Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-05-06
Lafourche Rail Road.
T1GERyILLE. .Anril Doth. 1854

marks upon the present condition of the Bayou
Lafourche; upon the proposed plans for its anne
Iteration. and upon a plan which wish to Of
fer, as q substitute for all others?
It is known that the average capacity Of the
Lafourche between Donaldsonville and Lockport,
is about four times greater than it is at point
below Lockport, and thence on to the Gulf, and
that year by year this lower portion is becom-
ing more and more contracted This diminution
was caused in the first instance, undoubtedly,
| by the large number of trees and logs thrown
into that part of the bayou by Gen. jackson.
The levees then terminated far above these OBJ
! structions, and even now, are not continuous,
| nor substantial SO far down the bayou. The
water, freighted with sedimentary matter during
foods, has for about forty years, since that
period, flowed over either bank.
The height of these successive oyerflows was
increased by the instructions, and the effect was,
and is, deadening Of the current, and con-
sequent deposit in the channel, as well as upon
either bank This process has been going on
year after year, until now the lands on this por7
ton Of the bayou. compared with thetheight Of
the levees, are several feet higher than those
above. The Lafourche now can convey to the
Gulf but small part of the water it receives
from the Mississippi. The narrow part of the
the discharge being impeded, and the leyees
above are built higher and still higher, year
after year. The water must find vent some
where and-crevasses occur yearly. Theiplan
of descent instead Of being what it should be,
and once was, continuous, and regular, from
the Mississippi to tide water, is now broken,
divided into two or more, elevated several feet
at an intermediate point. The plain is now
from the head, to this point, and it follows Of
course that the greatest rise in the high water
mark is nearest to said point. It does not then
surprise us to find the high water mark at
Lockport, about four feet higher than it was ten
years ago. The last appropriation by the State
was expended in repeating Gen. Jackson's pro-
cess, telling timber into the bayou and learmg
it there. The General was DESTROYS of keeping
the enemy out, but the Commissioners sought
to keep him in. We may expect to find the
high water mark rising, in direct proportion to
the increased obstruction. ...5
What is to be done? something eyidentlyssmust
be. An outlet into Fields Lake, OF the West,
is proposed. Lakes Fields and Long are from
seven to eight feet above tide water, and they
have but one long, narrow and tortuous outlet,
Bayou Bleue, not sufficient even in dry weather
to drain Fields Lake alone. The water on this
side, after overlooking the lands on the Terre-
bonnie, as far up as Houma, as well as those on
the Lafourche, would be discharged over the
marsh, into a labyrinth of shallow lakes and
bays, filed with oyster reefs. It could never
make for itself channels of sufficient capacity to
discharge quickly. 1t would simply overflow,
deposit and obstruct ITSELF The outlet must be
into deep not shallow water. An outlet ons this
side would convert into marsh all the lands ON
the East side Of Bayou Terrebenne from Houma
down, and afford but temporary relief even to
the Lafourche. Who would pay for the lands
submerged .r W. - s. 7i.1. s
An outlet into Lake DIES Allemands, or Lake
Oaucha is proposed Here it is time we should
reach tide water, but again the discharge would
be into q labyrinth of bayous, shallow lakes and
bays, extending for more than one hundred
miles before deep water in the Gulf is reached.
There would be no fall-after entering the lakes
to create current and vast expanse of
marsh to overflow The certain result of this
outlet would be to overflow all the back, lands
on the Lafourche, below Thibodaux, by back
water, as well as those in the parishes of st.
James, st. John Baptist, St. Charles, Jefferson
and Plaquemine. The small crevasse which oc-
cured at Fortier's some twelve miles above New
Orleans, two or three years ago, overaowed the
back lands on the Lafourche what then would
be the effect, if the whole body Of the Lafourche,
were turned into this same regions The whole
Of Lafourche would take the outlet, for the reason
that the lower part Of the bayou would be
closed by deposit. s..itsfs ,s.sas asa- I
The next plan is, to extend the levees down
the Lafourche, and excavate the channel SO as
to restore it to its old capacity, or rather make
it equal to that Of the bayou above. This with
out doubt would be effectual, but from whence
would come the means when they would be es-
timated by hundreds of thousands.IaT The cur
rent would it is true be Of great Importance in
assisting the excavation, but, forty years have
been consumed in contracting the channel, there
fore years would be required to scour it out
again. even with all the aid Of art, filed as it is
with logs and trees. Until this was done, all the
water being confined to the diminished channel
by levees must back up and rise higher above
than ever before = .:9s - g3..,'.%'. a.
The next plan proposed, is to contract the
channel at the head SO as to admit less water.
This would temporarily remedy the evil, but
with d diminished amount Of water would ensure
loss of current and a consequent deposit on the
bottom and sides of the bayou. Eventually the
water would be as high as ever, the plain Of
descent remaining unchanged, the extremes the
same. The bayou is none too wide now for |
steamboat navigation; q diminution in width |
and depth to any extent, would ruin it.,A 81
ID We have now considered all Of the proposed
plans, and all are more or less Objectionable. |
Let us close the bayou entirely, by means of a
large embankment at the head, and substitute |
for navigation, a Rail Road from Donalesonyille |
to Lockport along one edge Of the bayou, Of the |
same guage and uniting with, the n. O., O. & |
G. W. Rail Road Atintervals, say Of one mile, |
light tristle bridges could be extended across
the bayou so as to accommodate both banks. A |
Rail Road would at all seasons during high pr |
low water, transact the whole business Of Bayou
Lafourche with certainty, regularity, cheapness |
and despatch. I feel assured that such : road |
would paywell-that its stock would be valuable. |
II could be constructed ehsaply and we'll the |
right Of way costing nothing. It would Ger
tainly be well drained with sach D. = big ditch "
along one side of it. The immense cost Of
maintaining levees would be saved, and this |
amount applied to the construction Of the Road |,
would go far towards building it. Thousands
ofacres ofland, worthless now, would be brought |
into cultivation. 80 s ~
Thibodaux. now in danger of prematue |
decline, would have all of Lafourche at her
doors, and wonld be inspired with new life and |
Mgor. To Donaldsonville also, = terminus, who
can estimate the Importance Of such 2 Rail
Road. s,fss, ssfs ;s.4s (, fsi So tagsstt s4ta
It will be said that the planters on the Mis-
sissippi below the Lafourche will object to the t
closing Of the bayou. Undoubtedly they win, /
but cannot this be overcome? The Mississippi /
- % Il Nm IA -