The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-19
TEE MAJ .cHAc PROJECT.

oonin .dnities that are directly interested in
INC, navigation and trade Of the Mississippi
liver, it is to be regretted that some journals
/ IN the West and the Southwest are found
wasting zeal and argument upon the visionary
| project of opening Bayou Manchac as part Of
anew commercial route to the gulf and to the
| coast Of Alabama and Florida 4 thorough
| examination of the geography and hydro
| graphy Of the projected route will assuredly
| disillude any one who may have thought seri-
! ously of it as either q practicable or useful
enterprise. Apart from considerations Of
cost and of difficulties and uncertainties of
| navigation, the idea that it would effect a
| great saving of distance, is erroneous. The
| Mississippi mouth of Manchac, though about
a hundred miles above New Orleans on the
! river, is only few miles above the city in
point Of latitude. The new route would
leave the Mississippi at a place almost
due west from New Orleans, and
would run almost parallel with the river to a
point directly north of the city. And from
that point the distance Of an outlet into the
Gulf of Mexico through the Rigolets is no
graphically considered, it would offer no
appreciable advantages over the New Orleans
route. Next, let us briefly consider it in its
photographic relations. Under this head,
when it is compared either with the present
course Of navigation down the river and
through its passes into the gulf or with
another course opened by canaling from the
left bank of the river at or below New Or
leans, its disadvantages appear almost meal
culable. There is no need here to support
this proposition by an array in precise form
of scientific data. The mention of few
salient and undeniable facts will be sufficient
at once to illustrate it and put it beyond
dispute.
Bayou Manchac has been closed ever since
the time of Jackson's campaign against the
British in Louisiana. AS water course its
existence is almost as imaginary as the river
that traversed the garden of Kubla Khan, and
poured through measureless cayerns down
to sunless sea-" The work of opening it for
commercial purposes from the Mississippi
river to Lake Maurepas would be about the
same thing in respect to labor, time and
money, as the work of making canal through
dry land of similar conformation and quality
to that which lies between the lake and the
river. Then it would be necessary to dredge
a channel not only through Lake Maurepas,
but through Lake Pontchartrain. The intro
duction of a large volume of Mississippi
water in the manner proposed would result in
the gradual filling up of both these lakes with
sedimentary matter. The whole length Of
channel from the head of Manchac to the
outlet into the gulf would be liable to con-
slant engagement from the same cause.
There would be corresponding necessity of
labor and expense to keep it in navigable
condition. In short, the maintenance of such
a route would cost annually almost as much
as tie original opening and the outlay for
that would be enormous.
On the other hand, nature already offers
an infinitely better channel in the
Mississippi river, which runs in the same
course as far as New Orleans; and if commerce
demands through water transportation from
that city to the gulf by a shorter route than by
way of the mouth of the river, this object can
form vastly more satisfactory than the one
dreamed of in the Manchac project. The |
canaling to be done would be, at most, less |
than one quarter of the distance of that by |
the other route. There are several points be- |
low the city where tide water could be de- |
pended on for keeping q ship canal in |
condition after it was once |
cut from the river into the gulf Hence
there would be no danger Of engagement |
by deposit from the muddy water of |
the Mississippi. But it is a current from |
this river, much muddier near Manchac than
below the city, which is to be relied on for
the projected channel with the
needed depth of water. AS already intimated,
It's contributions in this way would be fatal
Along with water it would bring mud Jumps
uch as obstruct the passes, and these Jumps
would be almost continuous from the head of
AIanchac to the outlet of the Rigolets.
If this is far short of an exhaustive survey
# the question, it is enough to show the in
superiority of the Mississippi
liver as nature has made it, or as artificial aids
nay improve it by canaling near its mouth
'yer the projected route through Manchac
n all sincerity we would advise our Mobile
to cease thinking and writing
bout this project. 1t is a wild and proitless
ream. The object at which it aims would,
practicable involve considerable injury
o the commerce of New Orleans
o be sure but, being wholly impracticable,
could only rebound, if undertaken, to the
ecuniary ruin of its projectors. The COM
lercial community Of Mobile can never gain
nything by going against nature in attempt
ag to interfere with the proper destiny of
bis city os the great Southwestern emporium
the Mississippi valley. Their city has also
IS proper destiny in connection with the trade
that valley, and no mean one. Its posi-
ion, however, in respect to New Orleans, is
nd must be secondary and subsidiary, con-
ibuting TO the trade of the latter and re-
Giving like contributions in return proper
pOq+a "a fla 1attar'. !