The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-25
FATHER OF WATERS
MR. cAMpsELL's EXPERIENCES
Aud obwrvA,IOp. ,iOus The Loul.Iaua Co.'S. of til,
nI..I..IppI VI,sr-A Csa,srs.tl"u nIth CAP.
tGiA L.sth'n aa. tas J.tty aud the 0ut.
let s,sttms-Ths sugar Plantations.

Mississippi, and Is one OF The three that
form the regular line between New Or
leans and VicksburE-a run OF four hun.
dred miles-tbe other two being tho J. NJ.
White and the Ell Richardson, tho las,
commanded by Captain Wm. Campbell, a
native OF Wheeling, the son OF poor
Irish woman who once lived in the Fourth
ward, who began his career US Gablu boy
under Captain John Mcclure, but now u
wealthy and prominent cit'z 70 oil this city,
The NltCh'z is commanded by Captain
Thomas LsatherR, n great ak foot $50.
pounder, who has been fOrty.six years in
the trade, and WHO has commanded Neyen
boats OF that name in that time. He Is
known in conjunction with Captain john
Cowden as prominent opposer VI the Eads
| jetty system aud as al advocate OF the out.
let system. | had been warned that his
food and drink-hls dreams by night and
his theme by byday-was opposition 10 Eads
and his doings ut the mouth vi the MissiS.
sippi. ! WAS threfOre anxious to travel on
his boat and hear him express himself on
this very important question, about which
| was trying to gather information. Com.
ing up on the cabin deck found the great
leviatban in earnest conversation with a
thin man VINO could stand in his shadow
and scarcely make disc upon it, and sure
enough it WAS about Eids.
ABOUT EADs AND THE JETTfEs.
After taking my state room returned
to the scene OF conversation in time to hear
the Captain remark that Eads did "not
know q d-n thing about the Mississippi
river: no, sir; not rs much as you do, lad.
dressing the thin mani and il he was oDly
sincere in his ignorance | would think
mora OF him." said the Captain, "but it is
the Government money he is after, and
that is all thers is Of the whole business" "
was astonished at the number, variety
and vigor OF the Captains expletives. II
swearing was Unable offense under the
laws OF Louisiana, t. ink 1t would have
taken the profits OF this trip to have squared
the Captains account. The expetives
were more remarky ble than the arguments.
The conversation with the three men was
continued at the fable, and as sat between
the two l got tbs full benefit Of 1t. AS
opportunity offer, got slightly identified
with 1t. and after 4uer made bold to say
to the Captain tha: | wished for short
time to play the role OF Paul and ,t ut the
feet OF Gamaliel and learn all about the
levees and the outlets and jetties swell,
SIR" said Leathers, looking grim and fierce
from under his hat and his eyebrows, II
have been licensed pilot on this river for
43 years, and l tLiink | ought to know
something about the characteristics OF it
by this time. II i don't amt tit TO com.
mand this boat. Eads is no practical river
man with all his pretentiOns about by
draulics. He has built dam down yon-
der and you See the effects OF it up here.
This river is ready 10 burst through and
destroy this country, and if We escape this
year no thanks to bin. He pretends 10 be
securing out channel and getting deep
water through the South Pass by that pro.
cess, but its all humbug-al damn non.
scnse and fraud. He Keeps the channel
open by dredging, Tor which he gets $780,
600 per year, aud even with all OF his
dredging the City Of Lincoln, an English
steamer drawing about 20 feet, is hard
aground aud is being unloaded at great
expense 10 her owners. Does that look
like success? guess not. We'll, that's all
his jettiss smOunt TO, and all they ever
will amount to-"
"Blt Capt" said !, "ls 1t true or not,
that confinement within narrower limits
will produce securing effect upon the
bottom OF the river and ultimately cut a
well defined and deeper channel, Us con-
tended for by Capt. Eads and others"
How THE JErTlEs WORK.
"My observation has taught me-" said
he' that wafer uoes ho' SeouF Tue oos'oLn
OF the river at high stage, but exhansts Its
energy on the surface or in the centre, and
th.. !, Ia a, lou STAGE thu. the channel ia
'hA, ~ 20 ~ Nv 'e ~ Ts.ha,.a :, -
made Temporarily deeper. Inc poltotn o'
the river rises and falls-rises at a high
stage and falls at a low stage. It Is not
permanently changed at one stage or the
other except as bars are formed. This is
cnrious fact about the river that | have
learned from observation. / have found
he he gauge on marks at yickburp in low water
indieatinc eay Q ieetin the channel, when
in yealitv there was lO4 or II. and am at
a loss 10 see now daming il up at the mouth
and raising It M here ia going to alter this
LyJranlic pripciple and scour out n chan.
nj !"
awell.n said l, aEads has certainly sue.
caaded IN letting In larger class of vessels
" Nav Orleans than ever before. and the
neople ne generally Of that city seem TO be.
Iieye & that Il il a great step forward in their
commerciai NIT importanced
As to that, he replied, 1t lisa matter OF
imagination. All the cotton saised on the
irihStaries OF the Mississippi found lis way
to market through The passes before Eads
waa heard al. and New Orleans has no
triurs @ In the way OF commercial
;mnortance % except "a the country
tr;bnisrv to Ler is protected from
ove,aow, and the more YOU confine
th;s volnme Of water. the more certainly
viii viii Il overflow the country along its banks.
I not at The effect Of daming your Ohio
river % hy ihe bridge abutments that thew
i''St i. 20 "a ri.nt.,,nIt fs.:s