Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-01
JETTIES TRIUMPHANT, OUTLETS
GONE TO BED.

porter Of the New Orleans Times was present,
and his account bodies illfor the captains the
cries, and has nothing consolatory for the Gin
cinnati Commercial and its assertion that the
jetties have four feet shaIIower water than
they ought 10 have. The TTmeSs report in
forms US that the committee visited the
ground where Cosdon's outlet is proposed to
be opened. The captain was there with
rudy face and smooth-shayed chin; eager
ness was in his looks and pleading was in his
voice as he ran, chart in hand, from commits
sioner 10 commissioner, pointing out lines on
the paper and features in the ground and on
the flowing river favorable to the great
scheme that had grown up in his mind, re-
ceived shape from his intelligence, and only
wanted the aid of congressional millions to
be realized in all its might and magni6cence
at the utterance of his word, the issuance Of
his fat, the imperious wave of his hand. With
thick enunciation, and words tumbling one
over the other, the captain explained, and
extolled, and magni6ed and prophesied, but
alasl all in vain. One by one unconvinced,
uttering no word of encouragement, giving
no sign of sympathy, the commissioners
turned away, and the moment so big with
the fate of Cowdon and the plan of deepeH-
ing the bottom of the Mississippi by drawing
away water from the top, was lost. Not only
were there expressions among the commits
sion unfavorable to outlets, but there were
uterances OF an entire conviction of the ne
cessity of levees to restrain the waters of the
Mississippi within their own banks. Capt.
Cowdop, says the reporter, showed temper
and Capt. feathers feeling; the modification
was TOO great for all manifestation of it to
be suppressed. Then Capt. Heur, of the
United States engineers, displaying charts
and documents in the boats cabin, in calm,
clear accents, with mathematical precision
and scientific accuracy, explained the sim
pie kbut far-reaching principles upon
which the jetiy system is based, princi-
pies whose truth was demonstrated when
the South Pass was reached, and the actual
work was scruiinized by the commissioners
eyes and measured by the revelatory line
with which the bottom was sounded from
opening to sea, and beyond the jetties into
the sea ITSELF Going down and returning,
the lead was kept busy. The reporters
statement gives the figures of each cast OF
the line. They were the most complete con-
futation OF the wild statements Capt. Cow
don's ll-judgiug friends have made upon the
subject. The New Orleans Times thus sums
up the result of this very material part OF
the problem the com % issioners are seeking
to solve:
The soundings taken fully sustained all that
has ever been claimed for them, their depth being
shown to be over thirty feet at nearly all the
taken at the outer edge of the jetties coming up,
only three were below thirty, and all of them
from east TO west at the outer end OF the etties,
the least depth was found, and here in the center
of the channel the lead showed thirty-two feet
five inches.
But really there is a stronger proof than
these, or any occasional soundings. That
proof lies in the experience OF the vessels
that are constantly passing up and down the
jetties. Still another point had to be set
tied. The opponents of the jetties, troubled
by the strength Of the fact that the jetties
give free admittance to the river from the
sea, which was the object of their construc.
ton, have asserted that the river sediment
is deposited at some distance in front of the
point where the Mississippi water flows from
the jetties into the sea. The consequence is
these directors assert, that a bar is forming
there which will, in moderate time, bloch
up the entrance TO the jetties altogether
Here follows the record made in a search
extending from the mouth of the jettles tC
a mile and half into the gulf, at the poin
where the bar alleged to be forming should
be discovered, if it exists. "No bot
tom," in the statement, means be
yond forty feet. The figures arr
of feet; "deep" means "no bottom; the star
is from the mouth Of the jsfties: Deep, 81, So
deep, deep, deep, Al, deep, deep, 40, deep
deep, deep. On the turning poiut back to-
ward the jetties there was no bottom at so
then came five no bottoms with % feet line
then A, "A, AZ, AZ, AZ, AZ, 40, so, SO, 81, 81
so, 80, 81, As, "a, "a; entering the jetties, SO
The channel was run up and down twice &C
search for a shallow place, but the committed
were satisfied that the ships channel was o.
full width and the required depths, and ex
pressed favorable opinions OF the jetties. Sc
goes another of the hateful falsehoeds tina
malignity has invented against the jeIties
What had Capt. Cowdon to say to all this
Nothing. He was invited to go out and sc,
the measurements beyond the jetties, but tn,
reception of his efforts at the sp OF of his pro
jected outlet had not agreed well with hi
mental digestion, and he remained behind
The evident turn of the committee in favo
| of the jetties, and their commendstory expires
| sions toward it, were too much; what coult
Capt. Cowdon do? He took the remed,
old gentlemen OF sober turn usually find bes
under disappointment-he went TO bed an,
was seen no mere. II mus. be said of him
however, that il he has missed success it ha
not been for want Of brave and persisten
| fighting for it. The only criticism We hav
to make on the captains conduct is that
while very properly doing the best he cal
for his own scheme, he has not been as jus
and generous as he might have been towar,
his rivals and opponents. As we have n,
doubt, however, of his sincere desire TO se
the Mississippi improved to its full extent
we think when the edge OF disappointment
has lost its sharpness. he will rejoice tina
even a rival should do the work rather thai
that it should not be done at all.
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