Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-28
from personally. AT other s...es he
said that he had derived but 81, 900
thorefrom.
THE MISSISSIPPI.

Special to the Globe.D .Democras.
WASHINGTON, March 25.-Hon. w.
ID. Wsshburn has returned from his
trip to New Orleans. He spent
several days at New Orleans, and
through the kindness Of Captain Eads,
who rendered him his boat, he visited
the jetties at the mouth of the Missis.
sippi river, 1lG miles below New Or
leans. He says that before the jetties
we're constructed the only outlet was
through tho Southwest Pass,
and that no vessel drawing
more than fifteen or eighteen
feet could pass through It. Now
the outlet is through the South Pass,
which before was impossible, owing to
the bed of alluvial deposit at the en-
trance to the Gulf damming up the
pass. But now, by means of the jet.
ties, channel of thirty feet deep has
been kept open far months, so that
.he entire commerce of the Mississippi
now goes through the South Pass.
These jetties consist of two immense
walls, running down into the Gulf,
two miles In length and 500 or 600
feet apart, erected one on each side of
the channel. Between these two huge
walls the current 10 concentrated, and
a channel is kept washed out of suffi.
oient depth to
FLOAT THE LARGEST VESSELS.
Gen. Washburn says that under
Eads' contract with the government,
he agrees to keep open a channel of
a certain depth and width. II he does
not his pay for maintaining the i'm.
provement 10 stopped. He says the
captain has an immense dredge boat
OF extraordinary dimensions, which
cost not less than $3.50, 600, to be used
in case Of shoalings and the soundings
are not of a certain depth. In de-
scribing the jstty system, and his trip
to investigate 1t, the general says:
"The great trouble In the naviga-
tion of the Mississippi has been that
above the mouth for miles the river
has spread over great surface of
country, crevasses have formed In the
levees, the river has broken through
Its banks, the inevitable result being
to shoal the river below. The effect
of keeping the river within its banks
for certain width Is to give certain
depth to the channel. The
jetty system a; the mouth of
the Mississippi Is on the same
principle, and is great success. My
trip gave me an excellent Insight into
the whole jetty system. The captain
of the boat understood everything
thoroughly, and took greal pains to
explain it to me. No one can under
stand the jstty system thoroughly
until he has seen 1t. My investigation
has given me thorough understand
Ing of 1t, and I am most favorably Inn.
pressed. The plan recommended to
congress by the
for the improvement Of navigation
above New Orleans, involves the ap.
plioation of precisely the same priuoi.
pie. If had any doubts before /
went there as to the prscticability of
the Mississippi river commits ,ioner
plans, which had not, they would be
entirely dlspelled now. The praotlca.
bility of the plan below New Orleans
was so perfectly cleaf to me that I
have not the slightest doubt In the
world that Its application shove will
accomplish precisely what they claim
for It."
General, what will be the result of
the failure of congress to make ap-
propriations for carrying on the work
ct improving the rivers and harbors"
was asked.
"People do not have the slightest
idea Of the loss that is going to result
to the country in the damage to prop
erty and the detriment to commerce.
My opinion is that before long you
will hear great olamor from all parts
of the country on account OF the stop
page of these works. I had a talk
with General Wright, and he feels very
badly about it."
"What works will be effectedi"
:Most all the works. These Miss
iasippl river works will be damaged
more than any other, but all the
works will be damaged. As, for In.
stance, the most important improve
ment, 90 far as the Northwest is con.
cerned, is that of the Ssulte Ste. Ma
rie. The tonnage that goes through
that river Is simply enormous, and it
Is increasing all the time. The gov
ernment has built very extensive
canal and look-the finest piece Of
masonry in this oountry-whloh will
take through steamer drawing l6
feet of water, as large draft as will
admit vessels through the Straits of
Mackinaw, to Chicago, but there Is
space In the
SAULTE TIE. MARIE
where vessel drawing only twelve
feet can 60 through. The consequence
Is, we do not get the benefit of the 16
feet draft In the canal. The differ.
ence In the cost of carrying freight In
vessels drawing 16 feet and in vessels
drawing twelve feet Is tremendous.
The delay, therefore, In completing
this improvement will result In great
loss, not only In damage to property,
but In Injury to commerce. l do not
know of 80 marked on instance where
so little money is required to improve
the carrying trade as In the improve
ment of that river, and the loss of one
years time Is great loss to the conn
try. SO 1t Is with other improve
ments. There are Duluth and Supe-
rior harbors, where the commerce is
going to be very large, and the facili-
Ties are inadequate to do the busi-
ness. The delay, therefore, In
completing the Improvement will
result in very great loss to the
, country and in great injury to
} the facilities for doing business. One
J of the greatest losses results In stop
> ping snagboats. An appropriation Ia