Reduced to a single float, the breakwater might remain under the
waves too long, but, owing to the two others, it rights itself, warps
around, and always presents the spur of its sharp roof to the wave.
In order to prevent the breakwaters from clashing against each other, they
are united end to end in a very simple and ingenious manner. From each of
them there starts a deeply inserted iron bar which terminates in a journal
that permits the breakwater to oscillate. Between these two bars there is
a sort of swivel, whose pieces, in playing upon one another, give the
breakwaters elasticity, while always holding them apart (Fig. 4). From
each side of the swivel start the branches of a stirrup iron to which the
anchorage chain is attached. This latter is of steel, without solderings,
and it is so perfectly constructed that no breakage need be feared. To the
other extremity of the chain is attached an anchor having two flukes,
which both engage with the bottom.
Mr. Froideville proposes to set up two lines of these breakwaters, for a
length of about 71/2 kilometers, starting at the north from Cape Heve,
taking in depths of 15 meters (the best that are found in the Little
Roadstead), passing in front of the Eclat shoal and the heights, and
ending opposite the entrance of the present port.
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