The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-22

Orleans was hostile 10 the work certain already formed
organizations. whose interests lay in another d.
reclion nterposcd their powerful voice, aud state
ments made calculated to scare the average day
laoorcr IRON accepting employment which he vas
share oil ducata These difficulties, however, were
overcome; and when after few months It had been
shown that the now company paid their aborers with
exactness, The labor diftisully WAS solved
NEW LINE
But the greatest difficulty that had to be solved
how 10 control the waters OF the great river
compel them TO cut out the much needed chahneL A
hundred cubic yards OF flowing water spread over a
wa crcourse q hundred yards wide would give only
yard ct depth The problem was speaking relatively,
TO confnc that bunarcd cubic yards into channel
which SHOULD compel IT to scoop out a deep channcL
Masonry has been used at the mouth Of tho Danube,
but masonry Tor such gigantic work would far exceed
expense any possibility that was within the powers
oil tue engineer oil the Mississippi AT this juncturc
some one suggested that
rs WILLOWS
had been used 10 direct the OF streams and TO
conhno their channels. Captain Eads and Colonel An
drews consuIej and tho result WAS that they hit upon
plan utilizing the willows which grow In great
thckes the aluvia soil OF the Delta 10 hep them
Ia their work. Gu bar or rather island. which came
into in the river forty years ago In front Of
crevassc known sJumpn there - willow
thcket covering some thirty square miles Of land
Here the material IL " could only be utilized Amer
long and anxious discussion a plan was agreed upon
aud patented the names OF the inventors by which
willow mattresses were brought INTO use The mode OF
construction and subsequ mt handling OF these mat
tresscs Is particularly ingenious.
THE BANKS or rHx PASS
there H. nrst ali, constructed "iaunch way" con-
sstinR OIL lumber buit inclined platform, SIX Loot aOoso
tho level TO the ixndward, aud gradually sliding uown
10 the waters edge On the platform are Two ribbons
OF we'll grease1 pine. which serve ~ the s'ways TO
shipwgi3hgs parance On these ways are LAID, nrs
OF all STRIPS OF pine, three by IN, hes IN dmcn
and vo apart TIL the total width required Is
reached These strips arc picccd on end Till total
length OF about hundred iect IS achieved The num-
Der Of strips Is determined by tho required width OF
tho mattresses, which vary, according 10 c.rcum
STANCES from nficen 10 Atty feet fhe strips bong
y adtd In position, humber Of holes bored IN each,
into which hickory ~ short Intervals
winch, when boted IN with oak wedges, stand OUT
thirty inches from tho platform. On tho foundation
thus made laid the WILLOWS the drst layer Is laid
crosswsc Of the sIrips for about sig inches aud then
Icngthwise. and the layers keep alternating I'LL
tho tops oil tho pegs covered Wnen TINS point 10
reached other strips laid crosswise on the whoo
mass, IN which holes corresponding TO the hickory
pegs have been bored. Then, each peg having been
hted the superncumbent hole, powerful leverage
brought bear the binding cross strips forced
down to The pegs aud securely bolted with oak
wedges. This completes the manufacture OF the
trcss which then slid down from the "ways" and
noated on 10 .he water. A steamtug then takes the
floating mass in and tugs - 10 the position where
Is TO be sunk
MATTRESSES
vary width from my fifteen ieet and supposlng
depth Of twenty feet has 70 be hIlcd up ten Of ia
mattresses sunk the spot, tho lower being o
full width and the upper graduating down 10 tho
minor dimensions, each OF them being about two iccs
In thickness and 100 feet long In placing them n