The patron of husbandry., 1879-08-02
THE OPENING OF THE .MISSISS-
TPPT

1t is, relatively speaking, so long since
the American people became convinced
of the ultimate success of the splendid en-
gineering enterprise just brought to sue
cessful conclusion at the mouth of the
Mississippi, that there is danger that the
immediate credit due to Captain Eads
may be popularity underestimated. Men
are too apt to forget that when he began
the work he did so at his own risk, and
IN the face of strong and persistent oppo-
sition from engineers in high authority.
They forgot that all along he has had to
conquer not only the commercial barriers
at the mouth of our great river, but to do
it hampered by severe restrictions, even
the payment for work done being contin-
gent on the approval of engineers whose
greatest joy would be iii his entire discom-
future.
There is danger too, of forgetting the
magnitude of the work, and the enormous
commercial possibilities the scheme in
wolves, as well as the great power of op
posing local interests whose prosperity
was endangered by every stroke done to-
ward opening the mouth Of the Mississp-
pl to the free and easy passage of COM
merce. The moral and financial victory
won by Captain Eads is accordingly great
er even than his victory over material OBJ
stacles; and the latter were great enough
to justify our CHASING the work among the
most difficult, costly, and courageous
achievements of hydraulic engineering.
In commenting on the work the Tribune
reminds us that when the jetty company
began its operations at South Pass, the
commercial entrance to the Mississippi
was at Southwest Pass, but only light
draught vessels were sure of getting IN.
A ship drawing over sixteen feet was liza
BILE to get fast on the bar and remain there
until she unloaded her cargo upon lighters.
lhe cost of unloading and reloading and
OF the long delay more than absorbed the
Prohts OF the voyage. Besides the OBJ
struction of the bar, which constant work
ny government steam dredges for more
than twenty years had failed to remove,
there were the curious mud Jumps which,
heaviag up from the bottom outside the
rivers mouth, often caught ships in their
sticky embrace. Southwest Pass, was,
however, the main channel, and the only
Pracucal entrance for craft larger than
hshlng smacks. South Pass had only six
feet OF water on its bar. and Pass "A L'Outre
and the old Belize had long been closed.
Inc government would not allow CAPTAIN
Eads to work upon Southwest Pass, which,
having by far the greatest volume of water,
was most easily improvable 1t was feared
ne would ruin the poor channel existing
there, and SO choke up the river complete.
iy he had to take South Pass, and was
compelled in order to ret enough water
IN 1t, to throw sunken mattresses across
the heads OF the other passes. Then he
had to conquer shoal at the head of South
Fass, and stop up an outlet through which
a portion OF the current escaped into the
Gulf. All this was preliminary and addi
uon to the real jetty work, which consist
ed IN building two walls from the rivers
mouth straight out into the Gulf for dis.
'tance OF nearly three miles, to the outer
edge OF the bar-a wall that would resist
the torce of the current and the buffetings
of the sea.
Ihe river is now permanently open, and
It's currents are SO controlled that the
mighty stream will henceforth be the chief
factor in keeping its channels clear of the
barriers 1t naturally tended to build up
against the commerce of the world When
the Mississippi Valley harbors, as it soon
wiii' more numerous population than
the Whoie country can boast of now.
when ITS farms and factories are doing, as
they soon will, half the productive Work
eI lne World.then it will be possible to
iorm some adequate idea of the industrial
ana commercial benefit to flow from tbe
anoarrlng of the outlet of what cannot
laii 70 De the great artery of our national
anu international trade. 1t is a grand vic
.oly' ana captain Eads may be sure that
popular appreciation will grow with the
5i Sio"'n OF the commerce it makes posi-
oie.-Sctentifc 4meyicau.
dhe Chicago Tribune says pertinently:
Our legal tender silver doiIarc ,.a 49,