The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-04-19

'pNlhACl-IhE QUESTION OF ADVANCING
MoNEY-CoNDITIoN OF THE CHANNEI.---sE-
CUHyTY or THE WORK
CONCLUDED FROM YESTERDAYS DAILY
After thorough examination of all the
facts, the senate committee in its report
says: The committee is of opinion that
MIR. Eads is entitled to relief whatever the
light in which the question may be consid
cred; whether in the light of results &C
proportion of work done, or
money expended The report continues:
THE proposition of Mr.. Eads to do it for
a sum S92, ITO less than the cost OF con-
as estimated by the commission
of 1914, would seem to indicate that the
total price $5,250000, was moderate es
innate for the cost of the work, it is at once
apparent that but little more remains to be
done, and the work may be regarded as
substantially completed"
THE CRY OF JOB
The statement of the Cincinnati CONNER
clal that the liability of the United States
has been increased $5,0O0,0O0 by the recent
act is utterly untrue. The price to be paid
has not been increased a farthing Nor
has the maximum depth required by the
original act been lessened. One and half
million dollars of the price still depends
upon my securing depth of thirty feet
through the jetties.
Under the law, as amended, | am only
to receive $3,150,000 for a channel twenty
six feet deep, having bottom width of
that depth 200 feet wide. Does such sum
for such channel justify the cry of Job"
which these papers are SO ready to utter!
1t is better channel than the one contem
plated by the commission of 1874, and yet
| am to receive for it $l,592,11 10 less than
the estimate Of the commission for small
Ter one. Again, before the jetty act was
passed, bill for the construction of the
Fort St, Phillip canal had passed the house,
which contained an appropriation of $S,-
! 900, 900 with which to begin the construc-
ton of the canal This bill would un-
doubtedly have passed the senate also, but
for my proposition to build the jettes
When this fact is remembered, it must be
evident that have already saved the gov
eminent many million dollars that would
otherwise have been expended on the canal
and that have given relief to the com
merce of the Mississippi Valley many
years earlier than would otherwise have
been possible, have only received So
100000 on this work, while able and ex-
perienced engineers believe the canal would
have cost $20,000,0O0, and that it would
have required ten years before the first
ship could have been passed through it.
THE CHANNEL As IT Is AND AS IT WAS,
One of these carping journals asserts that
vessels every week stick in the mud" in
passing through the jetties. If this were
true, might properly reply that under my
grant from congress | am not required TO
furnish good pilots as well as good chan
nell
The following extract from the testimony
of General Wright lone of the late board,
taken by the senate committee, shows
whether the channel is a good one or not
Q. Have you any means Of estimating
the advantages to commerce already at
tanned by the condition and depth Of the
channel at present, as compared with the
| conditioner the passes OF the river prior TO
any attempt made under the jetty system'
A. The present condition is superior to
! any tiNl tNtl CAiSltu tliNlt bNlOlt, anu III
my judgment, entirely sufficient for all the
purposes Of commerce for vessels drawing
not exceeding twenty-three feet of water.
g. In other words, understand you to
say that the advantages obtained for COM
merce are greatly increased? A. Yes, sir;
larger vessels can pass in and out, and the
channel is a good one as far as it goesa
tirst-rate one, (See printed testimony,
pages and 100
The declaration that vessels are constant
ly delayed in the jetty channel is gross
Misrepresentation. The South Pass is ten
miles long, and the depth through it is no
where less than thirty feet. 1t is about
800 feet wide, and is in reality magni6
cent natural channel. The law contem-
plates no work on it, for it needs none. The
steamship Mikado by bad seamanship, ran
aground in it two miles below the head of
the pass, on the east side of the channel.
Forthwith the journals referred to, publish.
ed the statement that she was aground in
the ictties About the first of March, the
Inman steamer City Of Limerick, drawing
23IS feet, bound for Liverpool, came to
anchor at Port Eads, some defect on her
machinery having been discovered; where
upon one of the truthful journals promptly
informs the public that the City OF Lime
rick was "stuck in mud in the jetties." l
believe there has not been single vessel
delayed in its passage through the jetties
in the last four months, Two or three in
that time have been detained for few
hours at the head of the pass, where the
depth is probably foot less
The Chicago Tribune, within fortnight
contained the following statement: Dur
inc the war the steamship Mississippi lost
in the Port Hudson fight, came in over tle
the bar drawing twenty.one. feet ana the
Richmond and Hartford, drawing about
the same frequently crossed IT, A similar