The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-26
TAIN auSylT vHE EErr.Es.
Ansietr .o Mear irnm Capt. Enns.

AGAtfi1 10 HeNr from sAp's
The recent publications that have ap-
peared in the daily papers. together
with the probable refusal on the part OF
The Secretary Of War to leltd the assist
ance Of the Government dredgeboats to
Capt. Eads for The purpose Of aeeele-
rating the deepening Of the channel OF
South Pass has awakened ~ fresh interest
in the matter Of the jettics. and among
not few, u degree Of anxiety amount
ing to n doubt as to their success. There
is no use to attempt to conceal this
anxiety or this doubt. for il is not con
fined to any particular circles ct class
Of individuals. II. therefore. becomes
tho duty Of Capt. Eads. upon whose re
puted talent. genius. energy and strong
will. SO much hope and confidence have
bcen placed. tp Immediately aud effect
lively explain or refuta tho difficulties
which are alleged to stand IN
the way of y desidoratuin 50
long labo1ed for. aud which.
IL fNw weeks ago seemed IT, be all but an
accomplished fact. Until Capt. McClel-
hand puhlishou about n fortnight ago
his offer to wngcr that vessel driving
thirteen Hud u half feet Of water. or
thereabouis, could not go through the
H'lllNN, ItifiF WIS Nv 'IHt'Fil''tl us ~ tIf
progress of Capt. Eads work. How
ever trlling. comparatively speaking
rs this banter appears to bc. coming rs
it did upon the most encouraging re-
ports from the iettcs it has had the
effect TO arouse suspicion and provoke
discussions similar TO those which
marked tho proposition to ietty the
delta of tho Mississippi as soon rs it
was uttered. Since then the rumor has
gone abroad that the contracting com
pany, in whose interest Capt Eads Is
engineering the work. has become
financially embarrassed and that many
If its employees havo been only partial
| " paid for their services. And this uuns-
| ton Is not of recent date for shortly after
| tho organization Of the company it was
aso rumored that they were seeking to
complete their capital by appealing to
the citizens Of New Orleans for the pur-
pose. 1t had u bad effect. whether true
Or not. because il had been previously
loudly proclaimed that all The money
that would be needed to carry
out the enterprise. not only
could be obtained in St Louis. but the
investment was so promising that New
| Orleans could not be given chance in the
| profits. There were others who doubted
Of the abilities Of Capt. Eads, and urged
AS q strong argument against him the
| fnanceering in tho matter Of the st
| Louis bridge On the other hand. Capt.
Eads' friends argued and justly, too,
that 1t was great engineering feat. and
| lauIcd the tiuanoeering process by
which SIS .o0O. 900 were given to obtain
80. 900 900. which made the actual cost
Of the bridge kll .O09.OoO. There arc
"reminiscences OF the talk that occurred
Mt the time principally in tho rotunda or
on the porch Of the st. Charles Hotel
On one occasion n journalist Of this city
without any preteusions to the science of
engineering. had an interview with Capt
Eads. during which he ventured the
opinion the characteristics of the delta
being considered. that the jettying Of the
South Pass might cause ~ recession Of
the waters and their flow to tho sea
through the.other channels Southwest
Pass and Pass u FOutre.
The idea. II the memory of the writer
serves him right, was deemed prepos-
ferrous but, Mt all events, Capt. Eads
maintained and explained that such
could not DO the case, and that. on the
contrary. the volume of discharge would
be augmented, the velocity Increased
and the scooping out Of the bar effect
iyely performed.
This is particularly the point with
which Captain Eads finds himself at
issue to-day with Major Howell and the
Lo, 70 =" thoir ,har,,, % H. ,',s ,aris VIZ
TO- Wi, - tha o,,,tl,. H. 'iun Min, ~
einni The laiter now clni,n hat i, Tie
i nn,rnbended recession ia tnl,in, n1nce
md thut while the volume of discbnroe
through the ietties ia diminishing. il is
incrensiup through Southwest Pass. and
the matter ig now in process Of inveg.
tipation and measurement The tJnited
Stntcs engineers further saw that within