The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-30

ming of the past fiscal year, there was q prac
tical channel twenty three feet deep in its
shoalest part. Just after the close OF the same
year,a survey showed the existence of practi-
Cal channel git feet deep, and the fluctuations
ia depth during the year have been between
depths Of twentyone and twenty~three feet.
The widths corresponding to these depths
have been ample for the present needs OF COM
merce,
The leverage flood tide" which Is the plane
of reference for depths at the head OF the
passes, is that of a low stage Of the river. At
high-water stages the actual depths are from
one to two feet greater than the nominal ones
given Oh the charts and in reports.
In January, 1873, commission appointed
by the Secretary Of War, composed ct Col. }
G. Barnard and Lieut.. Col Il. e. Wright,
Corps Of Engineers, visited Port Eatls for the
purpose Of ascertaining how faithfully Mr..
Eads had conformed with the strict provl-
sions OF the act OF Congress, approved March
3, 1875. relating to the stability and general
permanenCe OF the works constructed by him
to improve the navigation OF South Pass. The
inspecting officer had certified that on the
fifteenth OF December, 1877 "a channel 70 feet
throughout width of more than 200 feet, at
water In South Pass, near the head OF
passes, through the iettied proongation
Of South Pass to deeper water IN the Gulf Of
Mexico" It remained to be assured that tho
piled with in other respects. The report of
the commission, which has been laid before
Congress. showed that the "a feet channel was
200 feet wide, according to a survey made
January &, 1878, and that the law had been SO
far complied with as to authorize the pay
ment OF the second sum of 100000 due from
the United States to Mr. Eads, on the salts
factory proofs that O channel % feet deep and
200 feet wide everywhere had been obtained
between the South Pass of the Mississippi
river and and the Gulf of Mexico. [ therefore
transferred to Mr.. Eads my warrant on the
Secretary OF the Treasury for 100000, as
directed by the act Of Congress OF March 3,
1876.
The act of Congress approved June 10, 1878,
provided as follows:
thorized and directed to draw his warrant upon
States in favor q James 5, Eads. bis assigns Or
soon as the said Eads, his lawful assigns Or
legal representatives, shall file with the said
Secretary of War REIMBURSEMENT of oil claim
Iubefore rected act 10 be paid when channel
twent yfour feet In, depth and not less than $50
feet in width shall have been obtained. And
The Secretary Of the Treasury is hereby author,
lied and directed to pay to said Eafs. his lawful
a. signs or legal Representatives. the sum for
which said warrant is drawn.
Sec. 3. The Secretary Of War is further here
by authorlz ICED and directed, upon his approval
Of the ngineer's statement In this section men
5one1 to draw his TarraGt g the Seer try
said James B. Eads his lawful assigns or legal
representatives, monthly, for such sums, not
exceeding In the aggregate the gross sum Of
$500 On0 rs he or they may require Tor the prose-
cution of the works authorized by said herein
before, rectted act. to pay for materials fur
CURED, from and after the passage Of
works; prorideA. that said Eads or his legal
representatives. shall file in the office of the
Secretary of War. with each requsition made
by him or them q certified statement. which
fnvi in nat hot g for
amount Of work properly done. materials fur
nished. and expenditures incurred in the pros,
qeuton Of the work and prcoded, that said
tives shall file with the Secretary Of War a o.
linuuishment of all claim to the deferred pay
ment Of s25oooo provided by the hereinbafore
rected act to. be paid when q channel twenty
four feet in depth and not less than $50 feet In
width shall have been maintained for twelve
that said Eds. his lawful assigns or legal
representatives shall from time, to time as
monthly instaIImens Ct the remainng $3.50 600
enlistment of like amounts, to be deducted from
the pa, ment of 100000 provided by the herein;
Rs G 4 Feet i9 ep b a nnd no 9ef an se
feet in width shall have been obtained. Aud the
Secretary Of the Treasury is hereby authorized
signs or legal representatives, the sums for
which said warrants are drawn. All other pay
ments to said James 3. Eads. his lawful assigns
or legal representatives, are to bs made under
and in pursuance of the provisions Of the
hereinbefore recited a t. the whole of said act
except az the same is hereby expressly modi.
fed or amended. to have the same force and
effect as If this act had not b9en passed.
In accordance with section two of the act,
the required REIMBURSEMENT was filed by Mr..
Eads, and the third payment, amounting to
S500,000, was made.
Certain technical questions arose as to the
construction of section three, above quoted,
and as TO tho rights of parties in the matter
nf Acknowledgement These n1pEfj0nE
ferred to the Attorney General, and were adj
iusted pursuant to advices contained in his
opinions The engineers statements, Mr..
Eads' acquisitions, and the required ren-
qushmenJ of S250,00o, having been received,
approved and filed, three several payments
have been made under said section, amount
ing in the aggregate to $50, 1886 "a, for the
months Of June, July and August, 1873
Eads about July rs, and although it's ravages
did not begin during the last fiscal year, it is
well to state that the fever became SO severe
about August 6 that it was thought necessary
to suspend active operations at the jetties
until the fever had disappeared The earlier
portion of the low water season, during which
the work Of construction is most easily and
economically conducted, has therefore been
lost by Mr. Eads; and as it became necessary
to allow those of the United States engineer
party under the inspecting officer who were
not thoroughly acclimated to leave the vicin-
ity. the regularity of detailed reports has
been necessarily interrupted.
UNION AND CONFEDERATE WAR RECORDS.
The records of the war of the rebellion,
both Union and Confederate, are under the
charge of the Adiutant General of the army.
The work Of preparing these for publication
is under charge Of Col. Robert N. Scott, q.
S. A. to whose report invite attention.
The work of collecting reports Of BATTLES by
Union commanders, which were not original
ly forwarded to this office, has been unremit-
tingly prosecuted since the close of the war,
and a very large number has been added to
the files through the medium Of correspond
ence. There are yet some important reports
missing, but hopes are entertained of procur-
ing them.
The Confederate records obtained in Rich
| mond at the time Of it's capture were brought
hore in 1865, and have been carefully ar
ranged. The agent recently appointed by me,
Gen. Marcus J. Wright, has been asslduousy
and successfully engaged for the past five
months in procuring interesting papers re-
lating to that side. Through q candid and
liberal understanding with the Southern His
torical Society, as well as with several other
poseessors Of such papers, this department is
daily adding to Its materials for a history Of the