The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-24

I'd account OF us eCIlaT SEdre. lts tOpOSVap
cal features, and its divisions into squares, tue
drainage Of ills district will prove 20 be We
i1eult and expensive problem to solve. Il
The second draining district Is under the con-
troll OF i've commissiI ners, two appointed by he
mayor Of New Orleans and three By the suthoci-
ties of the parish Of Jefferson. -.
Since the year lse0, when the commissioners
began the work Of drainage, they have displayed
great deal OF energy and perseverance, in
carrying on the work, and have carsed 10 be
dug ever ten miles OF canals. whose capacity as
reservoirs is equal to l6,3 100 cubic feet They
ere ; now compe,ihg ue oni Sng OF substantial
CINE, and they deserve the thanks of the comma
nifty fer the faithful and economical manner in
which hey have disposed Of the money paid over
BY properly holders, and as far know, it is the
first instance in our city Of q corporation exc
cutting work as chespIy as the best contractor
could have done.
The area Of be second draining district in So
| peIhcial feet is 324, 603,339. r.
The'cost Of draining is cole per superficial foot.
The amount claimed by the commissioners Is
1865, instead of sS5o.O0o, the maximum fixed
| by law.
Notwithstanding the zeal Of the commissioners,
the work as carried on by them will also prove to
be failure. The cause Is that the reservoirs aud
canals too far in the Of the district, and
that their capacity is not the hundredth part Of
| what is required to contain the amount of water
| falling during heavy rain, and In consequence,
| the only land which will be benefited by their
| work will be that part Of swamp between Cai-
| ity of the draining machine, where nobody lives.
Who is TO blame for this result!
lst. The Legislature WHO framed the law, or
| deTing certain works TO be done and fixing their
value. without having obtained an opinion from
| the then State engineer Mr.. Louis Hebert, as to
| the prs cticability and value of such work.
I'd. The commissioners, for having acted like
the Legislature. Had they consulted q compe'
tent engineer lend the State given them means to
DO it, say s27 O00) they would, like their colleagues
of the Third District, have never attempted to
| perform tack so much above the means placed
at heir disposal by the State.
On account of its peculiar con6guration, its
| large liver front, ard in order TO save property
owners from the cost and trouble Of immense I'LL
ing between the river and st. Charles street, the
drainage Of the Second District must be done on
tie urban plan, that is, to have number Of canals
and reservoirs adequate to the area to be drained,
without regard to absorption or evaporation.
This mode, Of course, will be very expensive at
first, but if carried out properly, will in the end
| be comparatively cheap.
| In addition TO the canals already made, numer.
Gus others, still larger, will be required, and the
| streets ard avenues, where they will be located,
| will have % be widened TO such an extent as to
become, in few years, beautiful walks and boule-
wards, sfordiDg, new and pleasant rides to our
| population, and also increasing immensely the
value Of property not only In their whole extent,
but also in their vicinity.
The following described canals are proposed to
complete the draining system of the second drain
| ing district, and to afford, during heavy rains.
| prompt and complete drainage to the front lands
| as far back as Caropdelet street. this being the
| most valuable and most settled portion of the
| district:
! CANALS RUNNING PARALLEL WITH TIE RIVER.
l. On Chestnut street, from Louisiana Avenue
to CsrrOllton, 60 feet wide by feet deep.
2. On st. George street, from New Canal TO the
| upper line of Carroll.on, 60 feet wide by feet
| deep.
g. On Claiborne street, from New Canal to Dub
lin street, in Carrollton, 90 feet wide by feet
A. On Gslvez street, from New Canal to Nash.
vile Avenue, go feet wide by feet deep.
5. On Broad street, from New Canal to Nashville
| Avenue, GO feet wide by feet deep.
6. Hsgap Avenue, from New Canal 10 the inter.
section OF Fourteenth street, Carrollton, 60 feet
wide by feet deep.
CANALS RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE RIVER.
!. On Melpomene street. from Drysdes street TO
the intersection of Washington street, 90 feetwide
by feet deep.
2. On Louisiana Avenue Jefferson City, from
Chestnut street to Broad street, GO feet wide by
| feet deep.
g. ON Napoleon Avenue, from Saint George
street to Broad street, 60 feet wide by feet
deep.
On s...s , 20 s., from Claiborne street to
8. On Nashville Avenue from Chestnut street to
Claiborne street, 60 feet wide by feet deep.
G. On FoucheF from Chestnut street to Hagan
Avenue, so feet wide by feet deep.
The capacity of the above described canals will
be IS, 554 COO cubic feet which, added to the Ca
pscity of the canals already made. will give q
grand total of "a 1886 100 cubic feet for the reser
| yoirs Of the second draining district.
| These canals once made, will, with the assis-
lance Of two powerful draining machines, keep
the district always perfectly dry, and enable peo
pie TO settle and live on lands which are now. and
since the first settlement Of the country, known as
swsmps and increases of the worst description.
| The cost of such a drainage will not exceed q
total sum Of 5000 0Oo or lS5.lO0 mills per super
fetal foot. The cost Of widening the streets and
| ,IaA In Nha hnu ha.
cause the increased value of the adjoining proper
| ty, after the proposed Improvements, will, In my
opinion, more than repay the expenditure.
II the cost Of filling the low places between the
river and ST. Charles street, be deducted from the
above amount. as said filling WILDE no longer re-
CURED the drainage, instead of being, apparently,
q burden to the community, will, on the con-
trsry, be found to be the realization OF an i'm
mense saving.
THIRD DRAINING DISTRICT.
This district is described, in the law of 1858, as
forming part of the Second and Third Districts
OF the City Of New Orleans, having the following
boundaries, o-vit the river. Saint Peter street,
Carcpdelet Canal, Bayou Saint John, Lake Pontch'
aItrsn and Lafayette Avenue.
The commissioners appointed to superntend
the drainage Of this district. after having disposed
of the $27 eco appropriated by the State to each
of the districts, for preliminary expenses, have
abandoned the work, without accomplishing any
thing, except making general plan OF tnelr as
trict and paying s2e,0 900 to the city Of New Or
leans towards the building of draining machine
on the GeDtity adj at the intersection OF London
Avenue.
AS nothing has been done towards the drainage
of this district by the commissioners suggest the
propriety of changing the boundaries as fixed by
law, in such a manner as to exclude from 1t the
land between the GENTLY ridge, Lafayette
Avenue, Lake Pontchartrain and the Bayou Saint
John up to Marigny Canal and Include in the
drainage of New Orleans, that desirable portion
of the Third District between Lafayette Avenue
and the lower limits of the city, having TT ont
on the river OF nearly three miles reserying for
q more propitious lime, the drainage OF the lands
fronting the Lake between Bayou Saint John and
the prolongation of the line Of the Fisher man s
| Canal.
The new boundaries of the third draining
district, as l propose them, will be as
} follows beginning at the river along Saint
Peter street and Csrondelet Canal to Bayou Saint