The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-31
Albert Stein.

The Delta of yesterday commenting in stron!
terms upon the indignity offered to The men o
science in New Orleans, by the importation of
citizen of another State to undertake the closinf
of the crevasse, introduces prominently the name
Mr.. Stein, Of Mobile, as among the i" imported, ,
and refers to the works at Saves as though they
were to be conducted hereafter by the +" joint la
bors" of that gentleman and Mr.. Grant. This il
unjust to both these parties and msstates entirely
the nature of Mr.. STEMS visit to New Orleans
The city authorities had nothing TO do with it, and
knew nothing of it, Probably their first informa.
ton of his presence here was obtained from the
Delta. He came for his own private business, and
was going back when he found himself gazetted
mvidiOusly as supplanting the engineers of New
Orleans in the confidence of the city managers
He went up to the crevasse to satisfy his own curl
Oslty, and is by this time in the city of Mobile
again, without having exchanged word on the
subject with those in authority here.
Now If Mr. Grant shall succeed in closing the
crevasse, it is not right that the credit should be
divided with Mr. Stein, whom the Delta has asso.
ciated with him. If he should fail, it will not be
fair towards MIR. Stein, who may in fact disap-
prove OF the plans he supposed to have counselled
As the fact is that he was not consulted at all bv
any body, it was hasty in our contemporary to pa.
rade his name as text upon which to hang censure
upon the city functionares for their unnatural pre-
ferences for a stranger and migratory population
Mr.. Stein, however, is no stranger in New Or
leans. He has had the construction of public
works here, and the satisfactory evidence they give
OF his skill as an engineer is around us. He has
RETIRED for years. from the practice of his profess
sion; but were it expedient to consult any other
than resident engineers he is certainly very pro-
per man to summon. His knowledge, attachments,
and experience are of the first class, and his old
residence here probably would have made his EN-.
pioyment less unpaatable to men who live and
practice the same profession on the spot
Although Mr.. Stein was not employed to aid the
works nor consulted on the subject, he nevertheless
examined the crevasse and formed an opinion We
know that he was entirely satisfied that the closing
OF the crevasse is not very formidable matter,
and that it could be effected in short time by the
due application of scientific principles with the
necessary means and materials promptly supplied
lie mas had experience, too, in the work of dam
ming torrents and turning streams from their natural
neds' and does not speak at random. This opinion
encourages us in the hope that the present efforts
VIII succeed, although We have no warrant to say
that Mr.. Grants plans are those which Mr.. Stein
would adopt
There are, we doubt not, engineers in the civ as
competent as any who could be brought here. to
have closed this crevasse before now if thew had
been placed in control at the proper time and with
full powers and means. There is great RESPONSE.
blity to be borne somewhere for the hardness. in.
efficiency, and parsimony with which all this mat.
ter has been conducted and even now there are
complaints that Capt. Grants labors are delayed
tor the want of supplies and materials for the en-
ployment of the force he has under him. But
While concurring in The general censure for want
OF energy and neglect of the means and the talent
that are within ourselves, we must beg the Delta
not to involve our excellent old friend, Mr. Stein
IN controversies in which he has no part OF lot.