New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-29
EsfGULAR TING-CONTINUED.

Eesunled its session at noon.
Mayor Benz f. Flanders, presided AM
there were present Administrators Johl
Cackrem Umprovements), Alfred Shaw (AC
.counts) L. I. Delassize (Waterworks an'
Public Buildings), f. C. Remick (Com
lrrierce), James Lewis Police, John S. Wal
ton (Finance), and II. Bonzano Assess
yznentsl.
Protection from OveraOw-The Mayor,
Veto.
Mr.. Shaw introduced the following reso
luton:
ResoIred, That the Committee on Drain
age Immediately lay out, and the Admins
traitor of Improvements and City Surveyor
proceed to erect all the works necessary to
strengthen the line of the Metairie ridge,
including flood gates or locks in both canals
so as to etfectually protect all lands within
the line of the ridge from inundation.
The yeas and nays were called and the
resolution unanimously adopted.
Mr.. Shaw then moved that the following
resolution pass, the veto OF the Mayor not
withstanding, and upon that question called
the yeas and nays:
Rcsolced, That the Mississippi and Mex
lean Gulf Ship Canal Company be and they
are hereby authorized TO commence work
Immediately on the lake shore protection
Ievee, under the direction of the Admins
traitor of improvements and City Surveyor
according to plans and specifications on file
2 in the Office of the City Surveyor.
Mr. Bonzano: There is a matter of plans
and specifications on file in the Office OF the
: Surveyor which we know nothing about.
I don't know of any except certain favor
tie plan of the Surveyor for railroad cars
and horse track on the lake, which l am
opposed to. am in favor of a protection
Ievee three or four hundred yards inside
the margin of the lake, but Of no other, be-
q. cause. from the best information l can get,
any levee constantly exposed to the waves
will be constant expense to keep in repair,
no matter whether thanked by iron revet-
nents or not There is no material to be
had here strong enough to withstand the
action of the waves and the water.
Mr.. Delassze: My views are exactly those
of the Administrator of Assessments. |
want a protection levee, but l don't see the
necessity of it in the lake.
1lr. Cockrem said this plan had been be-
fore the public two or three months; he
called for the question.
Mr. Lewis: | am not as yet decided how
TO vote on this question. l do not under
stand, Mr. President, whether you veto the
whole ordinance or that portion of it as to
the levee being in the lake. Is that the
part of the ordinance you Veto Mr.. Presi-
dent, or do you veto the whole ordinance?
Mr.. Cockrem: 1t is vetoed as a whole.
The Mayor called for the reading of the
following paragraph Of the veto;
The present resolution. ignoring the stand
ing committee previously appointed, sets
the company immediately to work, at the
exorbitant prices provided in the bill, on
an extensive levee, not required even by
the act of the Legislature to be entered !
upon Immediately. namely: a lake shore |
protection lsvee; and if rightly understand |
the plans and specifications Of the Surveyor |
therein alluded to, this levee is to be located |
either in the lake or near the shore. | |
think this question of location has not been |
thoroughly considered by the Council.
Mr.. Cockrem: The resolution as a whole |
has been vetoed.
Dir. Lewis: That is what / am asking for. |
L am not prepared to sustain the Mayors
veto as whole, but am prepared to sus
fasn it if the levee is in the lake.
DIR. Shaw: As far as l am concerned the
Mayor is mistaken in saying we have not
considered this matter. think
I understand the plan of Mr.. Bell. 1t has
been before US some weeks, and a similar
plan has been before the public for years
past, and was reported on favorably by a
board of engineers in 1869. ] understand it
TO be a protection levee outside of the
present lake shore, and | vote for it on that
ground. / have maturely considered the
subject. If we are going into a work of
great magnitude on the lake shore propose
10 reclaim the whole lake front, not leaving
a ragged edge in front of the levee. The
water where we propose to locate the levee
may be twelve or eighteen inches deep, but
anywhere where we could put levee it
would be washed by the high tide. l pro-
pose to build levee that will stand. Do
you mean to tell me that a levee put out in
The water will not withstand the action of
the waves Then we must build break
water to protect it.
Mr.. Bonzano: | believe some years ago
there was a sort of protection barrier built
by the government at Lake Pontchartrain.
think they spent some hundred and fifty
thousand dollars without accomplishing
anything in the way of protection. have {
not said that levee could not be con-
,tructed in the water of sufficient strength 7
% withstand any action of the waves, but
say the material to construct such a leyee I
5 not to be had here. 1t requires stone or ,
,ock that the waves can not move. AS far /
Is the iron revetment is concerned, that is |
entirely experimental. With the immense !
orce of the waves have seen on the lake :
;hOre the filing will always be carried S
away. In voting to sustain the Mayors a
-eto |. nevertheless, stand committed to a
levee on or near the lake shore,
.hough not out in the lake to please the
ancy of one or two individuals who think
.hey have got good thing.
Mr. Cockrem: Not one or two individu- t.
lis: a Whole corps of engineers reported on =
his thing i'll 1869.
Mr.. Walton: We have passed resOlu- |
ION to-day that provides for the immediate :
of the city from overflow, and | |
that this work will be entered c
Upon at once. 1t seems to me, with regard c
% this protection levee, that We all agree }
t is necessary and very desirable that the
should be done on the plan laid out f
Legislature; but l do not see the