Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-04-29

is a canal twenty five feet wide, commencing a
about one hundred and fifty yards from thu
Mississippi, and the latter with which it con
meets is Bayou Dupres, within two miles of tb'
river, sixty to eighty feet wide, the lower par
towards the Lake being capable of floating thu
largest vessels in the world
Here, then, within q few miles of New Or,
leans, is a breadth Of land we may call oniy {
tsw feet in widtl, which nature and art seen
to have prepared for the important design Of
making a new passage to the Gulf--which in.
vltes the action of the citizens of New Orleans
and also that of the State and National Gov.
ernments, the latter having more interest in the
matter than al other interests combined.
The expense of cutting this passage, toge.
gether with the amount necessary for purchas.
ing the right Of way, would be very insigniti.
cant, compared with the never ceasing expense
of keeping the channel open at the mouth Of
the river. 1t would make the distance TO the
sea from the city a hundred miles shorter it
gives assurance that sufficient depth of water
will be found for the largest class vessels; it
would mitigate greatly the danger of overflow,
for the reason of such an additional egress be-
ing made for the water 10 get out. These con-
siderations should be alone sufficient to ava
ken the minds of the people to the importance
of the subject, without calculating the immense
commercial advantages which such a work
would ensure to New Orleans. And among
other advantages which this new passage would
effect for the city, is that of a Navy Yard--Lake
Borgne- offering 4 site such as could no where
else be found.
Among the many good results which this
new passage would give rise to, we can scarce
" imagine any more important than this fact
that at last a work will have been accom-.
pIished which would in all likelihood unite all
interests in the unanimous wish and determjS
nation 10 close Jorerer fayou Plaquemins. If
We are not very much mistaken, Nj. Elicit
spoke of the closing of Bayou Plaquemine in
his report, in connection with the opening of
the passage alluded TO-. 1t requires no mathe.
matIclan to demonstrate, that if a new passage
to the sea for the Mississippi be made eighty
miles nearer Plaquemine than the present Pas
SEES, an additional outlet will be obtained for
at least thrice as much water as goes down the
Bayou Plaqnemine-that such new Pass or
outlet would actually cause the river to be
lower at high water between plaquemine and
New Orleans even by closing the bayou, than
is now the case when this bayou is open and
Tue passage referred to unopened! This must
be evident. If not evident TO the senses of all
Men could easily make it palpab!e, we
IhInk. Bayou Pl%aquemine being closed, ina.
CINE the thousands of acres of land that would
De reclaimed to the State. That the bayou mus,
De closed, or large amounts of money eypen.
led upon it if kept open, is undeniabie. If
losed-but which never can or will be done
Until the new passage to the Gulf for the Mis-.
isslppi is made-the commercial interests Of
10 section will be injured, for railroads would
ranch out in the districts at present interested
n the navigation of Bayou PIaquemine. The
Tete and Baton Rouge railroad would
re continued at once to the AtchafaIaya. And
ne would undoubtedly originate here, extend
ng to Indian Village, nine miles distant, from
which point navigation to the Attakapas could
e had the year round.
The foregoing remarks in reference TO-, and
. connection with, the great and important
ubject of opening a passage for the MISSISSIPPI
i into Lake Borgne, are hastily thrown tore
,er, an! without bringing to bear upon it, mi
utely and succinctly, all the interests connect. !
with it, which the matter so eminently de.
We are satisfied, however. by holdinc :
p to view the glaring ard main results to be a
,complished through such a work. If we =
ave succeeded in this, and in drawing to the
lbject the attention Of the Press, not only of
he city but elsewhere, (for the whole country n
deeply interested in the enterprise,) we will $
Ell that we have not spent an hour in vain a
nong the many which our vocation demands
US to devote to suggestions which aim at
and Improvement, and the welfare Ii
ID prosperity of our State and country. c,