The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-09


10 DC selected By the company. 600,00C
Total amount given said company. :. 80 ,473 CSC
Three fourths of this amount, 1855. 4s2, are to
De handed to the company. during the progress,
and after the completion Of five miles Of canal l5O
feet wide and IL feet deep, the cost Of which will
not exceed $3.50 $40, the remaining fourth $685..
4s7 80, only upon the completion of the whole
canal to the Rigoets, as provided In the charter.
| In presence Of the above figures, you can per.
ceive how true is the title of this act, entitled IAN
act to aid In the construction of the New Orleans
and Ship Island Canal and what powerful ala
the property holders Of New Orleans, jefferson
| and Carrollton cities are compelled TO give the
gentlemen originators Of the scheme to wards the
accomplishment of their design :, =
The whole cost of the canal will not exceed
$4,000 900; SO, beside the injury inflicted upon
lneir property, and without Q of interest
the limits Of the above named cities are made to
contribute to one.haf Of the entire cost Of its
construction. sasL 81 4, - = -. =
Having acknowledged the first part of the title
OF the aboye.named act to be In strict accordance
with Its meaning, We are obliged to say that the
latter part is just the reverse and that instead of
more etectually leyeeing, draining and reclaim.
Ing the swamp lands In the rear of the city of New
Orleansn nothing said about the swamp in the
rear OF Carrolton and Jefferson City, the project
cd act VIII entirely ruin our system Of drainage
bring the river and lake waters within our doors.
cut on communication between the front and rear
number of draining machines, and az the whole
river front from Carrollton to the lower part of
New Orleans will have no other outlets for the dis
charge OF rain or domestic waters than the con.
templated canal, we will. as it is contemplated by
the charter Of the New Orleans and Ship Island
Canal, be obliged to drain the whole front lands
into the said canal, on such terms and conditions
as VIII DC agreeo upon between the parties. and
the above named cities, for drainage purposes, at
the mercy OF the seven propretors of the charter,
who viii thus be enabled to accomplish their work
entlrely at the expense Of the public.
To give pretext for this new legislation, and
apparently legitimate the appropriation of
$500 600 Of the public money to the New Orleans
and ship Island Canal Company, q clause has been
inserted in the act compelling the company to
puiid levee on the NORTH side of their canal to
protect the cities from any overlows from the
lake or river water This obligation is simply alb
surd, as the building of this levee will afford no
protection whatever in case of hurricane the
only derence for us will be that instead of receiv-
ing the waters direct from the lake. we will have
TEEN through the unprotected south bank Of the
canal and certainly that will not improve our con.
This clause must have been inserted soIerv for |
the purpose Of deceiving an unguarded public. I
who bad suffered 30 much from the late over. |
now, which could have been prevented at cost |
OF $780, and make them believe that the pro- |
poseo relief Is equal to the remuneration granted |
In fact, there was no reason for introducing
this clause, for q similar but more adequate pro.
lection against the lake water is already pro.
vided Tor In the original charter, the company
being obliged to make the banks of their canal
secure and adequate, to avoid any danger from
overflow or breakage, and, must say, that 1t is
not an onerous obligation imposed upon them, for
! is the result OF the work itself, the earth com.
ng from the excavation will furnish material
enough to make leyee on each bank, at least 10
feet high. 20 feet wide at top and 100 feet al the
base, amply sufficient to repel the lake water.
ouch VIII not be the case, however, should q
,revasse occur at or below the lock intended by
he company to be built at Carroiton. The cities
'f New Orleans, Jefferson and Carollton being
'eited by the inner or south levee of the COM |.
oanys canal, their whole area would be covered
With sheet of water from five to ten feet deep. |
md should this canal ever be built, this impend.
ng calamity will, like Damocles's sword, be con-
family hanging over our heads.
This TACT is SO well known that, during ali the
ime our State was under the control of its own |
itzens, the building of locks or sluices was
ways prohibited in the bends of the river.
,here the banks are always subject to caving or
brasion.
Another of the many Objectionable features OF
he whole project is the location of the canal on
be north side Of Broad street, in the vicinity of
ayou savage and GENTLY Road, to say nothing
the damage which this location will occasion
the five railroads chartered by the State and
ne city of New Orleans, or Of its interference
nth the navigation Of the New Canal and of the
anal Caronde]et you will find that the fifteen
raw bridges 30 generously granted to the public,
'r distance of thirty miles, are far from being
Efficient to afford q speedy communication be, ]
Feen the two severed parts of our cities 1T1T7 | I
As whole, the project is an absurdlty, and,
have already said, not worthy of discussion,
ID ought not to be noticed, were it not for the
etermined intention to squeeze money from an
Ferpurdened community, exhibited In the sup |
ementsry act, which, II ever passed by the
egislature, will permit the gentlemen prof sctors
the scheme to realize profit of nearly mil
p and half Of dollars out Of the digging of
e miles of canal costing only $40, 900.
IL, previous to its passage, the original charter
anted to the New Orleans and Ship Island Canal
ompany had been referred by the Legislature to
9 consideration Of the present able State en-.
neer, l venture to say that this scheme would
we never been entertained, and then the add. Q
NAL act would have had no reason to be dis. Z
ssed. .a4'Tri 9-'rg n rrs177-'-- 81 -
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. SURGI, City Surveyor.