New Orleans Republican., 1868-12-15
THE NEW ORLEANS AND SHIP ISLAND
SHIP CANAL.

isiana and this city, there is none greater
| or more important than that of the above
proposed canal. f .r vr
| Here is New Orleans, situated in the
most favorable spot that could be selected
to make her the most fourishipg CONNER.
cial city in the United States, and what is
required now is that her natural advan-
tages to that end should be appropriated
without further delay. We know that this
subject has engaged the attention of some
of the citizens of our State. but NO practical
steps have been taken to the great end of
securing these commercial benefits, derived
from saving of time and distance, aud
necessarily saving of expense in the in
terests of our commerce, until the present
proposed project. Ever since this city was
founded, and while she has been slowly in
creasing in size and population, until her
growth was retarded by the consequences
of the late war, the great obstruction to
the complete development of her
true position as commanding
commercial city, has been the
entrance from the Gulf of Mexico
by the mouth of the Mississippi river,
through which vessels of large tonnage have
had to pass to reach the city and port of
New Orleans. For years Congress has
made appropriations to deepen the bars at
the Southwest Pass and other places at the
mouths of the Mississippi, costing millions
of money, but all to no avail, for as fast as
the channel is deepened and the work
ceases the current of that mighty river
again fills it up, and the difficulties and
dangers to the commercial marine are Just
as great as if nothing had been done. Even
now dredge boats are occupied in the work
Of keeping this channel open, but of what
permanent avail will i. be against the i'm
nense volume of water flowing into the
Cult of Mexico, which carries the wash
ings of thousands of miles to close it I'D
again! By this route to the gull, and thus
to the ocean, one hundred and thirty miles
must be traversed by the sailing vessels
and steamers in coming to or going from
this port, and when they reach this point
of ingress or egress through the
river passes, are stranded for days
and perhaps weeks at time, thus losing
valuable time which may be saved if some
other means can be devised to prevent such
catastrophes.
Besides these directly injurious effects on
the commerce OF this city are train Of at
tendant evils, such as the expense of pilot
age and the rate Of insurance. 1t has been
stated by some of the most experienced of
our ship captains that the expense of load
ing vessel at this port with cotton or
other products for expectation is $4,000
for every 1000 tons of freight, while that of
New York is only $4,000, Boston $4,000, and
Liverpool s15Oo for the same quantity of
tonnage. The increase of that of New Or
leans, in the above statement, over the
other ports mentioned is said to be owing
to the difficulties attendant upon the tedious
and tortuous river navigation, the expenses
of the pilot and towboat monopoly, the
onorous port charges, and other devices
which have tendency TO drive commerce |
from this port. Much more could be, and |
has been, said in relation to the causes
which have operated against New Orleans
and prevented her from attaining to the
position to which she is entitled as
4 commercial metropolis commanding the
great outlet of navigation for the entire
Valley of the Mississippi. The great de-
iideratum is how to overcome these diff
'ulties, so that this city may take advantage
If the position she occupies, and for which
Ter site was SO admirably selected by her
ounders. It Is said that these men "saw
hat there was no place for city either at
he mouth of the river or for seventy miles
bove. They discovered, however, that by
scending about forty miles further they
vOuld approach the sea OF body Of still
Vater communicating with the sea within
We miles, and thus they could get rid of
he lower river altogether. For the ship
ing of that day, Lake Pontchartrain and
,ayou st. John were deep enough, until
be invention Of steam made it possible to
Sc the river through its whole extent, and
be wants of modern commerce brought
lto existence class of vessels which
7ere compelled to reach the city by way of
he river, because they could not navigate
he shallow waters of Lake Pontchartrain.
'inally, however, vessels grew too large
1r the Mississippi, or, to speak more aecu-
ately, for the bar at the mouth Of the
iver.n
Now, the company, the title of
Fhich heads this article, and which
Vas organized under charter
ranted by the Legislature Of this State
proposes to obviate all these difficulties
nd remove these distractions to our COM
nerce, by returning to the plans which
he founders Of this city had in view when
hey established its site. That is to say
New Orleans must be made to change
ront, aad establish her main harbor to-
yard what is now the rear Of the city, and
q this way bring the city within thirty
niles of the deep waters Of the gulf, and
ere we will adopt the language Of a
article in one Of our reviews as
very fully the objects and Eur
Oses of Ithe New Orleans and Ship Island
hip Canal Company. "The proposed
anal is to commence at point abore the