Year: 1876

We have recently had an interview with
q gentleman who has just returned from q
visit to the mouth of the Missis .ippi river,


where he had an opportunity of thoroughly


inspecting the work now in progress in the
construction of the jetties projected by


Capt. Eads. Our Informant made his trip


upon the tow-boat of Capt. j. N. Cunning,


which. took down tow of Eve barges Of
stone taken from his quarry at Snyder's


Bluff, above Vicksburg. Capt. Cunning
amount of stone that will be necessary


for the completion of the jetties, and is ac-


lively engaged in the performance of his
contract. Our friend gave us minute des-


cription of the process of building the jet


ties, and we only regret our inability to


convey to our readers as clearly as we re-


ceived from him an idea of their constuc-


ton. The first work done by Col. An


drews, who has the entire control of this


gigantic work, was to divert the water of


Pass rOutre which threw the current


more strongly into the South Pass, the one
selected by him for deepening. From q


point near the mouth of the South Pass the
jetties begin. The work of constructing


the mattresses of which the jetties are form
ed is carried on above where the piliDg is


Begun. They are mostly of willows but
any kind of small trees are used which are
not more than three inches in diameter.
These are placed on frames from forty to
OABhAy kOCb lOuR 6uu dUOuG LWCuOY 1861 Wlu6.
The brush fs laid on to depth of three
feet when similar frame is laid on top of
the brueh and the top and bottom frames
securely pined together. These mattresses
are towed, one at time, by q tug, from
the place where they are made, to the pos
ition they are to occupy in the jetty wall,
and there placed between double row of
piling, and secured in their places by being
weighted with stone. The mattresses arc
placed one on top of another, just as bricks
are laid in q wall. When the surface of
the river is reached the whole mass is COW
cred With rock to depth of three
feet. In short time the mud deposits
from the water of the river form a solid
and durable wall. The channel between
the two walls of the jetty is six hundred
feet wide, and the length of the piling and
wall will be less than three miles, the work
beginning below the light house at Pass
a POutre, aud extending to what is known
as 60 The Hole" where the wafer of the
Gulf euddenly deepens from few feet TO
thirty or more fathoms. This increase 10
the depth of the water is SO sudden that
there ia scarcely a foot from the shallow
bar to tho perpendicular depth of many
fathoms. Calculations based upon the
annual deposit Of mud at the mouth of the
river, show that this deposit would be q
hundred and sixteen years filling up the
Gulf 30 as to impede navigation. The
channel between the walls OF the jetties,
aithough they are only partially completed,
has increased in depth from five to four
teen and half feet, and the protector and
engiseers engaged in the work have not
the slightest doubt of obtaining depth
sufficient to admit the largest ships. Capt.
Eads is by his contract required to obtain
thirty feet of water before he is paid the
full amount of his compensation, and the
prospect now is that he will secure that
depth at an earlier period than he expected.
Since the jetties were begun the mud
deposit has formed very large tract of
land on each eide of the jettes, and there
is probability that this bar will soon be
30 as to make it available for.use-
ful purposes. TIE amount t of stone necessary
for weightipg the mattresses and finishing
the river wall will be immense, and as the
quarry owned by Capt. Cunning is the
most available for the purpose, he has in
his quarry bonanza equal to a gold mine.