New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-06-16

10 the water1raft generally that frequent our two
basins-the new and the old, in our city, and also
the small sailing vessels that from the sea come to
our levee in the port of our metropolis. Although
steamers now trayersing the and oceans in
almost every direction, do seem to be gaining
upon the former mode OF navigating the waters
by sail still it will be perceived that on account
of the cheaper expenses of this after mode, or by
employing sailing craft, we may yet expect the
competition to be kept up for almost an unlimited
space of time. There are various reasons that
will continue to give the preference to sailing
vessels for the transport of produce, although
that mode may be a much more tardy one; and
then again. there are great many localities that
can be better accommodated by the ordinary wa
ter craft than the steam vessel or steam ships.
Hence a canal that should open communication
from the river to the Gulf waters by the back
route, would find host of customers, and would
pay extremely well. Let such men as General
Beauregard take this matter in hand, and there
will be soon an association formed to
come to the rescue of the lower town
section, and rendering most prosperous the now
comparatively torpid or stagnant region. Our
attention has again been drawn to this subject in
order to come to the rescue of that seemingly
abandoned quarter of our parish, the lower subur-
ban limits towards the frontier line of the Parish
of St. Bernard; that is to say, the vicinity of the
United States barracks or quarters, near the Canal
des Pecheurs, or the Fishermens canal. As we
already made mention in some former number
from this very point water communication, by re-
opening this ancient canal with the Bayou or River
st. Francis, commonly called the Bayou BienVenu
would at once reestabsh the former facility Of
navigation into Lake Borgne. For let it not be
forgotten that the principal obstruction to the
navigation of that fine water course was caused by
order of General jackson, in the year 1914 tt
prevent the advance of the enemy towards tht
lower suburbs Of our city. We're the ehaune
again cleared Of all the trunks, brush and oil
stumps nov obstructing the navigation of th
stream it would take but little more work to rem
der the Canal des Pecheurs capable of admitting
water craft and small steamers, and by building
small wooden sluice at the levee of the river, VT
would have direct communication, at little ex
pense, from the Mississippi to Lake Borgne. Sucl
plan does not exclude the one which cOntem
plated the establishing Of water basin and navi
gable canal behind the Third District, under TIL
name of the Florida canal and basin but we hav
mentioned the opening of the Canal des Pecheurs
and the Bayou Bienyeuu, as the scheme, the mos
easily to be executed and Immediately practicable
and profitable to any association thatzwonld under
take such an object. There can be no doubt tina
such an association would, moreover, have Al
equitable and legal claim upon the Federal govern
ment, whateverit might amount to, for.the ez
pense Of re-opening and re-establshing the nav
cation of Bayou Bienyenu, which had been OH
structed, as mentioned in 1914, by the order Of til
commanding general
Under such auspices, it is not to be doubted tina
men of means will be found in our midst to cor
tribute to an undertaking that will nfuse!and vita
ize by an accelerated activity, the now persevei
ing but dull ploddlng industry which expeuds q
its force in the cultivation Of fields and garden
with a variety Of vegetables and kitchen greens
all very well in their line but not sufficient to he'll
on the general want for more active, more CON
merciaI and industrial enterprises. We hope, a
though we have not particularly touched upon gu
local envfrons, that the topics treated Of in thi
number have not been uninteresting to our readers
and have met with their general approval al
/ assent.