TEE MISSISSIPPI DELTA 245 



future of deep-sea navigation to New Orleans, I think it desirable to call 

 attention to it at the present time, in order that, if possible, measures 

 may be taken to prevent a still farther obstruction from mudlump up- 

 heaval, hy persistent cutting-atvay of the present lump as it rises; so as 

 to relieve the pressure at the point already upheaved, and thus, perhaps, 

 prevent the rising of additional obstructions by giving vent to the mud 

 column at the initial point. How far this is practicable I will not ven- 

 ture to discuss. It is an engineering problem of no mean difficulty, 

 considering that, in past experience, the utmost efforts of specially con- 

 structed dredges have failed to maintain a proper depth for more than 

 a few hours or days, where mudlump upheavals had occurred in the 

 Southwest Pass. In the South Pass there has thus far been only a 

 single upheaval to deal with, whereas in the Southwest Pass a succession 

 of these upheavals rendered the maintenance of the main channel ex- 

 tremely difficult. When we consider that in many cases the shock of 

 the grounding of a vessel on a mudlump was sufficient to cause a quick 

 upward movement (in one instance lifting the bow of the vessel above 

 the water over-night), showing a state of very unstable equilibrium, 

 it is not at all inconceivable that in a comparatively narrow channel, as 

 is the South Pass at the present time, diligent and effective dredging 

 might serve to cause the upheaving force to continue to spend itself on 

 the one point where it has now acted, and so to prevent, or at least 

 retard, the formation of new upheavals. 



It is to be noted that at the present time the dredges maintain, in 

 the seaward channel, a depth of as much as thirty-seven feet. "Whether 

 this depth, apparently excessive for the present requirements of naviga- 

 tion, will prove an incitement to new upheavals of the bottom is, per- 

 haps, a question worth considering. In any case, the mudlump now 

 lying across the mouth of the main channel of the Mississippi has doubt- 

 less come to stay, and no amount of dredging will suffice to do away 

 with it. 



