Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-20
CAPTAIN EADS.
ARRIVAL OF THE EMINENT ENGINEER
IN SACRAMENTO.
Some Sketch of Him and His Works, and
a Report of Conversation with
Him Yesterday.

a Report of a Conversation with
Him Yesterday.
Captain James B. Eads, the widely known
and eminent civil engineer, arrived in this
city yesterday TO assume the Positions Con-
sulting Engineer for the State upon the
debris retention problem, and the question of
the improvement of our navigable rivers. He
took rooms at the Arcade Hotel, where his
headquarters will be for the present. He
proposes to apply himself at once to the
business which has called him to the coast,
and his verdict upon the problems named will
be awaited with the profoundest interest.
Captain Eads is native OF Lawrenceburg.
Indiana, and is about 60 years of age. He is
about 5 feet 10 inches high, of spare build,
dark gray eyes, hair almost white, full gray
whiskers worn short. He was yester lay
visited by a representative of the RECORD
UNION, who requested his views upon various
engineering topics, and, of course, upon
those Of such deep local significance. He
was found to be a gentleman of unassunlng
manners. very plain and modest and of pleas
| ing atfable disposition. lie warns IN
stantly upon engineering subjects being
| preached, and seems to derive great pleas
| ure in speaking Of them. Concerning
our mining debris, the securing out of the
! Sacramento river, and the protection of lands
from its overfows, Alr. Eads, while convey
| ing the idea by his expressions that ne was
somewhat surprised at the alleged extent +
| detritus deposited, and the character of the
| li.cr sod
| BY the problems involved and he will
approach the work with holiness. He re-
| fused to express any opinions concerning
these questions and said he should refrain
from doing so until he had made examina-
lions to justify them.
Captain Eads was asked if it was true that
he was a steamboat Captain at one time.
! He replied that he was first clerk in a
dry goods store, and in 1889 became clerk of
Mississippi steamer. He devoted all his
spare moments to the study of engineering
during that time. He was never steamboat
captain.
He was asked what was his first practical
work.
He replied that in 1912 he constructed a
diving bell boat. followed by larger boats and
apparatus for recovering sunken cargoes and
vessels. In this work he was largely engaged,
working his inventions upon the Mississippi
and other rivers. Later he erected glass
works at st. Louis.
Captain Eads was asked when the idea first
occurred to him to enter on the work of in.-
proving the navigation of tie Mississippi.
He replied that in 1856 he proposed to re-
move distractions in the channel of West
ern rivers, the Ohio Mississippi and other
streams but though bill passed the House
in Congress for the work in 1857 it was too
late for the Senate.
"When did the question of building iron
clads for the river first present itself to his
mind?"
ssIn 1861 he said, ''the President coun-
seled him relative to the construction of
rmor-plated boats, and he built for the Gov
eminent eight such boats within 100 days.
They were the first ever used by the United
States Government, and some of them were
in the fight at Fort Henry long time before
tie Monitor descended on the rebel ram in
Hampton Roads. The next year he con-
structed six iron-turreted and template
vessels for the Government, with machinery
for working the 15-inch guns by steam. so
that every three-quarters of a minute they
could be discharged, and thus steam was first
brought into use in the working of heavy
artillery"
Captain Eads was asked when he entered
upon the work of the great bridge over the
Mississippi at st. Louis
He replied that the work extended from
| 1867 for seven years.
What was the span of the arches of that
structure?
One, the central, is $40 feet in the clear.
The side arches are SOP feet.
The details relative to this great structure
and its massive piers are matters Of scientific
record and Captain Eads was not pressed
further regarding them.
Regarding the next great work of Mr..
Eads he was questioned concerning the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river, which has
been an engineering problem for forty years.
Captain Eads says that the Engineering
Commission of the United States in 1874
recommended the construction Of canal
near Fort st. Philip, to connect with Breton
bay, and thus avoid the bars at the mouth.
He opposed the plan, and favored deepening
the water on the bar by parallel jetties run
ming into the sea across it. These would
prevent the river from spreading on its en-
trance into the gulf and losing its force or
velocity, aud consequently its power to
carry on its sediment.
| How was this opposition and proposition
received by the engineers? was asked.
! They opposed bis suggestions-at least,
most Of thein-bat Congress had its attention
called to the matter, and he and his friends
| having proposed to deepen the water to 80
! feet, and to assume all the chances until they
| had deepened the stream to 20 feet from the
average depth of IA feet, that body referred
| the matter to another Board of Engineers, and
it resolved to permit him to try the plan on
the smallest pass, though he subsequently,
| gained consent to do the work on the larger
! pass As result the lower house of Con-
4 gress passed the necessary bill, but the SEN
/ ate objected and he was forced to begin on
| the small or South Pass. Here he found two
/ bars one in the river and one in the sea; the
! first had but IA feet of water, and the
/ latter only s feet. He was to be
| allowed but So 250,0G0 when the
estimate called for much greater sum, and he
was to get $500, 600 when he had made a
channel 20 feet deep and 200 feet across.
/ Other payments were TO follow as he deep
ened the stream. He was compelled to con-
sent also to the Government retaining 81
! coo 600 after The work was complete, as
security for the pledge that the
work should not cost over 100000 a
! year for 20 years. But Congress found,
/ subsequently, that such contract
was unjust, as It required half of all the work
/ to be done before he could draw the FIRST pay
menGs, and when % feet was reached it was
! fourd that eighty per cent. of the work would
I be accomplished. Accordingly the Govern
ment advanced Mr.. Eads 81. 0e0, 600, and
sent Board of Engineers to examine the
work and see if further aid could properly be
extended This Board was pleased with the
work but thought no further advances neces-
1 Sary but Congress, when it found that nearly
I eighty per cent. of the work was completed,
advanced $780, 600 more. In July of last
year TIE depth Of so feet was attained for a
width Of 200 feet, and the Government paid
4 over the 81, 80, 900 remaining in its hands.
/ Concerning the Captains system of i'm
proving the securing capacity OF rivers, he
! has written several works. Last year Con-
/ gress placed him on the Mississippi River
Commission TO devise a plan for improving
the navigation of that stream and to prevent
/ iuundations He believes that by contract
/ ing the river high-water banks at the wide
places. so as to establish uniform width
| through the alluvial sections, the stream can
be made of like depth from the mouth of the
Ohio clear down to the Gulf OF Mexico.
Passing from these considerations of his past
works, and concerning which it was necessary
to draw out the Engineer by question, from
his disposition not to vaunt his achievements,
the RECORD MON representative approached
subjects upon which Captain Eads spoke
more freely and with much animation, and
the result is given by question and answer.
Question-You have recently been to Eu-
rope how long since was that
/ Answer returned a little over six months
ago. ] went there last August.
Q-Was your trip for scientific investisa
ton:
Al went to examine the Suez canal and