Year: 1875

the came conditions would not exist! The


hill forty five feet high, against which the


river is to-day discharging and which is


absolutely necessary to enable the river to


advance into the sea, would be forever


gone, and with it all power on the part Of


the river to reform this earth work, which
| to day enables it to fight its way steadily


forward into the Gulf. Its channel, which


is now defined twenty miles out from the


Southwest Pass, would flow twice or thrice


as far in all probability, for the river will
flow through salt water at easily as it does
through banks of earth. 1t is not deadened


in it's current by entering the sea. but by
encountering the hill at the mouth Of the
river.


In response to question from General


Bussey Captain Eads said the work would


be pushed as rapidly as possible, for the


more rapid the progress the greater the
| economy of time and money. He wished


to get out Of the Pass quick, and tem
porary jetties would therefore be made to


be consolidated and strengthened later. He
| expected to have twenty-five to twenty
four feet of water July 4, 1876.
He also gave description of the remark
| able sand bar on the east side of the Pass,
oIi % pOLtiUh Va CDo totlSo "Oulu
rest.


He gave as his theory of the mud lump
that it was formed by the deposit of fine
vegetable matter further cut in the gulf,
than where the sand, etc, tell. This was
subsequently covered in the lapse of ages
with sand, which subjected it to an immense
pressure. A chemical action took place
and the gas found vent and pushed up
the mud lump. 1t was of the consistency
of putty, aud would give no trouble.
South Pass was free from them and only
one had ever been known to rise in the
channel


The remarkable similarity OF the mouths
of the Mississippi and the Danube was com
mented on. The general course of the wind
was east at both. The three divisions dis
charged the same proportion of water, were
affected by the llttoral current in the same
way, and the same mouth was to be oper-
ated on.


General Bussey said it only remained for
the Chamber to wish Captain Eads god
speed in his enterprise, and from the earn
est attention Of the audience he was sure
they did 80, having learned more of the
jetties than they had ever learned before.


The following was offered by Colonel
j. M. Sandidge, and unanimously adopted:


Resolred, That the Chamber of Commerce
has heard with much satisfaction from Cap
tain James B. Eads the expressions of bis
entire confidence in the success OF the ,jetty
system which, under arrangement with the
OOVArnmpnf has hppn AQfArmiNQ0 fOI.
the improvement Of the outlet through the
South Pass of the Mississippi river, and of
his determination to prosecute the enter
prise with all possible energy. Having but
one object in view, capacious water way
to the sea, this chamber commends the
work of Captain Eads to the citizens of
New Orleans, and to all who are interested
in its success, for such aid and facilities as
can in any way be given, assured that from
his triumph over the mud bars at the
mouth of the river will date an era of pros
porous trade and commerce to the people
of it's great valley.


The chamber then adjourned. /