The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-11-24
The steamer Mississippi, with the

luz stealiier mississippi, Wild tAo
Mississippi RigerCommission on board,
reach New Orleans last Saturday. after
makiug an inspection OF the govern
'fnent works on the river from Cairo
on down. Congressman j. E. Rams
Dell joined the party at Lake Provi-
dence and made the trip through to
New Orleans with them In the Times
Democrat of Sunday last we find the
following interview hadswith him
Congressman. j. L. Ransdell O. Lake
Providence was mem Der Of the party
Of Mississippi River Commissioners.
VINO made. a semi Official inspection of
the sAtcflafalaya river. Mir. Ransden,
together with Chairman L. T. Burton
OF the rivers and harbors committee;
Major Haired. Major Richardson. H.
L. Marrindin ofthe United States Coast
and Gsedetic Survey and Mr.. Ocker-
son.. arrived in the city last night over
the Southern Pacific road from Morgan
City.
.In an Interview with the Times
Democrat reporter last night at the st.
Charles Hotel. Mr.. Ransdell talked en-
tertainingly Of the trip. lie said that
the Inspection Of the, Atchafalaya was
merely a cursory one, and that the
members of the commission spent a
longer time at Simsport. where the
stills we're placed in the Atchfalaya
river several years ago than at any of
the other points passed These sills."
said he, Hwere of considerable inter-
est to the commissions for the simple
reason that they were placed there for
rather peculiar reason. Instead of
the waters Of the Atchafalaya flowing
into the Mississippi river, the waters of
the Mississippi river flowed into the
Atchafalaya, and thus the sIlls were
made necessary. They are proving
effectual, and though they have been in
position some time don't seem to have
deteriorated
..Mr Ransdell said that visit was
paid the artificial rock works at Kemps'
bend to enable Congressman Burton TO
see the unique process by which Major
George McC. Derby is manufacturing
rock for revetting purposes. Mr.. Bur-
ton WAS greatly interested in, the
scheme, and Investigated the process
thoroughly w
These works." explained Mr..
Ransdell, rare, so far as | know. the
only ones extant. Some time ago Ma
jor Derby set himself to the task of
finding solution to the problem of
overcoming the shortage of rock in
that vicinity. After considerable time
spent in patient investigation, Major
Derby determined to make all the
rock required for weighting the mstt-
resses. Near Kemps bend. on the Mis-
sissippi side OF TIE river is an extern
sive sand bar. On this bar is an abund-
ance of small stones. ranging in size
from half an inch to three inches Ma
jor Derby simply built plant, fitting
lit with mixing machinery OF n compli-
Gated nature. and now when be wants
to make rock all he has, to do is to
mold them just as a brickyard would
mold brlcksi Major Derby employees
cement as cohesive agent. He mix
es the rock and cement. I believe his
formula is / to f6;atbat is, to one part
of cement be puts sexteen parts of
gravel. The stuff in little less than a
semi, fluid state is placed in large
moulds. shpuld.sa 10 by 10 inches
by 5 feet, These are exposed to the
sun for time, and then prestoi YOU
have as fine stone for weighing willow
mattresses as You could desire There
is tram railroad line running from
the rock works to the barges which
convey the stone, to the points whore
it is to be used 10 all, the plant is
noyel and Itaink it would be worth
any one's time 10 pay q visit % it ana
carefully go over its detail Yes. Ma
jor Derby's scheme is unique, and the
best thing about it is that it is, practi-
cable. Another remarkable fact about
it is that gravel is extremely scarce
along the Misslssippl river. and it
seems as il nature conspired to aid the
engineer in bis SCENE by placing the
necessary constituents right at hand.
The manufacturing of this artificial
rock saves an immense amount OF mon
ey. / see why no reason why it should
not be done at other points along
rivers where gravel is to be had."'
mir. Rsusdell was delighted with
this bis initial trip along the, river, 1t
Afforded him an opportunity to person
ally see the work being done and will
enable him to intelligently apply him
sell. to the task he had set himself to,
that Of using all bis influence in Con-
gress in behalf of the rivers and water
ways of Louisiana"