New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-15
COupLE7TON or THE JETTTES.


COMPLETION or THE JET7IES.
A few days ago telegraphic dispatch from
New-Oreans announced that the maximum
channel required by the Jetty act had been
secured, and that the mouth of the Mississippi
is thus fully and permanently opened to the
commerce of the world. The complete sue
cess of one of the most difficult, costly ANA
courageous exploits of hydraulic engineer
ing ever attempted is thus briefly chronlcled.
Captain Eads has put curb in the NOUN OF
the most powerful and turbulent OF American
rivers, forced it to obey his will, turnei
large part of its waters into a channel they
had long since abandoned, and compelled its
muddy current 10 cease depOsltiug detrltus,
and to set to work removing the bars IL
had piled up for centuries. This Work the
docile river has accomplished and the
channel it has thus Obediently eXc1Yated,
after being harDessed with jctties, piles ana
sunken DAMS now opens its broad and safe
course to the heaviest shipping. Years OF
labor and a large amount of money have been
required 10 accomplish this result, but the
value of the achievement to the commerce OF
the Mississippi Valley is beyond calculation.
Ii is said m New-OrIeans that the saving on
the freight OF cotton sent abroad resulting
from deep water at the mouth of the river
amounts to enough in a single year TO pay the
entire cost of the ictty work.
When the Jctty Company began its opera
tons at South Pass, the commercial entrance
TO the Mississippi was at Southwest Pas, but
only liSht-drauGbt vessels were sule o. getting
in. \ ship drawing over sixteen feet was liable
To get fast on the bar ana remain there until
she unloGded her cargo upon lighters. The
cost of unloading and reloading and OF the long
delay more than absorbed the profits OF the
voyage Besides the obstruction Of the bar,
which constant work by Government steam
dredgeS for more than twenty years had failed
to remove, there were the curious mUd-iumps,
which, heaving up from the bottom outside
the rivers mouth, often caught ships in their
sticky embrace. Southwest Pass wa., however,
the main channel, and the only practicable
entrance for craft larger than fishing
smacks. South Pass had only six feet
Of water on its bar, and Pass a
LOure and the old Belize had long
been closed. The Government would not
allow Captain Ead5 to work upon Southwest
Pass which, having by far the greatest
volume of water, was most easily improyable.
IL was feared he would ruin the poor channel
existing there, and so choke up the river COM
pletcly. He had to take South Pass, and was
compelled, in order to get enough water IN
il, to thI0V sunken mattresses across the
heads of the other passes. TAen he had 20
conauer a shoal at the head Of South Pass
and stop up an outlet through which a pOr-
ton Of the current escaped INTO the Gulf. All
this was preliminary and additional 30 the
real ittty work, which consisted in building
two walls from the rivers mouth straight out
into the Gulf for distance Of nearly three
miles 90 the outer verge Of the bar - walls
that would resist the force OF the current
and the bunttmgs Of the sea.
The enterprise met with discouragemCnt
from many Of the best engineers in the Gov
eminent service ana IN civil life. Prophecies
Of the ruin of the willow-walls by the waves,
of their destruction by worms, Of undermining
by the current, AID Of their failure to compel
the river to deepen its channel aud cut Il pas
sage across fine bar, were much more abundant
than words of cheer. But Captain Eads had
faith in ms system, and paid little attention to
the sceptics Ills success is complete. There
is now "A depth of thirty feet between the
iettics. The commerce Of NeW-Orledus Is
revoutionized. The larccs, iron steamers go
I'D 10 her wnarvcs for Carg0os OF cotton and
grain. All the lower Missis -ippi region is open
10 direct trade with the great seap0rs OF the
world Genius, persistence and practical skill
have seldom won so great u triumph over the
forces OF nature and the prejudces OF men.