New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-09
THE LOCATION OF NEW ORLEANS.

bend, only five miles tI0m inc lake shore'
it turns southwark, then sweeps along
nearly parallel with the shore for dis
lance Of thirty miles, and finally reaches
the Gulf of Mexico, one hundred and ten
miles below New Orleans. On this strip
of land between the Mississippi and Lake
Pontchartrain, some thirty miles in length,
and averaging from five to six in width, is
situated the city Of New Orleans. Her
location is unique. The fact that the main
portion of the city fronts upon short
sharp bend Of the Mississippi to the north
the exact opposite Of its main direction
gives the impression that the sun rises above
the west bank, and is standing paradox
to visiters.
At Carrollton, few miles above New
Orleans, the surface of the river is, at ex-
IRENE high water, about fifteen feet above
the surface of the gulf only five miles dis
tant; at low water, it is only about foot
above the gulf level. This narrow shelf
of alluvial land is protected from overflow
on the river side by substantial leVees
from six to twelve feet in height. 1t slopes
toward the lake, into which, instead of the
river, runs the drainage of New Orleans.
The river front of this narrow shelf Of soil
is occupied by continuous plantations
above the city, which extend back one and
in some places two miles. The rest Of it,
with the exception of the Metairie Ridge,
narrow strip Of ground along the course
of an ancient bayou midway between New
Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. is dense
cypress swamp, intersected in the rear of
the city by two canals and the Pontchar-
train Railroad
What location could in most respects be
more desirable We will not enlarge in
this connection upon the admirable COM
mercial advantages of New Orleans, with
the great Mississippi in her front communi-
eating with the outer world and draining
one-third Of the Union, and Lake Pont-
chartrain in her rear, through which by
means Of two Insignificant canals she now
communicates with the Mississippi Sound
and the Florida ports. We will not stop
to show how immensely these canals if en-
larged and extended to the river would
contribute to the commercial pros
perity Of New Orleans. 1t would be
easy to show how such canals with
an average fall Of from six to ten feet
of water during the year, could be made
to furnish, by the use of turbine wheels, wa
ter power enough to drive all the machine
ry in the city. 1t would also be easy to
show how the swamps in the rear of the
city, which are laid cut in beautiful streets
on our charts, but are the suitable home of
the gar-pike, the alligator, and deadly mi
asma, could easily be raised at trifing cost,
by simply inclosing them with levees, let
ting in the turbid Mississippi water and
permitting the sediment to be deposited
process old as civilization, and which we
have seen in successful application in
Egypt and Holland. We will confne what
we have to say to considerations affecting
the health Of the city.
What more could we ask in this respect
from bountiful Providence? The winds
that sweep over the clear salt water of
Lake Pontchartrain, could they reach US,
would bring health and strength to our
very doors, Beyond the lake are the
"piny woods" the refuge Of our citizens
during the summer heats and occasional
epidemics. Their atmosphere is purified by
resin, and in midsummer one plunges into
their cool and shady retreats as into the
grottos of green, crystal sea.
As you steam up the Lever Mississippi
you would say that these bottom lands, |
these dank and besky fields along the
river, were the very home of malaria, the |
rendezvous Of IaissTnas. YOu could moi DE
more mistaken. But for epidemics, New |
Orleans is as healthy as Boston, Louisiana |
as healthy as Massachusetts. Dip up |
glass Of water from the Mississippi in this |
month Of May, sometimes far into June, it |
will be cool and refreshing; it was iced a |
few weeks ago in Dakota.
The Mississippi acts, in fact, as a great
refrigerating tube laia directly through the
heart Of the country. The evaporation
from its cold mountain floods as they
sweep through Louisiana cools the air and
sets it in motion. The temperature of the
river at New Orleans and that Of Lake |
Pentchartrain sometimes differ several de-
grees Hence the cool morning and even
ing breezes Of this delicious climate. When
the planters Of Georgia and South Caroli-
ma are obliged to betake themselves from
the sickly rivers to the seacoast or to the
mountains, the Creole and the Texan re-
pair to the cool shady banks Of the Mis-
sissippi. No sugar or cotton planter with |
IN sight of the river ever thinks, in ordi-
nary times, Of going elsewhere for health. |
Hence, also, the CreoIes of Louisiana say
that we experience in the course Of every |
day all the various seasons of the year.
This immunity from disease enables the |
white man to toll in the open field in |
Louisiana; it must make the delta Of the
Mississippi the great rioe-producing region
q North Ameraea; It viii contribute to
make New Orleans city Of million IN
habitants. a.1s
But how have We used all these ad-
vAntagesg Willaarangera believe us when
es aay that few haaarea acres az cvprass