, instead of
being, as styled, ga malicious falseh0od," it
was the unpalatable truth.
The more direct charge that my assistant
I %I<n,- N~kr
passengers of the Grand Republic an i'm
preston unfavorable to the jetties, is
equally without foundation.
After investigating the matter, l find
| these to be the facts: Mr.. Collins, having
| completed his field work, in accordance
with his instructions to return to New Or
| leans as soon as possible, took passage on
the Grand Republic, paid his fare, simply
| answered questions when courtesy re.
| quired it, and was an interested observer of
| the solemn farce entitled 'Colonel An.
| drews' examination
There was no volunteered attempt on his
part to influence the minds of the st. Louis
| delegation against against their ~ Osh, ," his
work OF his teachings.
By implication, the accuracy of the work
done by my assistants has been brought in
| question.
Mr.. Collins has been with me over four
|
| three Of my military assistants, who report
him to me as an accurate, rapid and ex
| tremely conscientious engineer. l place
| full faith in his reports.
The results of dredging at Southwest
| Pass are very unfairly presented.
The reported mean low tide depth at
| Southwest Pass is introduced in such art
| full connection with reported high tide
depth at South Pass, that the casual reader
- l. la 49, ,,v,lr $ha Nf ohn rAJ
| at the two passes the same; whereas, the
! fact is, that on the day of the Grand Re
| public splurge there was at South Pass
| only channel of twelve feet entitled to be
called navigable, while at Southwest Pass
| there was q navigable channel OF over
| eighteen feet.
Now, let me give my understanding oi
| the position held by Mr.. Eads and the
opponents of his jetty attempt. 1t may
| give the public something worth thinking
over.
l know that between distances two and
| q half and seven and a half miles sea
| ward of the outer end of his jetties the
| Gulf has shoaled at rate which, if con
| tinued, will in eighteen high water seasons
bring the Gulf bottom to the surface, and
| necessitate the prol6ngation of the jetties
at least seven and half miles.
l know that on the day the Grand Re
new bar existed 1000 feet in front of the
| jetties, and that shoal had made out
| from the end Of the west jetty $50 feet to
| ward this and diagonally across the front
| of the jettes.
know that since the commencement OF
| the lefty work the low water cross section
| of South Pass, one mile below it's head, has
| been diminished one-sixth; that the velocity
| at this point has relatively decreased, and
/ &c IS 10
| which, before commencement of the Jjettles
| was found to be fifteen per cent of the total
| discharge of the three passes, is now but
| eleven per cent. Mr.. Eads has probably
| discovered these facts having such seri
| GUS bearing on the ultimate success OF his
work, and knowing that they will soon be
made public through official channels,
seeks in advance to break their force by
crying out "malice," ''falsehood," etc.
Since the passage OF the late Jetty con.
| tract those opponents of the experiment
who took part in the discussions preceding
passage of the contract, considered frs,
that they were in no way responsible fol
the experiment Second, that further dis
cussion would be useless, except 80 far as
| re uuired to complete that left unfinished by
the action Of Congress. Third, that as the
| experiment had been decided upon, it was
every way desirable that it should be car
| ried to completion, in order that a question
| which has embarrassed the mouth of the
river problem for forty years, and which
might do 80 for an indefinite time to come
should be practically settled one way OF
the other, hey ond resuscitation.
Holding these views, no army engineer
has thrown straw in the way Of Mr.. Eads
| jetty work.
His "outside specul atoms" regarding tht
closure of the "Jump" and "Cubit's Gap,
and his crude ideas about the improvement
of the upper river, have been criticised
| ID hos Lot ole