The record-union., 1898-12-16

to S20UO.OOO, and the time necessary
at from four to five years The opinion
| is expressed that with this expenditure
| levees sufficiently high and strong to
! afford complete protection could be as
| sured.
| The committee states that good re-
suits in assisting navigation have been
obtained from dredging with the new
style hydraulic dredges which have
proved very effective, and recommends
| that ample provision be made for con-
| tinuing this work. Speaking Of revet-
ment work they say:
! In view OF the great cost, especially
! great IN view of the results. it seems
| that it would be more judicious to Limit
! revetment work to levee and harbor
protection Contraction, by means Of
! jetties, dykes and dams, supplemented
| by dredging, seems to have given the
| best results at least cost There is no
doubt that revetments are very effica-
cious, but the cost is SO immense that
| systematic application is scarcely war
ranted."
OF the jetties in South Pass, the COM
mittee says that neither these nor the
training dykes. nor mattress sills have
been kept up to the condition they were
in during 1887, but have been allowed
to diminish and deteriorate. and as
consequence the channel has not been
maintained without considera BILE dredg-
| ing"
Hence they reach this conclusion:>
ON the whole it appears that al
though the jetties have ACCOMPLISHED
much good and great results. they have
not wholly succeeded, owing to the
causes enumerated, in maintaining the
flne channel that existed from 1875 to
1889. To maintain the good results OBJ
tanned the dykes, jetties and sills then
carried away should be replaced or re-
stored as far as practicable Besides
| the Jetties should be extended forward
further than originally built in order
to keep pace with the extension of the
bar into the gulf For practical pur-
poses the pass Is not adequate for yes
sells drawing over twenty-four or, at
the most, twenty-five, feet of water.
| rms is insufficient for the vessels Of
modern build Vessels drawing from
tWenty-nine to thirty feet or over are
now quite common and much more
economical than small vessels
! The committee concludes that it is
very. doubtful whether channel suffi-
clent for this larger class of vessels can
oe obtained In the South Pass, saving.
| Unless the pass can absorb mucn
more water, the securing process can
not be increased nor a deeper channel
OBTAINED by that method To secure a
greater volume Of water 1t would be
necessary to build and prolong great
training dikes at the head of the pass
| ana 10 fortlfy them with mattress sills
and other works, so as to bring about a
| larger inflow. In the next place #
| would be necessary to build strong and
| extensive levees on both sides of the
pass from the head to the jetties There
IS scarcely sufficient foundation for
such levees. The earth and riprapping
would have to be brought from a great
distance and the embankment would
De subject more or less to the storms
the waves and the back water of the
gulf. In short such leveeing would he
an extensive and most expensive iettv-
ing from the head of the pass to deem
water in the gulf. These are some Of
the difficulties which occur even to the
lowlauds. The cost would be enormo,,s
and the result doubtful
The committee then turns ifs attan-
ton to the Southwest Pass saving.
But the commerce of the Mississinni
valley asks and is entitled to much
deeper and broader channel to the sea
than is now afforded or likely to be. af-
forded by the South Pass. The South
west Pass is regarded in many quarters
lay and expert-as the cheapest and
most feasible route through which to
obtain the requisite deep water naviga-
| tlon' congress has already made pro-
vision for a thorough examination and
survey of this route The engineers
having the work in charge have not
yet made their report nor completed
'helr work, and until they do so II
would be premature for us to suggest or
ADVISE. We may add that to improve
the southwest Pass, and, at the same
tlme, TO maintain and utilize the South
Pass, and thus to secure the adyanta pes
OF TWO passes, is no novelty. This plan
was adopted in 1856, when provision
was made and work carried on for the
Improvement Of both the Southwest
Pass and Pass A'Loutre. Tn case of
extensive repairs or accidents tbaro
would always be one pass open and an
avenue for navigation"