The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-12-23
BANQUET TO CAPT. EADs.
A Merrited Tribute to the Greatest
Engineer of the Century.
The Mississippi River.


Great River is one of the most i'm
portant public questions of the day,
to the farming interests
of the country. The press and the
public men are discussing IT, and
the indications are that the Govern
ment win engage in the work of inn
proving the river Oh scale COM
mensurate with its importance
The plan of narrowing the channel.
which has been so ably advocated
by the Great Engineer, Capt, Eads
will doubtless be adopted.
The Jetties have proven such a
great success in deepening the
mouth of the river and revolution
izing the carrying trade of the Mis-
sissippi Valley, and which save to
the producers of that section over
1925, 900, O0qannually, that the lead
ng citizens of New Orleans gave a
magnificent banquet recently to
Capt Eads to express their appre-
citation of his grand achievements.
At this banquet Capt. Eads deliv~
red the following speech:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen-1
eel profoundly grateful for the cor
lial greeting you have been pleased
extend to me tonight, and for
this magnificent banquet with
| which you have chosen to garnish
| your priceless welcome. But while
ny heart is overf1owi1g with thanks
for this touching evidence of your
,steem, a still small voice within
me whispers that this superb com
pliment, rendered, as it is, by so
age number of representative
men of this city and State, has
ieeper significance than that of a
testimonial of personal friendship
| nd regard for single private cit
izen. / recognize in it an evidence
of the deep seated desire of the
people of Louisiana to have the
r. at inland sea which laves hel
shores cleared of every obstruction
and made safe and navigable from
the Cult of Mexico far into the dis
ant States, from whence it receive
is wealth of waters. l recognize
lso in this testimonial, and witt
{ | intense pleasure, a tribute to tn
, 1ublic spirit and enterprise of thos
e who came forward with thei
money influence, counsel and en-
| enlargement to sustain and com
u oIete at the South Pass the first in
= oortant step in plan of river I'm
orovements which, when fully exc
t uted, will make the valley of tn
}. Mississippi the most prosperou
n wealthy and powerful empire Q
ID he face of the globe.
\ Let US contemplate for mome1
= he extent and capacity of that in
4 nensely favored and immense I
zion, whose multitude of rive
b. combined and concentrated flo
a. in such silent and impressive gra
CT deur in the single channel that be
ed aers this city. Within that vail
as are 10000 miles of navigable rive
g all seeking this route to the st
~ while the territory which they pc
he citrate in every direction is thirte
ed Zines as large as the area of Fran
wo was before it lost Alsace and L'
nd aine. If this territory, so favor
m bv climate, soil and natural produ
tons, were peopled as Belgium
eo today, it would contain o,ooo, c
IRE souls. Through the influence
sIn your statesmen and others IN
valley, aided by many whose hon
IS are beyond its limits, and urged
is. an almost unanimous public ser
es. ment, Congress has been induced
FIRE commence the improvement of
liver with vigor For the port
ge- below Cairo it has, on the adv
the of the Mississippi River Comm
vn- sion. adopted plan which is ba
Noi upon the same general princiF
ard me hods Of construction VIII
- were applied at the mouth VI
; river in 1875. AS this plan din
'sr. in several important points fr
that of any previously recomme
at ed for this part of the river,
!, S. briefly explain these points of
nate vergence:
!. .n 10 I. 1t proposes to bring the fl
" " channel of the river to comp
,o,. i've uniformity of width, or par
80 ism, by the encouragement OF
posts in the wide places, as
thor tain and only means OF insuring
- permanence of the low-w
channel.
her 2. 1t recognizes the import
start of closing the outlets through w
its flood waters escape, becaus
few concentrating all of the flood W.
men in one channel deeper low-w
tan channel will result.
+ ia 4. 1t recognizes the fact tina
proportion as the volume t1o'
d. in the channel is increased, gre
: the erosion of the bed occurs; &C
: re- ouently the flood line takes L
, the plane, and levees become less
pay cessary. Other plans of lmp'
resi- ,,ant we've Recommended tOl
been ,ater channel. bv which il
;, pos pos. believed s to 10 fee depth cou
1'' secured, but such plans did not
old template correcting the Hood
dsa,s mel, and could only have result
Sc oc- pariai ana ieui
her at levee system, as II IS lei ~
only to the protection of the
lssell- against overflow.
The plan adopted has stoo'
:. the test Of the most thorough scie
and ;nue stiOatiOn d