Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-07-23
THE JE rTIES,
HepSrf o. sne Engineer i'm Charge nt the
South Pass,

Reporf o. sne Engineer i'm Charge at the
South Pass.
WASHINGTON, July 22,-Maier Heur,
Of the corps. Of engineers, has submitted
his report Of the progress Of work on the
Improvements Of the South Pass of the
Mississippi River fer the past fiscal year
to Gen. Newton, Chief Of Engineers
He says: Zone of the interesting facts
connected with the improvement is that
the full depth ard width of channel re-
quired by law have been main'ai
throughout the year by Mr. Eads and
that no dredging of any kind has been re-
quired on any of this work since Febru-
ary, 1883. No work has been done in the
pass or at the head of the passes during
the year. The inner east jetty has
been extended Cos feet. The main jet
ties, where covered with concrete
blocks, still continue to settle slightly,
the subsistence for the year averaging a
little less than 2 inches. Near the head
of the pass, in September and October of
1884, the channel shoaled to depth of
26 feet, but in February following the
depth increased to 337 feet. This has
again shoaled to depth of 30.6 feet in
consequence of falling river. The 80
foot channel at this locality is now 100
feet wide"
In the pass itself, no change Of con-
sequence bas occurred during the
year. The shoalest areas, those near the
deepened slightly. A complete survey
of South Pass, made in November, 1881,
showed that it had channel throughout
whose least depth was q feet, and that,
except for about one-half mile, there
was channel whose least central depth
was 30 feet. Cetween the jetties during
the year there has been some shOaling,
varying from to 10 fest in hight, but
as this shoaliug has occurred in the deep
est part of the chaunel no harm has re
suited. At present there is chanuel
through the jetties whose least depth is
81 ] feet. There is also 80 foot chan
mel, in which the least width is 130 feet
aud &c foot channel having at least a
width of 270 feet. In the gulf, about
500 feet beyond the outer end of the jet
ties. there is legal channel of 26 feet
having width of 2l0 feet aud central
depth of 30 feet or more, but this chan
, del makes such a sharp bend or turn Of
about 9O0 that | believe it would be i'm.
practicable for vessel drawing
% or 26 feet to make the
turn without grinding on the shoals o.
| either side. The fan shaped area, EN-
bracing about II square miles beyond
the ends of the jetties, has been deep
ened during the year an average depth
equal to Lie feet, whereas during the
previous year it had shoaled or deposited
3.6l feet in vertical hight. A scoul
Lie feet deep over this area means the
removal of about 100000 cubic yard'
more of material than was deposited
| there in the same time. There still re
MAINS in this area a deposit averaging
7.13 feet in hight and estimated roughl,
to contain oyer 100000 cube yards
This is approximately the excess of de
posit over scour that has lodged on thi
| po tion of the bar during the past niu,
years. Considering the channel in th,
pass jetties, and just beyond the jettie
| during the year, as a whole, it is in bet
ter condition now than it was at the enc
| of the previous year.