The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-08
WHAT ARE THE JETTIEs .
Now's Your Chance 10 Rnow.


The following description Of the jstties
now in course Of construction 10 the
South Pass OF the Mississippi River,
under the supervision Of Captain EAds,
sppears in the columns Of the Boston
Trnpelr:
Where The Mississippi River emptiss
into the gulf It divides itseIf into three
passes the Southwest Pass, "A miles long,
1900 feet wide, and having an average
depth Of 10 feet the South Pass, 10 miles
long, 600 feet wide, aud having an aver
age depth Of 8. feet; the Pass L'outre,
IA miles long 400 feet wide, aud having
an ayersge depth Of 10 feet. Just above
these passes, the river il 5000 feet wide
and so feet deep, which continues up to
New Orleans, ITO miles above. The
South Pass, where the jetties are TO be
constructed, empties about 10 per cent Of
the whole amount Of tie sediment, and
the three passes empty annually 1000
900 cubic fee. OF sediment into the gulf
Previous 10 awarding the contract TO
Captain Eads, Of St. Louis, the Govern.
ment endeavored TO improve navigation
BY dredging, which has cost annually
$3.50, 900. Captain Eads proposed bis
plan, and 1t was accepted. He desired to
workin the Southwest Pass, but the Gov
ernuent thought it best TO Try the South
Pass, the middle and smaller Of the three.
Tie total coat TO the Government will be
g, $50, 900.
The construction and Judgement 81 the
jetties are briefly as follows: In the frst
place, extending back from the banks Of
the river, st slope Of one Ia ten, piles
are driven. There are three or more
rows Of these piles, and they are joined
together by heavy timbers. This, when
finished, IL called the siay.way. Now =
barge heavily loaded with willowscones
alongside the stsy-way, and the men
throw q number Of layers Of these will
lows at right angles 70 each other on the
top otthe Stay.wsy.
These layers are securely and tightly
bound together by thongs, making, when
finished, what Il called willow mattress.
These mattresses are Of various dimen-
.ions, generally come 400 feet long, 40 ieet
wide and two feet thick, for reasons which
will be hereafter explained. When the
mattress L. completed q tug steams up
alongside the inclined stsy.way, and
hauling Il of drsgs II 10 its position on
the ietties. These mattresses being made
Of willows will, Of course, float, q few
inches only, however, remaining above
the surface Of the water: and 90. when in
position, they are sunk BY 4 stone known As
"Trip rap,n a very heavy limestone, which
IL brought from the Ohio River. There
are 4 number Of courses OF mattresses,
each course being narrower than the one
Immediately below il, so that when view
ed in profile, they have the Likeness Of
steps ascending from the bottom Of the
river up 10 the banks. The lower course
IL about 40 feet wide the second about 50
feet, and the upper or top course about
25 feet vide. This constitutes a jetty.
They are, Of course, built from the bank
ont into the river. and great deal Of the
sediment is carried BY the current in
and back Of the jstties where IL
lodges. The jstties are constructed also
out into the Gulf Of Mexico number Of
feet, 20 as TO enable the river.eurrent 70
bear whatever Il may bring along with IL
out into the deep W1ters; where, In The
hrst place, there Il Iess liability for 1t 70
settle, especially IN the form Of 4 bar or
In Q narrow space; and where, in the
second place, II il does settle, it can obs.
truet navigation but tsias.