The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-18
ritor the Disnateh.I

/ think you. give Captain, Eads more
credit for originality than he isentitled to
when YOU say that g no man proposed it p
The deepening Of the channel OF. the Missis-
sippi by the use Of ietties-" until Captain
Eads came forward boldly and confidently,
amidst the ridicule and ieers Of hundreds,
and undertook the work."
Whatever credit he may deserve for adopt
ing the suggestions OF others upon cognate
branch OF hydraulic engineering let him
have. II his plan shall continue successful,
that Of itself will be very great credit.
But I would limit somewhat the claim OF
originality in the, idea Of making and using
the materials be employs, aud which, il he
had not found them to bis hand, he might
never have thought OF.
. In a book entitled elbow the World was
Peopled," Of whose scientific merits l am
no Judge. but which Is q very interesting
work, ] find two plates, =" showing the an
nual changes Of the Mississippi channel and
its deposits for four years, and the proper
position Of a jetty OF Iattice-work to pro-
tect its banks from caving." And the text
at. pages 330-31, the last in the book. ex-
plains 'sthe position of a lefty properly
placed for DETECTING the river, such
as must have been used by Menes
for changing the bed OF the Nile
when he built Memphis, and which is
mentioned by Herodotus. "The ancient
engineers Of Egypt" it continues, "under.
stood the art Of controlling the current OF
that great river, which they regulated as
found equally practicable in managing the
Mississippi" Describing the damage done
by caving, he says: "This work OF ruin
will continue until the engineers who build
the levees are required to construct defect
ing dams Of lattice-Work for their protec-
ton ~; and the plan requires jetties on
both shores of the river to prevent tho de-
fiected current from eroding either side.
=. No piing or plaDking nor dams made
with smooth surfaces willanswerfor defect
ing and protecting ieLties on banks and
bottoms where there is no rock.
The materials must be OF crib or watt1ed-
work, like the brush dams of the beaver"
&c. 1.-THE plan for controlling wa:cr-cur-
rents which gave the New Orleans Acade-
my Of Sciences, and which was adopted by
it in January, 1868, explains more fully the
proper method for protecting levees and for
utilizing the current Of the Mississippi in
removing bars and making land"
The book in which this Is told was writ
ten by the Rev. Edward Fontaine, OF Texas,
I think, but native OF Yirginia-not born
in Lynchburg, however. 1t was published
in, 1872; and it proves that substantially
such ietties as Captain Eads employs in
utilizing the current OF. the Mississippi -
had been, recommended by Mr.. Fontaine,
and used on the Nile for an analogous pur'
pose thousands OF years ago.. @,i', 4: =.
1t may prove to have been happy
thought in Captain Eads toapply this idea.
but doubt If it be just or quite correct to
give him the sole credit of so important an
| undertaking. ,' +4
[The fact that many il not most OF the
engineers in the regular United States En-
gineer Corps did, and do even now. ridi.
cule and oppose Mr.. Eads's ietties is evil
dence enough that he is entitled to the sole
credit of their construction