The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-13
THE LEY EEs.
GEM. HUMPHREYS LETTER To rmE
COMMITTEE ON LEvREs.
WAsItrnaror. It. IA Mo- !


mfttee on Loyees and improvements of tbm
mississippi River, House Of Representa-
tivess
Dear SRA bill has been introduced ira
Congress for tbg appointments of q commits
sion OF five engineers to survey the Mississip-
pi river from St Louis TO the Gulf Of Mexiao.
prepare plans for the Improvements of ito
navigation and protection OF the all,1yial re-
gion against overflow and carry on the works
Tor these objects as moneys are appropriated
by Congress for them. Provision Is made for
four OF these engineers to be taker from, tbe.
Corps OF Engineers, TIE filth TO be appointed
from civil life, and it is indicated, thoughnot
expressly stated that the engineer from civil
LIE Is to be the president OF the commission
and is to control It's deci sions, and noproiaet
plan or estimate Of cost is even to be submit
ted to the Secretary OF War or President IL
the United States unlees approved bv the
president OF the commission Such power aa
this has never been conferred upofl any ut,.
siding officer OF q board, commission or eotIst.
Ihls project OF commissioned survey and
construction is brought forward uatvysth
standing that detailed survey undar fhs.
Engineer Department Is already In proQregg
Win q view TO low water Improvement and
to protection against floods, carried 0g II, 49,
eoruance with the recommendation of the
commission organized by act Of Congress- ~
june ~. 1874, to devise q plan OF protenflon
agaiasG 5gst s oyernow, and with She general pro-
Ject for the improvement of the low yyatsts
navigation OF the Mississippi below Gairy,
which was submitted by Major g,Itar ~ 4hs
engineers after the reconnaissance made hS
MN MN 2I tne bars and obstructions to nayiga-
ZION - that section OF the river under arr5Yg1~
pr1ations for surveys for routes Of eEean
transportation to the seaboard
IL is generally understood that the peci,liaf
features OF this bill have their origin first IN
deepen the low water channel af tha Wiaegss ~
slppi river to twenty feet, claiming that M
thus improving the low water nayipatinfl,ssf
the river, its surface will be lowered III floods
III, H. es deVel OI tne natural banks, and that iii
second, In the statements made in the bubble
press that Mr. Eads has succeeded In tia Kser,~
t mtanent improvement OF the South Pass 0f
me " mississippi river by jetties, while the En-
gineer Department had opposed the tIae III
Ietttes for that purpose, and maintained ffsai.
them. s'-o p'19s ~
1t may. be well to examine into these
grounds of action.
First, as to the views Of the Engineer IN.
paFtnent upon the application of ietfieg ii
tne Improvement Of the mouth OF the Miaafs4
slppi river. They are TO be found III rerSorts;
1Sso y she d ddpgneeT ~ department as far back ae
accessible to the public, notably In the r1fIves-
les and hydraulics OF the Mississipui riveT
pages 442 to 456, where the manner Of delta
aaon on rs described la connection with
an account OF measurements and experfnpTfa
made at the mouth of the MissigsipDf and
Wnere 1t Is demonstrated that bv tfIa Iis;a ~
Jettles the channels at the mouths Of the river
~ nay ge ldeepened 10 the full depth Of the pass
10 Wh1ch they are applied.
Thts subject is further treated in atiIl ynoro
detail IN Ex. Doc. 220 House Of Renreaenfa-
tlVes, forty-third Congress, first session, ami
an estimate Of the first cost of applying ietties
Soet ~ ELL, oe nouthwest Pass to twentyeight
Ieet Is given, as well as the first cost Of Ehe
same Tor the South Pass, the cost og perrnae
nent works for the former being s7fl00 nm
ana Tor the latter less than $5.00O.O00. Fnr
!!es5 perIhahenC works the cost In each case, it
is gtated, would be one-half the sum named.
Inc first cost OF these works was not 4ho
objection to this method Of Improvement bl,f
the COST OF maintaining the channel deptEg
without .huctuation, which
could only be certainly effected by ffa exfars-
sion OF the lettes constantly in the deem water.
Of the sea, formed the objection to their ,,aa.
ana lnduced preference for canal. thou0fs
Cne nTst cost OF canal would materially ex-
ceeu @ Inc Irst cost OF the letties at either pass.
yet the cost OF Its maintenance would be
small, and there would be no variation In the
depth at either the river or sen end of fhe
canal 0A OA sus
During the. session Of Congress that this
IL
troduced into Congress proposing to nav Mr.
Eads $10,000,000 for deepening any Taas' hee
might select to twenty-eight or thirty feef NJ
HOOD tide. These bills were referred to the
with their defects pointed out. show
ing that they gave no security to the TINTED
states Tor the permanent maintenance Of the
1eep water desired. This class of bills wag
adyocaCed on the ground that the jetttes once
built the channel would be deepened. without
The assistance OF dredging even, and that ffle
eartny material, borne along by the river
would be taken so far seward by the IN
creased ere tse velocity OF the current produced by
'front.' Of the jetties, and no extension 81 the
iett1es seaward would be needed.
III was pointed out by the Chief Of Engineers
That 1t we're so, then 100000 for the South
Hest Pass and not exceeding S5,00o;O00 for the
ooubn Pass, would be the greatest sums that
should be paid for. the work, and not 10000
700. None OF these bills were enacted inffs
aW.
At the succeeding session Of Congress- q
loard of engineers, organized under an act or
Congress, and composed Of three officers Of
me corps Of engineers, one assistant United
states coast survey, and three civil engineers
,ecommended the application Of jetties to the
south Pass as less costly than the building
mo maintenance Of canal The application
)f jetties to the Southwest Pass they reD0rted
YOU'D De more costly than the canal Under
ms recommendation contract with Mr.
sduS was enDered into by act OF Congress of
March ., 1875, the total sum to be paid him
or obtaining through the South Pass cham
1el depth OF thirty feet at mean flood tide
icing S525O, 900; and for maintaining It twenty
years the sum Of 100000 annually-One milf
ion to be retained as security The works
y construction were begun late in the wear
LS75, at which time the depth on the crest 81
,he bar Of the South Pass at low tide was
aoout eight feet; at high tide about nine feet.
The river began to rise about the first ~
January, 1876, and reached its highest n0inf
hat year at New Orleans In the early part III
May, when the CarrolltOn gauge read 127
'eet, the average Hood reading of the river at
hat point for 1876 being IL feet.
The usual Hood reading Of the river at Car
roIIton IIt !, Is above Is feet. The jump and Cu-
OitGs OiGs zap creVassse below New Orleans, but
above the head Of the passes, discharged q
arge volume Of water into the gulf, SO that
ne me maximum discharge into the sea through
me passes that year did not largely exceed
5he volume Of the river when half wav he
tween low and high water stages.
Inc river at New Orleans went down Ia
..&sv 49,