New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-16
BAYOU MANCHAo AGAIN.

lodgment only in the brains OF few Noolle
enthusiasts who, like some other people
can see splendid enterprises at distance,
but fail to observe that their own haroor Ia
practically almost worthless, and is destined
to be supplanted in short time by the
harbor and ship canal of Pasoagoula- But as
we notice that the matter has actually been
taken up by the stLouis Board of Trade and
Congress rnemorialized for an appropriation
quarter of a million of dollars for the
work. we will again briefly state the insu-
perable objections to the enterprise.
First-No steamboats, or fatboats Of any
size ever passed through the Bayou. The
only commercial purpose for which it was
ever nsed was the transportation Of a few
peltries from the up country to the French
settlement on Dauphin Island before Biloxi
and New Orleans were founded. General
Jackson did not close the mouth OF Bayou
Manchac any more than he used cotton
bales in the famous breastworks below New
Orleans. He simply obstructed the Bayou
by.felling trees in tilt being then the season
Ofhigh water. The Bayou was closed in 1926
by act of the Legislature, to prevent the
overflow Of the parishes Of East Baton
Rouge and Ascension.
second-According to General Hum
phrey's Photographic Survey Of the Mis-
sissippi, the very highest authority upon
all matters relating to the river the bottom
of the old and now dry bed Of Bayou
Manchac is ttceniy feet above the surface of
the Mississippi during the long period of
/ low water. We're the artificial distractions
removed an insignificant stream Of water
would run through but small portion of
| the year. \ canal to be Of any service to
commerce should furnish at least tell feet
of water at all seasons and that would
involve the enormous expense OF digging a
canal some thirty-two feet deep, by at least
one hundred in width, distance Of be-
tween nine and ten miles. Who would
undertake such a job for less than five
million dollars A million or two would
also have to be expended in widening.
dessening, and strengthening the remaining
ten miles to Amite river, and upon that
river itself.
Third-The Bayou Manchac would re-
quire two levees from eight to fifteen feet
high, and ten miles long. The several
smaller bayous and creeks that empty into
it would have to De leveed in an equally
expensive manner, to say nothing Of the
enormous works that would be required to
sustain the back water Of the Amite. Ten
millions of dollars would be small esti-
mate for the whole undertaking. The
$780, 900 asked from Congress as sufficient
for the work would hardly cover the nee
e3sary surveys. The man who owns the
plantation at the mouth of the bayou, and
offers to do the work for 100000, doubt
less wants to sell out. We suspect that
there are some fingers in Mobile and St.
Louis itching for nice job at the expense
Of the government.
Fourth--But supposing the Bayou Man
Chac to be opened the outlet would be rem
dered useless by the shallowness of Lakes
Pontchartrain and BOrgne and Grants
Pass, each one of which would form almost
insuperable obstacles to water communi-
cation between St. Louis and Mobile, and
could be overcome only by enormous out
lays of money. The middle Ground" Of
Lake Pontchartrain affords, for several
miles, an average of but seven feet Of
water. Lake Borgne has, for tive or three
miles, about the same depth Of water.
Grants Pass furnishes between six and
seven feet of water, and whenever the
wind blows from the northward or west
ward the small steamers of the Mail line
are obliged to go outside. We know that
some of the Mississippi river boats can
walk off on their spars like boy on stills.
But granted that they could navigate the
stormy Pontchartrain and the treacherous
Mississippi Sound, where the stanchest
sea-going vessels are required, would their
pilots venture out boldly on the Gulf Of
Mexico as they would have to do 10 pass
around Dauphin Island into Mobile Bay !
Fitth-The harbor of Mobile is, if pos
sible, a still greater obstacle 10 this viaion-
airy enterprise. The Communications to
The St. Louis Board of Trade and the me-
mOrialists to Congress say that " the harbor
Of Mobile is much easier Of access than
almost any Southern port. Besides an i'm
mense amount is saved in the usual ex-
penses of Tightening and towing vessels
into and out of the harbor, because the
channel depth allows them to approach
very near the city to discharge and load
By the opening of Bayou hanehac and its
connections the entire products OF the West
can reach Mobile, one of the finest harborr
on the seaboard, By The steamers noe regu
larry plying the Mississippi and its tributa-
ries."
Now what are the actual facts? The
ship anchorage Of Mobile harbor is Thrift
miles below the city. The anchorage fol
brIgs and schoOners is twelve mile
below Mobile. The prOpellers .
the Davis line, drawing but i've fee
Of water, have been able most 0
the time during three years to &c
through Choctaw Pass, but the ma
boats and all other vessels draw