The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-07
Great Vessel Travels Up River of Same Name Without
 a Mishap
WILL GO ID NATCHEz
 AFTER 4 SHORT VISIT
Mississippi River Pilots Are Amused At the Idea That the Warship Cannot Travel Up the River
 With its Great Depth.

New Orleans, May 6.-The people of the lower Mississippi valley, especially those of New Orleans. are happy to- night. The big battleship Mississippi, which has been brought from the naval station at Guantanamo. Cuba, to receive a silver service from the people of the state from which she takes her name today crossed the bar at the mouth of the Mississippi, entered South pass, and came up the river to New Orleans with out mishap of any kind.
 The original plan provided for the presentation of the silver service off Horn Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, without any side trips. Then move- ment was started to have the presenta- ton made at Natchez, Miss, but this idea was not received with favor by the navy department, and the people of the Mississippi gulf coast also strenuously objected. It was argued that the depth of the Mississippi river would not per init battleship as large as the Mis- sissippf to make the trip Those who put forward this objection were met with such volume of statistics and reports of much larger vessels navigating the river that it was finally decided that the ship should make the trip to Natchez. anyway, although the presentation will take place at Horn Island as originally planned. This compromise apparently satisfied everybody. and those who had rushed valiantly forward with a defense of the river withdrew, declaring them selves pleased.
 Rivers Great Depth.
 kltlssu3 8s dsath ot isss sss tween 1r4eans and tha t. rles Asteieen 1sennd zoo fest sae .aax- imum depth at the passes is only 31 feet. Big ships loaded down with cot ton have gone through South pass drawing 29 feet within the last few weeks however, and the old Mississippi pilots were amused when they learned that anxiety was being felt over the safety of the battleship. which passed through today drawing only 26 feet.
 Quick to take advantage of the suc- cessful trip through the passes, those who made provisions in New Orleans for the reception of the big ship had her tied up to the Jackson avenue wharf almost against the bank, in- stead of permitting her to anchor in midstream. Even this close in there was a hundred feet of water under almost the entire ship.
 The Mississippi will remain in New Orleans until May 12, when she will start up the river, making stops at Donaldsonville, Plaquemine Baton Rouge, Bayou Sara and Natchez. Later she will go to Horn Island for the silver service.
 Pilots Are Amused.
 Old Mississippi river pilots laugh at the fears expressed in some quarters that the big warship Mississippi will come to some harm on her trip up the river by the same name
 They assert that any one of a dozen men who have held the wheel of river boats can take the battleship up the river much further than Natchez and never let her get a scratch. And they don't min imize the difficulties of navigation on the Father of Waters. either.
 Uncle Sam's big fighting craft, riding majestically at anchor opposite the naval wharf, draws 27 feet. The water upon which she floats is POO feet deep. She passed safely through the passes or rather through the South pass, as 1t is called, and the water there Is only 2 feet deep. River men say that she has passed the worst part of her trip, and that the cruise up to Natchez will be mere childs play to an experienced pilot.
 For some 300 miles from its mouth the Mississippi river has an average depth of 50 feet, and tho channel is considered safe for vessels of deeper draft than the battieship. The marine register shows that many vessels of deeper draft are go-' ing up and down the stream every week, and none has experienced any trouble. Only short distance from where the Mississippi rides is sunk the Louisiana, yet traffic continues above her without any indication that she Is at the bot tom, 90 deep ie the water Only a month ago the huge Mt Royal, drawing 2s feet, went through the South pass.
 River Spreads Out.
 When the river approaches the gulf it spreads out over an immense space, and consequently is quite shallow. The gov ernment intrusted Captain Eads with the task of deepening the channel His plan, and the only successful one. was to build 1etties and by concentrating the water, force it to wash out the mud and silt carried down the stream. This chan mel. known as the South pass, is 32 feet deep. The government is now construct ing a new channel to be called the Southwest pass which will be 40 feet deep and which is nearing completion now. All along up the river the work of keep ing the stream open for navigation is going on constantly under the direction of the United States engineers. There are one or two bars in the stream but with the water at the present high stage, those who have spent their life on the river say. there Is absolutely no danger of the big craft suffering any injury.