The New Orleans crescent., 1868-06-21

! cept by canal. As the Mobile delegation dis
tnctly announced their scheme to be for the
canalization Of Bayou Manchsc, the issue between
outlets and canals may be considered obsolete,
notwithstanding the fact that the ne wspaper dis
cussion on both sides is yet conducted pro and
con on the outlet basis, and is muddled with ques-
tons OF overflow and sedmentary deposits wholly
| foreign to a canal wherever il may be located.
As to the question Of location for canal, 1t Is
| possible that the Mobile people are not 80 at
| tached to the bayou as to be unwilling 10 hear ar
| gumeut In favor of other locations which IL is
claimed will serve all their parposes equally well
and at less cost, while meeting the interests Of
| the West and Northwest better than their pro
posed route. II Ship Island be made the port
| Mobile will reap every advantage of direct trade
with the Northwest that she can have under any
circumstances, as the export and import trade
must be mostly cut of by the shoal water at
Grants Pass and If she can offer anv facilities
for that trade. by removing that difficulty, so
much the better for all concerned, as two COM
peting ports are better than one.
So far as we of the interior are concerned the
locality Of the port, if il be suitable one is OF
secondary importance: but a connection avail
able Only to boats drawing five feet or less is not
one in which we can take any great interest We
require to place our largest class river boats
alongside of sea vessels of capacity enabling
commerce, by the Southern route, TO compete
successfully with the Northern lakes and the ST.
Lawrence, when the route is developed to the
highest possible degree of efficiency. We look
hey ond the present, aud expect that the North
ern route will not abandon the field of conpe
tition and with the capital and influence at its
command, great works can and will be accom-
plished.
With the preceding statements, which are open
to discussion and free criticism, pass to the con-
sideTs,ion how we may most readily aud cheaply
render the actual and possible capabilities of Ship
Island, as port available for our purpose. AS
being the first step in executionlof the plan CON-
munication with the interior is prerequisite to the
development Of port.
The question of location for the connection is
first in order and as we are not confined by phys.
ica necessities to any one route the question: an
open one, and should be fairly discussed.
Concerning the Manchac route, the recent sur
vey is definite and furnishes reliable data con
cerning ts capabilities and cost, which are not 10
be rejected upon the unsupported assertions of in.
terested parties, who, whatever their other at.
taiDmens, certainly are not the proper persons to
pass judgment upon a matter so completely out
side of their wonted line of thought and investiga
tion. II sutces us to know that the route is pro.
nouDced practicable for a canal, at a cost of
S3,S0O,000. Reliable data before me prove, that
a canal from English Turn to Lake Borgne can be
made, having one lock, with lift varying with the
stage of the Mississippi from 06l0 of a foot to l3
feet, and prism Of excavation miles in length
containing 5000 600 cubic yards; consequently a
canal 250 feet wide on the water surface, and ca
pable of passing boats drawing ten feet, would
cost not far from 81 800, 600, aud involve no un-
precedented engineering difficulties.
Incomplete data indicate that a similar canal at
Bonnet Csrre and Lake POntchartrain would cost
about 81 100000.
These approximate estimates are proportionate,
if not altogether accurate, for the three routes
and are all that can now be given upon the sub.
ject Of cost.
/ pass to a comparison of distances, taking the
bead of Bayou Manehac as the point of departure,
and ship Island as the terminus in each case.