The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-06-17
OF Re-Openiag Bayou
Manchac.
IRON the St. Louis Democrat, l2th.l

..f... IRON the 81 Louis Democrat, 18th.
Through the courtesy of Mitchell, Milten5erger
d Tansey, a well-knOwn commission house of
this city, and proprietors and operators of the
Transfer line, we enabled to print the follow
ing views Of an old engineer upon the impractical
bility Of re opening Bayou Msnchac:
rrrra..s t. ALTON, June 8, 1868.
Editors Missouri Democratic have observed
by the public prints that you had under consdera-
non the opening Of Bayou Manchsc to our com
meroial enterprise and thinking that the informa
ton possess in relation to this matter may be of
some value, make the following communication
in relation thereto: t.
/ was State engineer of Louisiana in 1887, and
made q survey of Bayou Manchsc, in that State,
under the instructions of its Board of Public
Works. The same year made an examination or
inspection of the attempted improvement of
Amiie river, by a corporate company from the
southern line Of the State of Mississippi to its
mouth at Lake Mauripas, or rather through that
lake to Pass Msnchac and Lake Pontchartrain.
Bayou Manchac is about twenty miles below
Baton Rouge, the first five miles of which is a dry
bayou, or nearly so. Ii commences back of the
roadway or levee at its mouth, with a breadth of
some fifty or sixty feet, and depth only to admit
the Mississippi waters at their highest stages, and
then only in quantities sufficient for light pirogue
or keel boat navigation, should the levee at the
mouth be removed. The fall 10 this five miles is
nearly twenty four feet. At the end of this dis
lance IL passes the southern terminus of the high
lands on which Baton Rouge is situated, and here
IL Is joined by bayou coming from the south
which gives back drainage for the valuable sugar
estates on the east side OF the river reaching from
Bayou Manchac as far down as Plaquemne, il not
TO Donaldsonville, some twenty-five or thirty
miles, or more. From this junction to the Amite
river Is distance of above seven miles. The
bayou il somewhat enlarged, but ordinarily is but
o shallow, fordsbe stream.
The Amite river, from its crossing of the Mis-
sissippi line into the State of Louisiana to its
meeting with Its afiuent, the Comite river, some
six or eight miles south Of Clinton, La, has it,
channel through fiat pine woods country, and IL
cleaned one season, may cut a new side track by
the time another comes round, entirely obstructed
by falling trees. Through the Amite to Bayou
Msnchac, where in former times there was town
called Galveston, the river is shallow and sus-
ceptible only or light navigation. From Bayou
Manchac TO Lake Mauripas the Amite is hand
some stream of some four or five hundred Yards
in breadth and four feet In depth. Lake Mauripss
is about six miles across to Pass Manchac, which
is its outlet into Lake Pontchartrain. This il a
shallow lake with muddy bottom, through which
into the latter il is difficult to find above two and
half feet Of water. -
IL Is evident that this never could have been a
route to satisfy the trade between the Mississippi
river and the gulf coast of Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida, for any great length Of time after
their earliest European settlements and il
seems to me upon the above descriptions which
are correct il will require but little reflection 10
show the impracticabiity TO undertake to make il
answer for such at its present and future nm
measured magnitude. Besides, to admit great
volume Of water through the bayou, the plants.
tons which are drained by IL as above described
would be nearly or quite ruined. Respectfully
supmitteu. GEO. W. LONG.