New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-04-03
THE MISSISSIPPI JETTIES.
ALETTER FROM CAPTAIN EADs.

| A KEEN REPLY TO HARSH CRiTiClsM-ThE CHAN'r
OF CoNTRACT-THE QUESTION OF ADVANCING
| MONFY-CoNDrTIoN OF THE CHANNEL-sECU-
RITY OF THE WORK.
| To the Editor Of The Tribune.
| SIR: As The TRIBUNE with the usual cathohc
spirit Of lboraly has been a constant advocate of
| the improvement of the mouth of the MISSISSIPPI
| from its commencement to the present moment, L
venture TO ask space in its columns to correct some
misstatements respecting the work and It's results
made during the last few weeks by The Cincinnati
| Commercial, The Chicago Tribune and The Me"pAS
Ardlanche cannot be expected to reply to every
petty censor in tho land who chooses to be little
tins important work. or TO answer the personal as
saults which ignorance or malice may prompt; but
As persistent Justification is often accepted Tor tne
truth will be paTdOned for exposing some ot the
most notable msstat ements made by these papers
respecting the ietties. naturally seek to do TINS
| through the columns of metropolitan journal
whose readers 80 much more numerous than
those of the provincial dailIes mentioned.
These papers condemn Congress for the recent
advance made TO me Of $750,OO0 on the ground
that have not given an equivalent for the money
The Commercial says: The whole contract was
changed in the interest of the contractor and that
" the operation one OF the post lmpudeht anu
shameless ever perpetrated.D II says: g He sue
about change of contract increasing the liabilities
of the United States S. 900 600, and involved is
this trick that the country has hardly been able to
discover it," These statements simply "impu-
dent and shameless " falsehoods. will be seen
presently.
TuR CHANGE OF CONTRACT.
When the jetty bill first passed the Honse oil
Representatives, it provided for the improvement
of the Southwest Pass which was twice as wide
and twIce as deep as the South Pass. 1t was the
one wished to improve, for IL was not INSTRUCTED
by bar at its upper end as the South Pass was,
and it had nearly twice as deep water on the bar at
it's mouth. Besides these advantages 1t discharges
four times as much water. There was, therefore,
no reason why could not safely guarantee TO pro-
duce through its bar a channel thirty feet deep,
with O bottom width OF $50 feet, although
this great width of thirty feet water involved
the necessity of a central depth probably
ten feot greater In the last hours Of the session,
acting under the advice Of the commission of engi-
neers of 1874 the bill was changed by the Senate
and made to apply to the South Pass, against my
advice and with my assurance that the size OF
channel named IN the bill was so great that 1t could
only be obtained by the dangerous experiment OF
directing more water into the pass than ITS natural
volume. THIS, for reasons that are well understood
BY hydraulic engineers, is deemed hazardous.
II was in evidence before the committees Of tho
Senate and House at the last session, that Generals
Barnard and Wright, aud all Of the seven engineers
composing the commission of 1874, thought 1t IN
wise to attempt his experiment. The works at the
head of the passes now completely control the dis
charge Of each pass. and at but little additional
cost the discharge of South Pass be doubled or
ouadrupled Its natural discha &c IS only about
one-tenth part of the whole volume of the river.
This discharge was reduced by the various other
works constructed, until last year il had lost prob
ably 10 per cent of its volume. This has now been
fully restored by recent alterations in the con-
trolling works At the head of the pass.
From these facts it must be evident that ]
was prepared to increase its volume to any extent
If the Government required it, and il therefore re-
manned for Congress to determine whether 1t was
to the interest of the United States to risk the pos
siblc injury or ultimate destruction of the good re-
suit already secured by insisting the attempt to
create a channel greater than the natural volume
Of the pass could produce with safety. The needs
of commerce will be amply satisfied with the d.
mansions now fixed by law. For these reasons the
Senate Committee said in it's reports "Thc decrease
of widths from those required by the Act of 1870
will be as much TO the interest OF the Government
as to that Of Mr. Eads."
THE QUESTION or ADVANCING MONEY
The question Of advancing money to me beyond
the requirements of the law very carefully con-
sidered by both committees, and especially by the
Senate committee. The provisions of the original
act were stu1Ously drawn TO protect the Govern
mcnt from the very slightest possibility OF paying
out dollar on this great work before its absolute
success should be so far demonstrated as to give
results of uuquesiioned commercial value fully
equal to the promised payments, and also TO
throw upon myself and my associates every pos
slhl lpy Ot undertaking.
its provisions may be inferred from the TACT that
although the works are So nearly completed, ana al
though channel depth OF nearly twenty-five leetlS
secured through hem under he terms Of the original
act we would only he entitled to-day 70 IL OO0,OOO
OF the greed price for the works; OF to less than
One-ffth part OF that price When to this fact IT ~
added that undertook the deepening OF tins
channel fer 500 10 less than seven eminent engl-
ne IS estimated that IL would cost under the usual
mode OF payment; that we assumed every RISK Of
injury to the works and failure of h, plan, and
that we have, even under the amended Jaw, to ere
ate a channel four or five feet deeper than they
proposed to secure with their estimate, feel sure
that all faiI-inmdcd men will, in view of the re-
suits we have accomplished believe that We have
fairly earned all the money we have got received
from the Government.
After a thorough examination Of all the facts the
Senate committee in its report says: The commit
tee IS of oplnlOn that Mr.. Eads entitled to relief
whatever the light in which the question may be
considered; whether III the light OF results accom-
pshed. proportion of work done, or money eX-
pended The report continues: The proposition
of Mir EadS to do the work for sum $500 10
less than the cost Of construction. rs estimated by
the commission Of 1874, would seem 70 Indicate
that the total price, $J2JO,OO0 was moderate CS-
innate for the cost Of the work. The present
board having certified that $3.50, 900 will complete
the work, is at apparent that hut little mere
remains TO be done, and that the work may be re-
garded as substantially completed"
HI CRY OF Job"
The statement of The Cincinnati Commercial, that
the liability of the United states has been in
creased $1,000 900 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
mllhon dollars of the prIce sui depemds mpOm my