Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-04-08

Gulf Of Mexico it divides into several streams.
which are known on the map as South Pass, South.
west Pass, Southeast Pass, Northeast Pass and Pass
a la Outre.
Twenty odd years ago there was a wide waste Of
yellOWish gray water and a vast mass OF mud.
There were "mud Jumps" that mysteriOusly up.
heaved themselves in this watery expanse, and mud
banks blocked the channel and held back millions
OF dollars worth Of merchandise, because of hind.
RANGES to transportation.
historian of that time reported fOrty-seven
vessels blOckaded in April, 1874, in South west
Pass One was hOisttd up on a mud lump that
suddenly reared its head in the channel.
The tributaries Of the Mississippi kept flowing in
bearing with their currents gravel, clay and debris
torn from their banks and each brought in it's con.
fributiOn to the Delta of the Mississippi This
mass Of gravel clay and debris 80 chOked the main
channel that brave effort was continually made to
get away by making other channels known as
passes. This mass Of earthly matter also spread
out like fan and every year the deposit increased
and the blockade OF shipping continued.
In 1874 Captain Eads, who built the great bridge
at st. Louis; offered to open a way and maintain it
for twenty years, and the channel should be kept
open during that time for vessels drawing twenty.
SIX feet. Up to that time the government had been
trying to dredge channels but the expense was
enormous, and the next food put in more than was
dTedged out. The confession was made that the
river was barricaded for all vessels drawing more
than eighteen feet, under the dredge boat system.
Captain EadS told congress he would not ask a
dollar until the channel would be opened to ships
drawing rs feet. BE understood to open South
Pass and the bill became law in March, 1873
From the end of the pass to the outer edge of the
bar into deep water was 1,800 yards. It was neces
sary to guide the strong current through this diff
cult space, and Captain Eads built ietties to curb
this current and to sc0ur out a channel across the
bar into the gulf waters He found the material
hear by, for there we're places on the river hank
that were OvergrOwn with countless willows long
slender wands that could be easily cut and handled.
The supply was inexhaustible. Then he built along
the pass ways like those used for launching small
ships and on top Of these ways he constructed huge
frames OF wood hundred feet long forty feet wide
and two feet thick.
The windows were fastened to these huge skele
tons, wattled in and out and we're then towed to the
place OF deposit and sunk. Great stones were piled
on them to hold them down.
These stones we're brought from the Ohio river
but mostly as ballast.
Miles OF these mattresses we're laid in the deep
waters, trans6xed by stout piles and the alternate
layers finally rose outside the water. II took ak.
teen tiers at the sea end Of the channel A wall of
concrete was then put topped with some blOckthat
weighed seVentytwO tons, said to be the largest in
the world The channel was kept open by these viii.
low barriers and behind them the restless tides and
storms piled upimmense depOstsOi sand steamer thus
automatically widening the ettes and securing their
safety from the furry Of the waves.
On the 18th day OF May 1876, Of the Cromwell
line appeared of the bar vent in the new channel
and glided up to Port Eads.
Now the largest ocean steamships and ocean liners
go in and out with ease II all the channels could be
iettied the sluggish waters might be hastened TO
their destinations and thus relieve the food situation
by quicker outlet.