The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-17


Net amount of drainage 81, S7S $50
Add. also, ACC, 600 acres Of State lands,
to be selected by the company. ..... 100000
Total amount given said company. -. 50 Alb $50
Three fourths of this amount, 81 1856, 462, are to
be handed to the company, during the progress,
and after the completion of five miles Of canal 100
feet wide and IL feet deep, the cost of which will
not exceed $3.50 $40. the remaining fourth. s6ls,.
4s7 So only upon the completion of the whole
canal TO the Rigolets, as provided In the charter.
In presence Of the above figures, you can per.
ceiye how true Ia the title Of this act entitled Gan
act to aid in the construction of the New Orleans
ard Ship Island Canal" and what powerful aid
the property-holders Of New Orleans, Jefferson
and Carrollton cities are compelled to give the
gentlemen originators OF the scheme towards the
accomplishment of their design.
The whole cost Of the canal will not exceed
IS, 600 600; so, beside the injury inflicted upon
their property, and without q particle of interest
in the contemplated work, the proprietors within
the limits of the abeve named cities are made to
contribute to one-haf Of the entire cost OF its
construction.
Having acknowledged the first part of the title
Of the above-named act to be in strict accordance
with its meaning, We are obliged to say that the
latter part just the reverse and that, instead of
"more efectuslly leyeeing, draining and reclaim
ing the swamp lands in the rear of the city of New
Orleans" nothing said about the swamp In the
rear Of Carrollton and Jefferson City, the project.
60 act Will tnurely run our system OF DRAINAGE,
bring the river and lake waters within our doors,
cut off communication between the front and rear
parts of citieb compel to double the present
number Of draining machines, and as 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 will be agreed upon between the parties, and
by these means place the $4,000 inhabitants OF
the above named Cities for drainage purposes, at
the mercy of the seven propretors of the charter,
who will thus be enabled to accomplish their work
entirely 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, clause has been
inserted in the act compelling the company to
build levee on the NORTH side of their canal to
protect the cities from any overhows 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 difference 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-
dition.
This clause must have been inserted solely for
the purpose of deceiving an unguarded public,
who had suffered so much from the late over
flow, (Which could have been prevented at cost
of $780, and make them believe that the pro-
posed relief is equal to the remuneration granted
10 the company.
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 for in the original charter, the company
being obliged 10 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
it is the result Of the work itself the earth com.
ing from the excavation will furnish material
enough to make levee on each bank, at least 10
feet high. 20 feet vide at top and 100 feet at the
base, amply sufficient to repel the lake water.
Such will not be the case, however, should q
crevasse occur at or below the lock intended by
the company to be built at Csrroilton. The cities
of New Orleans, Jefferson and Carollton being
belted by the inner or south levee of the COM
pany's canal, their whole area would be covered
with sheet Of water from five to ten feet deep,
and should this canal ever be built, this impend
ing calamity will, like Dsmocles's sword, be con-
stantly hanging over our heads.
This fact is SO well known that, during all the
time our State was under the control of its own
citizens, the building of locks or sluices was
always prohibited in the bends of the river,
where the banks are always subject to caving or
abrasion.
Another of the many Objectionable features of
the whole project is the location of the canal on
the north side of Broad street, in the vicinity of
Bayou Savage and GENTLY Road, to say nothing
of the damage which this location will occasion
to the five railroads chartered by the State and
the city Of New Orleans. or Of its Interference
with the navigation of the New Canal and of the
Canal Carondelet, you viii End that the fifteen
drawbridges so generously granted to the public,
for distance of thirty miles, are far from being
sufficient TO afford a speedy communication be-
tween the two severed parts of our cities.
As whole. the project Is an absurdity, and,
as l have already said, not worthy of discussion,
and ought not to be noticed, were it not for the
determined intention TO squeeze money from an
overburdened community, exhibited in the sup
Elementary act, which, If ever passed by the
Legislature. will permit the gentlemen projectors
of the scheme to realize profit of nearly mil
lion and half of dollars out Of the digging Of
FIVE miles of canal costing only $940, 900.
If, previous to its passage, the original charter
granted to the New Orleans and Ship Island Canal
Company had been referred by the Legislature to
the consideration Of the present able State en-
gineer, l venture to say that this scheme would
have never been entertained. and then the sddi-
tonal act would have had no reason to be dis
cussed.
Respectfully, your obedent servant,
l.. SURGI, City Surveyor.