1901.] HAUTT — METHODS OF IMPROVING OCEAN BARS. 75 



new channel in a similar manner and passed on to the southward. 

 The testimony of nature is worth far more as to facts than that 

 of interested and superficial observers, and yet, in view of his own 

 admission that the evidence of the northward movement " is mostly 

 negative," the writer, to sustain his effort to condemn the theory as 

 fatally defective and to demonstrate an error in location, must, per- 

 force, invert the testimony of nature to accommodate a preconceived 

 theory. (For the evidence see Doc. 137, H. R., 55th Cong., 2d 

 Sess., Charts No. 6; survey of 1854; No. 7 of 1868; No. 8 of 

 1S91, etc.) A superficial glance at these will show the prevailing 

 direction of the drift and the loss of depth in the channel until im- 

 proved by the reaction breakwater. 



Such statements might be ignored were it not that the errors which 

 lead to them have involved the country in such large and useless 

 expenditures with injurious results to our commerce, and have in- 

 flicted upon us an enormous annual and avoidable expense for main- 

 tenance of channels by dredging, which the author recommends be 

 done by day's labor and with Government plants, thus destroying 

 competition. 



Yet all this expenditure does not seem to have had even an educa- 

 tional value upon the author of the report under consideration, who 

 recommends its continuance. 



Hence it is not surprising, after such an ingenious misconstruc- 

 tion of data "mostly negative," and which makes the littoral 

 drift come from the southwest or in a direction opposed to that of 

 the drift of the inlet for at least fifty years, that the author reaches 

 these erroneous 



" Conclusions." 



" 1st. The theory of the reaction breakwater is fatally defective 

 in the following particulars, viz.: 



(a) It provides for no force or resistance to hold the currents 

 against the breakwater. Such provision would usually mean a second 

 jetty. 



(b) Should it increase the depth, such increase is limited and 

 beyond that an undue amount of dredging would probably be 

 necessary. 



(c) If successful in deepening the channel, it would probably 

 move the bar seaward and the seaward extension of the works 

 appear impracticable. 



