New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-01-15
THE LEvEE AND THE wHARvEs.

In general sense the levee is New Orleans ~
be sure what we recognize as corporate N.Y.
leans is composed of large number o. SIZES,
and a GOOD many thousands of houses hiank'eu
by about two hundred thousand peopie pu.
without that comparatively narrow strip Oh iahu
which stretches along the river bank IN front oil
The citv there would not be streets or houses or
neonle where this metropolis now stands. we are
II the habit Of ridiculing the man who once said
that ii was o wise dispensation of Providence by
which d river was made to flow past nearly every
great town We can see nothing in this urban and
auyiatile propnquity, but the very natural saga
city which prompts men to avail themselves OF the
commercial and other advantages offered by the
great rivers. Nobody, we suppose, ever would
have thought Of building town on the site OF New
Orleans had it not been for the manifest advant'
ages of the place as an etepot for the anticipated
productions of the Mississippi Valley. 1t must be
confessed that events have justified the choice
New Orleans in spite of many drawbacks has be-
come great commercial city. In the days before
the war it was the second commercial city in
America, and the fourth in the world. What we
call the Levee, was then the grand depot for the
agricultural products of an immense region, en-
bracng the sugar and cotton of the South, the to-
baceo of Kentucky, the lead of Missouri, and the
-four and corn, and bacon and lard of Ohio and In
diana and Illinois. In the busy season the noun
tains of agricultural wealth which lay heaped,
along the levee surpassed anything Of the kind to
be seen elsewhere in the world. AT the same time
our port was filed with steamers from the upper
country and with seagoing sailing vessels and
steamships For five miles more in front OF our
city stretched line of commodious wharves and
landing places amply sufficient for even the great
demands which were made upon them. We did
not at that time seem to think that it was only by
| benfcent dispensaton of Providence that the
| Mississippi was made to flow past our DOORS We
did what we could to utilize our natural advanta-
/ ges The river gave US depth Of water, but depth
| of water was not all that we required. In the
olden times vessels came up to the Levee, or the
river bank tied fast and discharged their cargoes.
But this primitive style did not suit augmented
necessities and our enlarged ideas. We required
wharyes, and we built them.
| For short time, that is to say during the dis
continuance Of our trade on account of the war, we
| had little or no need of these extensive levee
Accommodation But it was natural to suppose
that the time would return when a revival of COM
merce and industry would again make them
necessary. The same kind of sagacity which
| looked ahead for hundred or more years, in
! founding New Orleans on the banks of the Missis-
sippi would have suggested keeping the wharves
in order for two or three years in anticipation Of
the renewed demand which would surely be made
for them 1t is to be regretted that nothing Of this
kind was done. Peace has returned, commerce
has revived, our port is again filled with vessels
from sea, with steamships and with river steamers
but the leyee is in a condition totally unfit to
receive this vast aocretion of traffic. The wharyes
have gone to decay and ruin, and, in many places,
have totally disappeared Facilities for loading
and dscharging no longer exist. The levee itself
is fnll of holes and chasms that makes it in many
places, almost impossible for vehicles, and dan
gerous for pedestrians.
| In order to show that we do not at all eXagge-
rate, we shall now give brief resume of informa-
ton derived from an examination of that portion
of the leyee extending from Canal street to WASH
ington street Fourth District In 1858 or 1859 that
portion of the levee from Washington street down
to Second street Fisk's warehouse, was, by res
olution Of the council, set apart at-boat land
| ing. This landing was well fitted up and was
always kept in excellent condition. by the wharf
lessees, Messrs. Batson, Eager & Co., up to the
| time of the blockade Of our port by the Fedora
| feet. All of this landing has gone to ruin
Scarcely vestige of it is now to beseen. At Fisk's
warehouse, opposite Second street, there are two
old and much decayed wharves, which can be
used by ships but these are, we understand
kept in partial repair, by the owners of the Fisk
warehouses. From Second street to jackson street,
about 1000 feet, the wharves are all gone. There
is not even mooring pile left.
The first wharf below Jackson street ferry at
post 49 ID much decayed; bnt it can still be used
as ship landing. Wharves As and II are entirely
gone. Wharyes 4G and As are very much dapi.
dated but can be used as landings. Wharf A has
totally disappeared Wharves 43, AZ, IL and 40
are used by the United States Government but
they are sadly in need of repairs. Wharf 80 is in
fan order. OF wharyes ss, 81, So and So, not a
sign is left except the approaches from the street.
Workmen are now engaged in building new
wharf at the site of wharf "a. OF wharves SO, 80,
81 and 80 not stick or plank is to be seen. Wharf
10, used as nuisance wharf, is in rgood order.
Wharves2s opposite Robin street. to wharf Ia
| opposite ST Joseph street, are generally old and
dilapidated, but can be used as landings 1t is
proper, however, to remark, that in this section
| there are two or three new wharyes.
/ Wharyes a. 10 and l6 are the principal steam
ship landings in the First District The approaches
to these wharyes are now being filled to depth OF
from one to two feet, with mud dug from the bat
lures and under the wharves. This renders il
almost impossible to get either to or from then
with loaded vehicles. We have often seen the
Iabntments Of the wllarves filed with mud or river
sand in July or August, at which time the sun il
hot enoughto dry it up ina few days. but we have
never before known this work to be done il
+ December and January.
| n live orr