New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-01-18
NEW ORLEANS AND GALVESTON.


i Of tbs New Orleans and 0pelousas Railroad
II Company, for ~ copy Of q splendid and accurate
map she beas we have ever seen-of q part Of
the State of Louisiana, delineating the route of
the road, the parishes whose trade will be trihu
Il tary TO it, and marking out distinctly the towns,
I boundaries Of parishes, lakes, bayous and
istreams,of all that section of fertile country
Through which the magnificent impro yement
passes and is to pass. The map is the product
of the labor and skill Of Mr.. G. W r. Bayley.
the accomplished Chief Engineer Of the Com
2pany, who is amply competent, from long ex-
perienee and practical observation. to render
complete justice to any task in that line he may
undertake. lBs z3 5i8 5t3s= ss5s
| The road is now almost completed to Bayou
Bouf, a distance of seventy-three miles from
the depot at Algiers. . A few weeks will suffice
to complete what remains to be done: and the
management are straining every nerve to push
the work along as fast as possible, despite the
i8unfayorable weather which has prevailed for
an unprecedented length oftime. Bayou Boeuf
is fine navigable Of sufficient width and
depth to accommodate any steamship, steam
ar or vessel the wants Of the trade will ever re-
Il
8Iourde, and empties into the Atchafalaya river,
q short distance below the spot where the rail-
road bridge is to be made. From this crossing
to Atchafalaya Bay. . distance Of about forty
miles, the navigation is unsurpassed for steam
ships or any other description Of water craft
From the Bay to Galveston, the distance is
about two hundred miles, making the whole
distance from New Orleans to Galveston, BY.
railroad and steamship, a trihe over three hun
sdred miles, by means Of which travellers can
pass and repass from these leading commercial
points in about half the time it now requires
and time is all-important in this fast age
Further, by this route sea dangers would be
almost wholly avoided, while speed and GER
;tainty would be ensured. These qualities con
sstitute a desideratum with business men, and
hence we apprehend o great rush Of travel and
freight over the new route, as soon as suitable
arrangements can be made Indeed, there is
little or no question that the service Of a fine
line Of steamers will be speedily brought into
requisition. The investment would be bound
to return munifcent dividends even on q first
years experiment.
The approximations which some entertain that
there is not a sufficient depth Of water on the
bars Of "A tchafalaya Bay to admit of the pas;
sage of steamships, etc, are, we fully believe,
without foundation. In reference to this point,
Engineer Bayley, who has recently taken the
soundings, says !: g The soundings Is coast
survey, we SUPPOSE given for Atchafalaya Bay
were taken in 1850. The bottom being o
soft mud on the inside Of the reefa, has since
that time been affected by the constant passage.
Of vessels, SO that from eight to nine feet Of
water now exists, where seven to eight feetis
shown The constant, passage oflarge steamers
would, in all probability, soon deepen this to
nine and ten feet, and with the aid Of machinery
to twelve feet. These facts, we conclude, def
nitely settle the lack Of water difficulty, and
put that question finally to rest
ItshouM be the policy Of New Orleans to fos-
ter ell arrangements and enterprises by which
rapid, convenient and cheap means Of communi-
cation with Texas can be obtained Texas isan
empire within itself, and the trade which flows
therefromi is now extremely valuable, and will, |
in o few years, become enormous. The bulk Of
that trade flows elsewhere, and will continue to
enrich Northern merchants, unless we offer such
I facilities and inducements as will attract it to
1 this port, its natural market. @TAs
FG One link in the chain Of attraction, which we
have been adyerting to-, is now nearly compile
i ted and when the New Orleans and Opelousas
and the Vicksburg and Shreveport Railroads
Ishall have reached the borders Of our sister
State, which they will in 9 few years, we will
| be able to set at defiance all competitors But,
much may be doae to iniure us in the mean
time; other connections may be formed it will
be difficult to break i and other influences may
obtain Roadway it will be next to impossible to
/ counterfeit. The Boston and New York mer-
chants fully understand the present and pros
Epective value Of the trade of Texas, and would
atonce put lines of steamships on the route, and
offer almost any other inducements, if they be-
lieyed that trade was really about to be diverted
from them. If our merchants, capitalists and
property holders were actuated by the same
liberal, enterprising and far-seeing spirit, they
| would at once advance to the Directories of the
lroads we have mentioned sufficient sums to ena-
BILE them to prosecute the works with all practi-
lcable rapidity.
In few weeks, the Annual Report Of the
Operations Of the New Orleans and Opelousas
hallroaasG company WILL be published. We have
no doubt it will be satisfactory to the stockhold-
ers, the public, and creditable to the Directors.
Considering the circumstances by which they
have been surrounded, the Directors have GER
tainly accomplished wonderful results. ,.
l5a-5 MEETING OF sTEAHBoATMEN. Et.4 f
There adjourned meeting of steamboat captains
and owners last evening, beard of Capt. Kounts's
splendid steamer, the Crystal Palace. Capt r. Phillips