New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-08
The Fort st. Philip Canal.


eminent, has been called to the problem o
satisfactory outlet to the great Mississippi
river.
In 1888 Captain Talcott, acting under or
iers from the War Department, made the
attempt to-open the pass at the mouth o.
the river by dredging. After considerable
labor and expense he succeeded in taking
out sufficient mud to very much improve the
channel, but single storm forced twice as
much mud" into the channel as had been
taken out
In 1859 the government contracted with
tho TowbOat Association for opening up
these passes. A year was consumed in the
labor, and channel eighteen feet deep for
about eight thousand in length was per
fected. This was used for a short time and
like its predecessors was filled by single
storm.
This was the last effort of the government
until 1860, and 1870. The needs of com.
merce were imperative, and urged other
attempt. Congress had constructed, az an
expense of $350,000, a steam propeller
dredge, and to manage it are men of large
experience; bnt they can only imperfectly
carry out what is wanted; and, again, the
men engaged in commercial pursuits
throughout the Mississippi valley, their APP
peal to the engineers and the men of science,
suggest another plan. We find by refer
Ship Canal between the Mississippi river
and the Gulf of Mexico" the work of Mori-
taign, civil engineer, thorough digest of
this important matter, and the opinions and
experiences of the most capable men, who
have considered this vexed question. 1t is
here the impression and the expression that
the bars at the mouth of the river are unsur-
mOuntable, and there can be no permanent
radiance of them. Upon the opinion of the
gentlemen mentioned therein, we think it
useless that further appropriations be made
for that purpose; but that we consider
other propositions Tor accomplishing the
end.
From all the information we can gather,
We view the Fort St. Philip canal as the
most feasible of all plans and projects that
have yet been suggested, for the accommo-
datiOn of all classes of vessels. be they great
or small. The distance of this cut will be
about six miles from river to gulf. At the
point where this canal will open into the
gulf, the water has depth of thirty feet,
The character of its bottom is such as to
imply but little change in the depth, and
the old Spanish chart of nearly century
ago stated this to have been the depth at
that time. The harbor is represented as a
good one, the different islands and outings
of land, sufficient to protect shipping from
the severe gales that are so frequent upon
=
The proposition is, then, to cut this canal
six miles long, one hundred feet wide at
water line, thirty feed wide at bottom, and
twenty-four feet deep. This will be one
foot deeper than any one of the most i'm
portant canals ever made, and will afford
easy passage-way for the largest ship ever
built, excepting the Great Eastern.
1t is further proposed that along the banks
of this canal a locomotive be used as pro-
mis- on of
shipping through it; and reasonable calcula-
tions, showing the number of vessels, ar
rivals and departures from New Orleans
during the year, satisfy us this will afford
sufficient facilities for all business that
could be hoped for for some time to come
The locks proposed at the river will, we
think, overcome all doubts that may be en-
tertained as to the channel filling up With
sediment from the river. This lock is to
consist of three gates; the first is opened
from the river and the vessel is admitted;
this gate is then closed, and side gate,
opening out on the swamp, is opened, and
the surplus of river water wheel that comes
in when gate No. / was opened passes off
through the swamp. The salt water being
heavier, keeps the river water on top, and
before much of the sediment can settle to
the bottom it is turned off through this gate
No. 2. Then gate No. 3 is opened; this adj
units the vessel to the land, where it is made
fast, by line, 10 the locomotive, and in a
little while is speeded to where the waters
of the broad ocean receives her and she
offers the hospitality of her wide dominion
as a highway to those distant parts of the
world where the calls of commerce NAV d.
rect these rovers of the deep.
In report made by William H. Chase
captain of engineers, dated February. 1887
we find his estimated cost of this canal to
be about $l0,000,000, and he says it would
take about a year to complete it. When
once this is built, it will cost but little to
maintain it; an occasional dredging of that
part of the canal between iutes numbers one
and two will be necessary but the space
being small and Accommodations light, it will
not be required to be done often, nor will it
be attended with much cost
Congress has now appropriated something
for surveying this route and making other
Investigations as to the practicability of
other schemes suggested. We are informed
that an able officer is in charge of this and
that his report will soon be forthcoming
That it will be favorable to this plan we
have but little doubt after the testimony of
those preceding him. If so, the representa-
1ives in Congress throughout the Mississippi
valley ought to, individually and collective
1F. make this paramount to any other claim
or claims to be urged, and push the matter
until the appropriation necessary is granted
With this skeleton idea of what is proposed
we must content ourselves. Though brief,
we hope it is sufficiently explicit to give the
plans, and that those interested may CONT
nue. to agitate and urge its advantages more
deliberately.
The boon to the commerce of the great
valley, on the completion of this project,
can be but family pictured. 1t will in
augurate the system of iron torges for
transportation, and the building of eleva-
tors in many places, thereby etfecting,
surely, the handling of grain in bulk,
which must be adopted before the grain of
the Northwest can attain that desired posi-
ton that the friends to the movement have
advocated This cheap system OF transpor-
tation will annually enrich the country
tributary to the extent of millions; rapidly
population will centre here, and before ten
decades have sped, the geographical heart
of the continent will be the seat of power.
The Harrisburg journal says: General
Grant reduces larger amounts of public in