The New York herald., 1879-02-05
CAPTAIN EADS INTERVIEWED.

From the Cleveland Leader, Jan. SOL
Said the correspondent, Captain. how much water
is there now between the jetties ?"
'Somethng over twenty three feet" he replied.
..How much money have you thus far received on
their account p
about 100000. have had this in four pay
ments; of s5oo.ooo upon getting twenty feet of
water; of 100000 upon getting twenty two feet
an Advancement of s5oo.OOO to satisfy of my
creditors and payment to-day Of about 100000 for
work done since the 10th of December. have now
done four-ffths of the work tho jetties and
have only received about one-quartcr of my pay.
To-day New Orleans. the Mississippi River and tho
entire country receiving the benefit of the jet
ties. have spent all the money can possibly raise
ON them. have assumed all risks of failure and al
most made them perfect success; but my means
exhausted, and want Congress to help me out.
1t is general rule that all contractors for the gov
ernment receive about ninety per cent OF the cost of
what they doing Why should not be treated in
hard bargain financially. although practically am
fully satisfied with its SO are the engineers
of the government; so are the sailors, who have
abandoned the old pass and adopted tho route through
the iettes."
then asked il a bar outside the jcttes was form
ing in the manner predicted by the Cincinnati COM
,ercia and the rest of the press hostile to his
dcavor.
.Not at ALL" said he. "as they predicted, but tho
sediment carried out by the river has to go some
where and the whole Gulf Of Mexico will be filled
by the time the Rocky Mountains washed down
10. Tho 1ctt1rS, however. throw tho mu0 Tar
into the Gulf. and west current spreads IL
large to the At present the water directly
In tho mouth of'thc jottcs is deepening and calcu-
late that when completed they will not require to DO
extended for 400 years"
"Do you intend closing up the other passes
through which tho rest OF the river finds its way to
the seay'
"No. sir; we do not. That would give us too much
water, undermine the present. jety banks and swamp
u.s. We al present but ten per cent OF the river.
When we get thirty feet OF water 1t will be trifc
more. but at present this is all wo want"
companicsr'
'fhey arc mostly 81. Louis. Pittsburg and New Or
leans gentlemen. do not care TO mention nanies,
was the reply.
''now long will IL takc to complete the jettics Cap
tsinS'
"About four months
when will there bo thirty feet Of water thcre7"
"We sir, that Is little moro difficult 10 answer:
but | am confident that shall have IL in fifteen
months, at the furthcst. after their completion
Captain. is there any truth In the report that You
to improve the Potomac front of Washington. 30
as to dry up the marshes and get hsrbor for
going vessclsy
IL have been spoken to on the subject. and have
suggested plan by which IL could be done; yet do
not think shall take hold of it very soon."
SO ended the interview.
Captain Eads has accomplished two great works OF
engineering in the most common sense kind of q
way, under unparalleled financial difficulties, and in
the face of relentless upon him, waged by the
technical and doctrinarian engineers OF the poly
tcchnic institutes, from which nc has not been SO
fortunate ~ to be q graduate.