Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1859-02-26

canal between Latcnachc and Cow Head
BayOus, but on the 10Th Of October his
useful career was cut short by the yell
low fever, and this unfortunate contract
when just on the point Of being compile
ted, was again inevitably delayed; the
working season has passed, and it must
now await another year, and ii new CON
tractor, for its completion.
While regrctting the incompletion Of
this extensive contract, | cannot but re
joicc that enough has been done to afford
conclusive experimental proof of the
practic;sbility and beauty Of the system
Of drainage adopted The canal from
Cow Head to Muscle Bayou was com
plcted last winter, with width of fifty
feet and a depth Of five feet Through
this canal the crcyassc water, rains, and
floods Of but one spring and summer
season have forced their way to the
lakes below, and being thereby enlarged
to the required drainage capacity, it has
shown itself capable of disclarging the
entire drainage acaters of the AtchafaIaya
Valley.
Before the cutting of this canal no
vent could be had for the drainage wa
ters, unless by the cutting of the Late
nache Levce and leaving open the cul-
vert at Cow Head. Although the cut
ting Of the Latanache Lcvee . caused
great discomfort and Inconvenience to
some of the people in its neighborhood
the general benefits that have arrived
therefrom have more than compensated
for these, and the expense of cutting
and repairing the vent have been fully
repaid; for without this the crevasse
waters from the numerous breaks above
would have been kept peht TIP So as te
inundate & much greater scope of coun-
try, as this gap finally afforded an outlet
to the crcvassc waters coming from Mo-
reau and Stark's Bayou, where the le-
wees, buih by Tie parish, We're destroyed.
Through the energy and activity of
the contractor, the gap in Latcnache has
been closed in time for the present high
water, and substantial gate has been
hung to the outer end of the Cow Head
Levee culvcrt, which, closing against
the pressure of the food-watcr of the
Atchafalaya, keeps out the same.
The parish authorities are making
great efforts to construct and keep up
a continuous line of lcvces from the
Mississippi, or Old River, down the east
| bank of the Atchafalaya river and west
boundary of the parish of Pointe Coupce,
to Alabama Island and the Parish of
Ibervillc; and we have every reason to
believe that after the next year the large
territory between AtchafaIaya and Mis-
sssippi and Bayou Fordoche will be
completely protected from the floods of
the Mississippi river.
The contract with J. A. Miller was
signed the Goth December, 1856, and
made to expire on December, 1851. Mr..
Miller's contract embraced two canals,
the upper from Marine to Middle Bayous
being in high lands and easy of access,
and the lower situated in the swamp
He commenced work on both early in
the spring Of 1851, either in person Or
by an energetic sub-contractor, MIR. Nc
Crea, and worked whenever the water
would permit. Early in November the
upper canal was completed, and the low
er one far advanced. On the first of De-
cember this canal was still uncompleted;
but satisfied that Mr. Miller had done
his utmost, and upon the recommends
ton of the Engineer, / gave him an ex-
tension of time for the complctionof his
work
Iregret to state, however, that Mr.
Miller has not taken advantage of this
liberal treatment, and at this time his
work is still incompletcd, and as he has
not acted with his usual good faith and
energy, | have been obliged to de-
clare his contract forfeited, although
nearly completed.
x 4 Y 4 x x
The Legislature, by Act No. lO3, ap-
proved March 10th, 1856, appropriated
the sum Of $25.0 900 to complete these
works in Ponte Coupee, to be applied
in enhrging the canal from Lake to La
tenache Bayou, Latenache Bayou to Cow
Head Bayou, and clearing out rats in
Muscle Bayou, and expenses in tapping
bayous, etc.
This amount was proportioned among
the various works as follows:
For charging canal from Lake
to Latenache Bayou $12, 900
For enlarging canal from Late
nachc to Cow Head Bayou. 5000
Clearing out RATS in. Muscle Sa-
you. -. .....- o,ooo
Expenses in tapping bayous. -. 5000
Total appropriation s25, 900
On March oath, 1858, Mr.. Walthall
Burton contracted to clear out the lntrl-
cato rafts which had encountered for ma