Year: 1876

Ueptb Now Fifteen Feet.
The following letter has been mailed
to Mr.. Walsh, President South Pass
Jetty Company:


PoRT EAps, March 81, 1876.
Mr.. J. 4. Walsh. President South Pass Jetty
Company:


Dear Sir Our recent soundings have
been very elaborate and embrace the en-
tire length OF the jetty work and extend
several hundred feet beyond them into
the Gulf. They have just been mapped
out and reveal the following interesting
and encouraging facts:
vessel drawing eighteen feet would
now encounter but two places through
out the entire channel over the bar with
less than eighteen feet of water on them
at average flood tide The first of these
Is about 5000 feet from the upper end OF
the jetties, and on it there is seventeen
feet and five inches, and the length OF
the shoal, measured with the current. Is
not over 800 feet. The second shoal is
about 1900 feet further down, and Is
about 700 feet long. The least depth
here is one inch less than fifteen feet.


This is the shoalest place throughout
the entire length of the channel, and /
believe am safe In saying that this is
quite equal to the present normal depth
on Southwest Pass bar. This channel
is not crooked. and throughout four
tlfths OF the length of the ietties the
eighteen foot channel Is ut least two
hundred feet wide


The length Of shoal water which a
vessel drawing twenty feet would en-
counter i'm passing out through the jet
ties Is not more than three thousand
feet One OF the Government dredges
would cut down this shoal in week and
thus open twenty foot channel from
the sea to the head of the Passes, twelve
feet OF water over n shoal about TWEEN
ty-iive hundred feet long, through
which the dredge could make twenty
feet in few days. Col. Andrews Is
pushing the construction OF the detlect-
Ing dyke ut this place which is Intended
to remove this shoal. This work will
soon be SO far advanced that its effect
upon the shoal will be apparent. The
sinking Of the third tier of mattresses
will be commenced on the dyke in a few
days. The closure Of Grand Bayou Is
steadily progressing. A sill OF founda-
ton mattresses Is already sunk across
its entire width, and to morrow n second
tier three feet thick will be sunk on
them.


The soundings in advance of the jet
ties are exceedingly satisfactory, and
fully sustain the correctness OF the
theories upon which the application Of
the jetty system for improving the
mouth Of this river is based. Instead
of the bar advancing in front of the jet
ties. SO confidently predicted by its op-
posers. we actually find a marked deep
ening of the water for several hundred
feet out i'm front of them. In some
cases tho increase is as much us ten
feet. About six hundred feet beyond
the ends of the west jetty we have fifty
four feet of depth, whore there was but
forty -four last May.


This is not u hole. as forty-iive to fifty
feet soundings are found over u large
area within one thousand feet Of the
lefty ends. The storm ten or twelve
days ago was the severest ever known
at this place, but beyond sinking n
barge load of willows, it did us no dam
age. Careful examination of the works
reveals no injury to them from its vio-
lence.


A large amount Of deposit has formed
on the sea side of each jetty. nearly out
to their sea ends, which not only give
them greater security. but materially
lessons the cost Of completing them.


Very respectfully. etc,


JAMES y. EAps.