The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1922-04-20
PREVENTING GAZING.
DR.. MeCaleb Suggests the Woods Plan
to Save Bridges.

to Save Bridges.
'fhe county bridges have beer
threatened by the fools and torrentia
rains on bayous and creeks. The un-
derminingof these structureshave beer
going on for some time, causing loss
and expense particularly to the Port
Gibson bridge and the Grindstone Ford
bridge. The woven wire mattresses
AZ right angles from the north shore
Of the Bayou Pierre at Grindstone
Ford bridge was put there as an ex-
pertinent for which the contractor was
never paid by the McMurchy Board Of
Supervisors and it saved it for ten
years until the disaster that befell il
not many weeks ago. The heavy down
fall Of rain Thursday night has weak
ened the bridges erected over the diff
ferent streams of the county-and in
this neighborhood Messrs. A. McC.
Byrnes and P. S. Byrnes, Jr., worked
ali day Saturday to save the Rocky
Branch bridge without hope Of reward
knowing the precarious condition of
the county's finances.
never held a public Office in my
life, in fact, could not be elected mud
fence commissioner, but this does not
prevent me from taking an interest in
our political government. I believe in
good government, not cheap, though
economical government in collecting
revenues and distributing expenditures
--on the lookout for improved practi-
cal means in all county government
works. Therefore l present, for con-
sideration, in all future, caving and
cutting of the Bayou Pierre, Big Back
River and creek banks, to the Board
Of Supervisors, the plan originated by
a Nebraskan, Mark w. Woods. 1t has
received the endorsement of army en-
gineers, congressman and senator's,
and Senator Wesley L. Jones, Repub-
lican, Washington, chairman of the
Senate Commerce Committee, says the
Woods plan will solve the problem that
has been costing the nation millions of
dollars annually. The farmers are
saving their lands from the shifting
rivers by it, the railroads are using it
to protect their bridges and ports have
adopted it for harbor improvement.
Anon.
Here is Mr. Woods plan as he de-
scribed it; Two or three years ago
Mr.. Woods bought a farm of 6000
acres in Nebraska. When he went out
to look it over he found the Missouri
River munching it off at about the rate
Of eight rods day. He heard Of
man who had invented a hydraulic
pile, which it was claimed, could be
driven to bed rock. The rock butments
had been washed out and obviously the
thing to do was to find something that
could be sunk below any possible dan
crnaa rf cooa1v- NJ. tHooI s.xxrcc4tr.,4
ed the invention.
Woods purchased the necessary e.
quipment and hydraulically sank the
piles to bed rock. To each pile was
attached six cables, each an inch in
diameter, and to these cables were at
tached forest trees. In the ordinary
retard, 100 feet long, four piles are
used, and from 500 to 700 trees Of the
understandable type found along
many streams in the country. These
trees were made to form a breakpile
lying at right angles to the bank from
the bottom Of the river to the top and
securely held in place by piles.
This method does not defect the
current, but simply retards it, causing
It to unload the sand and silt that the
water is carrying In a short time
the retard forms sand bar along the
cutting bank. AS the trees do not rot
under water, the river can never cut at
this place again On the Missouri it has
been shown that series Of those re-
tards will protect any bend in the riv-
er from further erosion. Twenty-Five
hours after Mr.. Woods had put in his
retard the cutting along his land was
hlling back. Day by day the Missouri |
poured its silt on the retard, building
the land up again, AMI it is now being
farmed. This triumph over the Mis-
souri, began to be followed along the |
river. Some critic will say that Mr. |
Woods is not a engineer. Yes, he is J
a farmer. His plan is common sense 4
engineering. James B. Eads, the Jet
ty builder and bridge builder was not
an educated engineer, but a steamboat
captain His jetty system for deep
water for the passage Of ocean going
ships over once impossible bars is US