The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-23

under the control Of aliens and domestic rings
of various kinds, from whose influence she ID
not YET altogether free returned TO my work r.
a them but Ut confident Of victory over them,
pubiio press MY first essay was an address to
The people giving them an account OF the oppo-
sition had discovered to their interests. and
the artful counteraction to any feasible plan for
opening the river to the trade In Western pro-
by members of the New Orleans Chamber Of
Commerce, resident engineers and associations
representatives Of the lake cities, and New York
and Philadelphia. To my, asstonifsshment not
paper in New Orleans would publish my com
| munications. They admitted the most abusive
articles ridieulng myself and the whole plan OF
ietties but positively refused me the use OF
be or re q to
natl. Occasionally some one Of them would
criticise these, articles severely, but they inya-
| complained of this privately to the least hos
tile of the editors. and one whom | had known
for manysyears. He remarked: The truth Is.
Professor, not a paper in this city will dare to
publish your articles, which are opposed to the
interest of Chicago, Phila IeIphiaa and New York,
IN many hundreds OF ml9 7, q doars
the Towboat and Pilots Associations. and
the the United Ji'E ssates army, and various rings
to your plan. believe it to be patriotic and
/ ~ IL
to apply it. But how. is that to be had with all
these interests combined against you? Ii we
to dare to advocate your d views these etles
q paper here. or all the papers necessary, to
drive US into bankruptcy and turn us out of
At last st. Louis moved resolutely in the mat
ter, aided by other cities of the valley, and Sc
ected Capt. Eads to make a contract with the
the passes by jetties. The bill for the object was
introduced in Congress, and another. present
s I sgnns e y e e Gs o hs s5o
States Corps Of Engineers, and the city Of New
Orleans. which also sent her two most distin-
guished engineers to advocate the canal and to
oppose the etties. You reeoect how hot the
contest was over It,. and how impossible
ut one time it appeared to procure the passage
formidable opposition of the Engineer Depart
ment Of the United States, aided by the city Of
NT FL ohfas be P soW
sss victory tor Sf cr N Ghcaeo New York and Phade
the the canal bill, was INVITED 10 Join in The CON
test by Capt. Eads and the members of the SEN
ate and House Of keprese e. from ON the
New England, in which invitation 1t gives me
ma, Messrs; West and Harris, joined. went
! we'll pusted With authenticated facts tt sff6T
i that typhoons, which would oblterate the st.
Philip Canal, would aid the securing action of
jetties which would certainly connect the current
Gulf stream and its eddies and counter currents
which would bear off the disintegrated off
scourings of the obstruction. matter in what
direction they might whrl; also. that letties OF
even the most solid materials would not sink
out of sight in the loose sand or clay or b9
hOisted in the air or swallowed UP by mud
Jumps. | am certain that my speech OF two
hours before the two Houses and the officers of
the Smithsonian Institute, the Coast Survey,
the National Observatory, and the United States
Army and Navy in Washington, and the most of
| whom were present. settled the controversy in
x.F. -tt;o 1rNt4n tt,Iyr do
bate after it, No reply was made. or could be
made, effective to the speech as delivered. or as
II Papheh t orm q f4h none
of Congress from Louisiana. who had the
ominously characteristic name of CVpherand his
with Capt Eads, whose plans have so tar been
carried into effect by his faithful and efficient
contractor. Col. Andrews, that he has succeeded
only s feet when he commenced his work; and
this has been effected in channel of 200 feet in
width across the entire bar between walls OF
piles and brush mattresses ballasted with stone
run parallel 1000 feet apart. l give this state
ment from the best authenticated, reports Of
who nave fxamnea a MS wotks whGh
the pass to SECURE depth much less unaided by
dredging by the confinement of it between par
allel jetties at so great distance from each
other. The amount Of water, however, has been
greatly increased by accessions drawn by jet
ties from the Southwest Pass AMI that of POutre
securing force of the current. These ietties are
not angulated as | would have advised, and are
far more costly than ! would have recommend,
ed. But they are letties, nevertheless, which
mel from the storms of the gulf: and 1t is easy
etties for interior ,norfs, il he will construed
two more and converge their points to within
600 feet Of each other, in direct lines from each
of those already constructed, and at angles o.
221e degrees TO their interior faces. and 300 fee
from each of their extreme points. they will
form parallel lines of batture on either side of
nhn mr. u I
straight and thirty feet deep, and cow rye III
accumulated gyratory current, which will scoul
can car safely Withdraw his dredgeboat, which vii
no longer be needed. But Capt. Eads had righ
to, use his own plans, and to consult engineers
whose regulations were greater than mine: ant
the responsibility resting up n him was toe
vast to u:,ttfy his trying anything new, and
which had never been tested by such experi
ments as had proved successful at the Sulint
, mouth Of the Danube. Ii he has spent much
money unnecessarily. it was his own money
vindicated his honor as something dearer to hin
than pacuniary gain. He has demonstrated thu
, fact that ietties made of non-refiecting sub
, stances can be made TO stand upon the mud ant
sand bars of the Mississippi river. and thu
most friabe ocean shoals and to control an,
water currents, whether tiuviatile Or marine
He has certainly accomplished his task so fa
! within the time specified and earned his money
and not only crowned himself with honor. blu
!, | have wrfi ten this to YOU. fe low Citizens
! only as an introduction to another card, il
which will call your attention to the secont
) part of my plan for controlling the Mississippi
by jetties presented to you In 1866 and which
! hope you will see properly executed 1t is op
posed here by the same men. or the same, sor
of men who denounced the first part, which re
commended their application to the bars of thu
, passes as chimericai, and who ridiculed ms as
present you with the SECOND part listen an
you will hear the eroakihg of many an old demi
! fossil frog sounding from this semi-aq
locality, warning you against the vain at
tempt to control our mighty river by jetties
admire the venerable men who elipq,
things generally: and who still use the old flint
F. lock musket in preference to the magazine re
peaters, smooth faced piling and panking 70
. Mississippi wharves. and massi We blocks OF con
I crete for sea walls on sandy shores, to lattice
cribs and willow wattles. and who prefer tn
! ancient hydraulics OF the Mississippi to tn
= modern ehHttzesis and angu1ated diagonals c
y beaver work. / regret to see these noble relic
of past generation with all their stage cnache
= and luggers, ancient arms and IMPLEMENTS ru
y oYnr smashed and sNent AWAY. by steam. eIet