The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-13

thus it will be seen that It costs q vessel three
times as much to come to this port as to New
l oIs, and four times as much as to Boston. II
will be observed, likewise, that the towage alone
will more than twice pay the total expenses of a
vessel In New York, and three times pay them in
Boston. If we get rid of this immense tax we
shall do great deal towards constituting New
Orleans the line of least resistance. The pro
posed canal would reduce the pilotage from $3.50
10 about $50, and the. towage from $3.50 to $3.50
say saving on these two items alone of $780,
and leaving the other charges to be represented
bs S5OO al the maximum, in which would be in.
eluded the tolls levied by the company. Passing
from cost to time, we must compute the difference
between the two routes for a vessel coming
from the entrance of the gulf, say the straits of
Florida, IS test. The distance 10 the bar is say
600 miles, and to Ship Island, say $50. II it would
take sailing vessel l20 hours to make the bar it
would take the same vessel Us hours TO make
snip Island. But at the bar she would be de-
tanned, on an average twenty. four hours, and the
trip TO the city would consume twenty-four hours
more. Thus, by the river route she would be les
hours in reaching New Orleans. Now, supposing
detention Of two hours at Ship Island aud al.
lowing six hours TO reach the city by way of the
canal, 1t would take vessel by this route l33
hours, or saving of thirty five hours over the
other. The immense importance of this difference
will be appreciated when il is considered that dur.
ing these thirty-tve hours. freight can be moved
by railroad all the way from New Orleans to
Cairo. IL Is plain that the effect of opening the
canal route would be in the first place to attract
10 Hsen the trade which noE enters ths river. 10
me extent OF ire capscity or the canal and next
10 attract vast commerce which either goes else
where, or remains undeveloped. A depth of
twelve feet, which would accommodate the whole
OF the existing gulf trade, would be sufficient
for the wants of that immense traffic between the
West and the West Indian Islands, which must
spring up as soon as the actual obstacles are re.
moved. This traffic ought to be worth at least
10000, OCO per snnum in the way Of imports and
exports imports Of sugar, moasses cigars. to.
bscco, fruits and exports Of flour. corn aod pork
lumber and slaves, and naval stores. whereas the
aggregate of dutiable merchandise imported into
New orleans, from all points, has never exceeded
$40, 900 600.
The question now arises what would be the ex-
pense OF the proposed canal, Before making an
estimate IN figures, we will state that it will be
cheaper than any work of equal importance ever
as ntung conclusion 10 this article. we give the
following as the report of a competent engineer
Gen. JEFF. Thompson:
New ORLEANS, La, Nov. Is, 1865.
Col Geo F. Brett President of the New Orleans and Slim
Island Canal Company:
Sri have examined the proposed plan and
location of the New Orleans and Ship Island
my possession, and can see no obstacle to the
successful completion of the work, except the
large capital required. The estimated distance
from the Mississippi river to the Rigolets on the
line proposed Is twenty-eight miles, portion of
which is already occupied by bayous sufficiently
large to use the canal. but as the slight undus.
tons OF the surface Of the ground are not &C
curaIely Known, have assumed in my cslcula-
ton that the whole twenty. eight miles will have
to be excavated. Your plan is 10 first complete
wards sink it to twenty feet in depth. To do
this, would recommend that q canal seveuty.fye
feet, or one'half the width proposed be first ex.
cavated, win basins" every mile, Of Eve hun