Daily gazette and comet. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1856-186?, 1860-02-17
opening and Closing Bayous.

w ouf feStsittofs w INTERFERE w very
diilieult aud dangerous natter, that If
regulating the Mississippi and lie
tributaries. Oar painful experience
on this subject ought 10 call pause
In and enforce vety great caution in
regard 10 ell propositions calculated
10 interrupt, divert or change the nat.
ural course Of this imperial siresin.
There Is bill before our I.egisla.
ture for closing the Bayou Plaque
mine, and o proposition to have open
Cd The long closed Bayou MaBebse.
These propositions appear TO us TO be
Of very opposite, If not contradictory,
characters. Separated only by few
miles, u is difficult TO understand why
there is not as good reason for keep
ing the bayou closed, as the oibef. -
The other proposition, however, that
the reasons for keeping both open are
equally valid, is not so legitimate, for
reasons which we will how proceed TO
gives
The bayou Msncbse was closed by
an act Of the Legislature IN 1926,
which was an abandonment on the
part OF the Hate of ell claim 10 the
use Of the sswe for public purposes
The bed OF said bayou, by The closing
Of II, beeame the property Of the tipa-
risn pfoprietofs, which they have en-
joyed for over thirty years thereby
giving them a ptoseriptive right, Of
which they can not be deprived with
out ample compensation. All persons
who have purchased lands subject TO
overflow by the bayou, have. done so
in good faith, aud the State would be
bound TO pay all damages that would
result From openingik Such damages,
II is estimated by competent persons.
would now exceed ten million dollars J
II is questionable whether the State
can eonstitutiebally open the bayou,
as certainly IL would be violation Of
vested rights. This question he's been
brought before the Legislature several
times orders have been given 10 State
Engineers 10 examine the same-and
upon q proper understanding Of the
matter, II was summariiy disposed Of
as impracticsble aud uncalled for
The bayou, according 30 the re-
port of MI Woodbridge, one Of the
State Engineers. is only fofty.two
feet wide, and twelve feet deep,
one mile from the river this, oi
course, Ia the utmost capacity Of
discharge through into Amite riv.
CT. At its mouth, where the river
would eome IN u IL one hundred
and City feet wide and twelve feet
deep at high water the depth
would be increased some five feet,
which would make n permanent
crevasse seventeen feet deep aud
some two hundred and fifty wide.
With not sufficient capacity TO dis.
charge one.ivurth Of the. water, the
surplus Of which would discharge
itself over the ands and I'LL up as
the orevasses below did IN 1851.
the whole back country, putting
under water large portion Of the
east side Of lberville, portion of
Ascension, and backing the water
clear up TO Baton Rouge. All
this damage must necessarily re-
suit from the opening Of the bayou,
and for what object no one can tell
for, AZ q depicting outlet Of the
Mississippi, IL Is as our former
State Engineer would say, utterly
insignificant; aud, IA to being used
for pufposes of navigation, that is
totally impracticable, for no craft
that navigates the Mississippi riv.
CT, except. perhaps, few chicken
thieves, could ever get through,
and, besides, It Is dry three fourtbs
of the year.
There Is little doubt, too, that
the opening of this bayou, aud the
consequent overflow ut high water
of ell the low land. now drained by
IL, would produce a serious damage
TO the Jackson and Great Notherr
Railroads, which traverses n por
ton of these lowlauds.
ray Human beings, like plants