San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-01-12
EADS'S JETTIEs.
What the Great Esgineer Has to Say
of His Mammoth Undertaking.

Capt. James b. Eads, made hasty Wis
it to this city on Saturday, but did not
succeed in getting away before an ubi-
quitous Post reporter fastened his con-
versational hooks upon him. Captain
Eads is looking well, and can boast of
better health than he has been blessed
with for many years. He is just from
the mouth of the Mississippi, where he
has succeeded in earning the second
payment of half million of dollars due
him from the Government on account
of his stupendous engineering scheme,
the sea jetties, an uniform depth of %
feet, with uniform width of 200 feet of
channel, having been secured. When
he shall have widened it 80 feet more,
and increased the depth 2 feet, he will
be entitled to another half million; a
period, he believes, not very far distant,
as the new dredge-boat which he has
invented and constructed is powerful
auxiliary to nature in clearing out the
distractions. Captain Eads's con.
tract with the Government is as
follows: On obtaining depth
of 20 feet with width of 200 feet he
was to receive 100000. The payment
was made nearly six months ago. On
a depth of % feet and a width of 200
feet, 100000. This payment is now
due. On depth of "a feet and width
of $50 feet, 100000. On depth of 26
feet and width of 800 feet, 100000.
On depth of 20 feet and width of $50
feet, 100000. On depth of 80 feet
and width of $50 feet, $500,0 more,
or 100000 in all.
In addition to this he is to be paid
$3.50, 900 for maintaining the channel of
$50 feet in width at depth of "a feet for
one year; like sum for maintaining for
a year depth of 26 feet and width OF
300 feet; like sum for maintaining 20
feet depth by $50 feet width year, and
$500, 900 for maintaining the channel at
its greatest depth ESQ feet) at the same
width for another year, or $1,250, 900
for maintenance. In addition to all
this he is to have 100000 for keep
ing the channel at a 30-foot depth for
twenty years, or 100000 a year, and
at the end of each ten years $500, 900
more, that being the amount reserved
by the Government as security for the
works progression. This amount is
to draw five per cent interest, total of
S7,250,OO0. Capt. Eads has no doubt
whatever of his plans, by far the greater
and most difficult part of his task having
been performed. So soon as he has
drawn the present and succeeding pay
ment, he will be relieved of his financial
embarrassments, which have been of
more magnitude than the engineering
obstacles to be overcome-and then he
intends to devote himself to the work of
making the Mississippi River a docile
and we'll behaved stream from its mouth
as far up as Cairo. Those who know
Capt. Eads do not harbor so much rs a
suspicion of his inability to do what he
is willing to undertake to do, and it is
quite probable that if he should be CIV
en- by the Government the opportunity
of setting bounds to the current of the
Father of Waters that all the capital
necessary will be subscribed on
favorable terms. The Secretary of
War has telegraphed to Gems. Barnard
and Wright, two eminent army en-
gineers now in New York, to proceed at
once to New Orleans and certify that the
work has been done according to con-
tract, and in accordance with these in
structions they have replied that they
would start Tuesday night. There is,
of course, no question as to the accu-
racy of the statement of Capt. Brown,
who certifies as to the width Of the chan
mel, but the Secretary of War is careful
to have the details complete before he
pays out large sum of money, and
hence the supervisory examination by
Gen. Barnard and Gen. Wright. Capt.
Eads left last evening for New York,
feeling in good spirits at the prospect of
among the friends and
hackers of his great work half mil
lion of crisp Treasury notes now locked
up in the Government vaults.
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