New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-06-16
The Environs Of new orleans.
NUMBER sEvBNTY-sEyEN.


/ fa# ORB. 5u
In a former number we related in what manner
the first railroad in louisiana and if we are not
much out Of the reckoning, one of the first rail
ways in the world, was laid down, tO-wit the
railroad Of Lake Pontchartrain. As we then said,
it was by General Bernard, who, as chief engineer
of the fertilization department at washington, had
been sent to Louisiana in order to establish the
present communication between the river Missis-
sippi and the Gulf lakes, behind New Orleans, and
the adjoining parishes. Had not this railway
taken the place Of the projected canal, we would
have had, in all likelihood, direct communication
| by water from the shores of our river to the
waters of the Mexican Gulf. But, although this
water route has, so far, been delayed to the pre-
sent time, we see no reason why such feasible
| communication should not now be commenced !;
and we have not the least doubt that if such an
| imposing au thorty as that of General Beauregard
would put itself at the head Of such an enterprise,
! the thing could easily be brought about Such an
undertaking would offer quite other inducements
than that Of deepening the mouths Of the Missis-
| sippi for the accommodation Of the shipping and
outward navigation for, with regard to the latter
enterprse-we mean the forming of an association
for the freer navigation of the river outlets-it
mits, whether such corporation would eventually
| turn ont profitable concern.
| Not only because the work of keeping the chan
mel open for deep-going vessels would be a per-
manent one, and every season to be renewed,
but there are other considerations which might
render the general undertaking. as one that could
be dispensed with, in case that different plan to
obviate the difficulty should be finally successful
one. This plan, some years ago, already sug-
gested to our commerce, consists in employing
what are termed eamels or sort of floating
warves, which being stationed in the neighbor-
hood of the Baize, the Southwest Pass, would be
towed towards the deep-going vessels, be eonVe-
niently fastened to them, and by means of steam
power lifted out of the water and thus bring
over the bar those ships that would draw more
than the ordinary depth of water, say fifteen OIL
sixteen feet We have seen this plan enuncated
in some publications years ago, and it is some
what surprising to us that such an apparently easy
and feasible mode ofconveyance shouldnot already
have found an association Of enterprising mer-
chants and ship owners to put it in
execution. We have seen by the cree.
ton of floating dry docks at Algiers, on the
other side of the river, that we can employ the
steam power, in properly constructed contrivances
to lift out of the water almost any mass or weight
whatever. Now then, it seems to U.S. that boats
could be constructed in such manner as to act al
once as the mighty towboat, which brings up a
whole feet of vessels at its poop, and with the
accompanying power of lifting up some four, five,
or six feet in the water, such sea going vessels
either entering or issuing from the mouths of the
| Mississippi and in this manner transport them
over the bar. The premises of the steam power
to operate in such process of uplifting water,
craft, and proceeding with them, once admitted,
follows, that the rest is merely matter for the
engineers construction of the necessary succonr
boats or vessels, styled the eamels, or tightening
steamers. We shall, however, for the present,
once more return to our primitive objeet--that is
the excavating Of a water communication in the
lower section Of metropolis, from the river to
1 the lake, joining eommingling with the waters
of the Gulf, Our readers need not be told over
again the many fair reasons which we have in for.
mer statements already enumerated. There is,
however, this now to be added to what we then
observed, to-wit: that, at the present day
cameling still offers inducements for trans
ports and conveyanees, which railroad estab
/ lishmcnts cannot wholly supply, and that is tn,
greater eheapness of water conveyance generally
even upon excayated watercourses or canals. T
understand the subject properly we need but Loo