Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-07
AN AWFUL EXPOSURE.

AN AWFUL EXPOSURE.
The steadfast energy with which the Gin
cinnati Commercial denouncss, villi6es, mis-
represents ard RACES with hot feeling against
the j.tties at the mouth of the Mississippi lie
something peculiar. New Orleans, to which
city all that relates to the jetties is matter oil
primary conceru-as it is in less degree to
other cities connected with the lower river
is quite satisfied with the jetties, and is graf
flied with the accession toIheir commerce
which they have brought. The Commercial,
situated far up the Ohio, and published in q
city having only secondary interest in
these structures, pursues with vengeful
maliynity a course of bitter vituperation
with respect to them. Why? The heat and
harshness of that paper suggests person al
feeling, the cause of that feeling, if it exist,
we do not pretend TO fathom-itw will be known
some day, we presume. In late philippe
sgaiDst the jelties, which The APPEAL
noticed when it appeared, reference was
made by the irritated Cincinnati journal 10
testimony given by Lieut.. Hener, of the
| United States navy, given before the river
investigating committee, and that testimony
was distorted so as 10 make il appear favor
able TO the views Of the irritated journal. A
reporter OF the New Orleans Times drew the
attention of the lieutenant himself to the
wrong done 10 his statements and, as was 10
be expected, that officers appreciation of his
own words differed diametrieally from the
coloring put upon them by the journal that
is suffering from irritation. After reading
the irritable article in question, Lieut..
Hsnsr said "These are the charges the
Commercial persists in making, notwitlstand-
ing they have repeatedly been shown to be
false" To the Commercials question why
the government pays for thirty feet
depth but gets only twenty-five feet, Lieut.
Hener replies that the government does not
pay for thirty feet TO the sea. There are in |
the jetties the additional five feet which the |
law requires and the government pays for. |
The irritated journal denies that the thirty |
feet between the jetiy walls are the thirty |
feet desired and expected. The lieutenant
answers that the thirty feet between the jetty
walls sis exactly what the law requires"
and says the water beyond the channel is
more than thirty feet deep. To the asser-
tion that the thirty feet paid for should ex-
tend from New Orleans 10 the sea, the an
swer comes that the government does not pay
for thirty feet from New Orleans TO the sea;
that there is no twenty-five feet on the bar,
as alleged, but on mud Jumps beyond the
Jetties, between which Jumps there is deep
channel nearly 500 feet wide. The irri-
tated journal twits New Orleans for its
satisfaction with a fraud that gives il
five feet less navigsble water than New York
has. The lieutenant states that there is no
thiriy-foot channel to New York, and no five
ieet difference between vessels entering New
Orleans aud New York; Hsny vessel which
can get to New York on sccount of draught
can get to New Orleans" although no equal.
ity between the two has been paid for. The
next Two paragraphs in the irritable journal
that Journals witness pronounces TO be
ridiculously false, and not worth noticing.
The irritable journal denounces the claim
that the jetties are success, and pronounces ,
them a failure. Lieut. Hener energetieally !
replies: "Tbis is absolutely false. The let
lies wonderful success. Where they e
now stand was once bar with ONLY an
eight-foot channel through it," The naval ,
officer then quotes some OF the testimony ,,
given by him, as pretended to be
copied by the Commercial, of which he D
lays it is badly garbled; and he P
dds: "Mr. Eads was required to
'btain, not maintain, depth of twenty-six 1
eet before he was paid, but he has actually
maintained that depth ever since. The :,
then replied 10 other allegations d
'bout mud lumPs, denies that the jetties are
,ept open by dredging, speaks of the fail t.
res OF the government in its attempts at h
rtdgiug sOuthrset Pass aud PGss u f'ouIre
Or years, denounces some OF the irritable u
ournaPs assertions as "bosh," accuses il of
Violently suppressing some of the testimony. te
nd says that every vessel that has been II
ground In the jetdes, on the 30 called bar M
eyond the jetties, was out of the channel. in
'me cases 500 feet away. Lieut.. Hener ~
includes in the following singing words. OF
'ferring TO the investigating committee,s
Iamination: 'The Comn,ereioPs correspond- d,
1t was on hand, and was furnished with IN
pies OF the soundiugs; in fact, saw the ="
undings made in the jetties, on the so. 90
He'd bar and in the pass itself: co
saw the line measured by the Gil
ngressional committee, and knew that The
an who cast the lead wss sworn TO give ac- sta
rate soundings; he also had access to and o u.s.
Is shown copies of the law defining exactly
lat depths and widths of channel the law of
Iuired in the pss' and jetties; be also ex
ew from explanations and maps on board ma
e exact condition of the pass and jetties,
what changes had taken place in them.n t Ls
e see here what witness quoted from by cal
Commercial has TO say of its statements
2 also see how statements made by the der
are spoken of by an officer of the car
iied States navy, one having no business VIC
crest in jetty or outlet. In conclusion. -
see that the errors made on the part of a .
: irritable contemporary were not errors sor
ignorance, bet deliberate sins against
BIZ and knouIedpeD mo