The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-04-22
No. 80.
AN ACT
Secretary Of State.

Secretary of State
No. 80
AN ACT
To provide for the drainage of New Orleans
WHEREAS, The proper and efficient drain
age of the city of New Orleans is of para
mount importance to the sanitary and com
mercial interests of the city, as also of tn
State of Louisiana; and whereas, the Mis-
siSsippi and Mexican Gnrf Ship Canal Com
pany are prepared to Immediately undertake
the work with the only kind Of machiner,
, adapted thereto and now ready for use, ant
to prosecute the same with energy ant
economy to completion; therefore,
SECTION l. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives of the Stat,
of Louisiana in general assembly convened
That the Mississippi and Mexican Gulf Shi,
Canal Company, corporation now existing
and domiciled in the city of New Orleans
be and is hereby authorized and e npowcrec
to excavate drainage canals and build pro.
lection levees within the p,eSent corporal.
limits of New Orleans and Carrollon, nm
der the conditions aud with the stipulation,
hereinafter expressed.
SEC g. Be it further enacted, etc. That
the said Mississippi and Mexican Calf ShiT
Canal Company shall be authorized ant
empowered to dig canal, and with the
earth removed from the same to bu Id out
side Of said canal protection levcc, in the
rear of the city Of New Orleans, and neal
the shore of Lake Pontchartrain; the exact
location Of the said canal and levre, and OF
all canals dug and levees built by the said
company, to be designated and fixed by the
Board of City Administrators, and the title
to the lands necessary for sal works to be
procured and held for the benefit of the
civ of New Orleans, by the Board of Ad-
minstrators of the city Of New Orleans; the
said lake shore canal to be not less than
siSty-five feet wide on the surface, and fif
teen feet deep in the middle, with proper
slope of the sides, the said canal or canals
along the lake shore to serve as a reservoir
for draining the city of New Orleans and
the lands in the rear of the city, the drain
age to be pumped from the canal over into
the lake, and the said protection levee to be
not less than one hundred feet widei and u
suffirient height to completely protect the
CITY from overflow from Lake Pontchartrain.
Sec s. Be it further enacted, etc, That
said company shall also be authorized and
empowered to excavate canals of the di-
mensions and at such localities as may be
| fixed bv the Board of Administrators of the
city of New Orleans, which shall fnlly drain
the area bounded by the protection levees
herein contemplated and the Mississippi
river. and connect with the drainage canals
now located in the said area.
Sec T. Be it further enacted, etc. That
the said company shall also be empowered
and authorized to build canal and protec-
ton leveo below the city Of New Orleans to
connect the lower end Of the protection
levee.. along the lake, with the Mississippi,
of sufficient size to fully protect the city
fr"m overflow. and on a linedo be designated
by the Board of Administrators; and to con-
struct like canal and protection leyee
above the city, the dimensions and locality
| in like manner to be designated by the
said Board of Administrators, the object of
these two canals ard protection levees to be
the protection from overflow of the areas
between the Mississippi river and Lake
Pontchartrain, above the New or company
canal, and below the Carondelet canal.
Sec 3. Be it further enacted, etc, That
the said Mississippi and Mexican Gulf Ship
Canal Company shall be authorized and
empowered to dig all the smaller canals re
quired for the drainage of New Orleans and
the lands in the rear of the said city, of the
dimensions of ten feet or more than ten feet
in width.
SFc.6 Be it further enacted, etc, That
the Board of Administrators shall be re-
qui,ed, and that it is hereby made their
duty. Immediately after the passage Of this
act, to locate the lines of the canal and pro-
lection levees specified in the various Sec
tons of this act, in time to prevent delay in
the prosecution Of the work ON the part of
the said company The Board of Adminis=
traitors are also required to build and rLn
all the pumps or drainage machines neces-
sary to lift the drainage water from the said
canal or canals over into Lake Pontchar-
train, and moreover to keep the water in
the canals infprocess of excavation, so far
as practicable, at the proper level for the
work of excavation, and at the same time
assist the drainage OF the adjacent lands
and should the City Council fail to locate
the lines of said canals and protection levees
above specified. the city of New Orleans is
hereby made liable to the said company for
the damages resulting from such delay.
SEC. Z. Be it further enacted. etc, That
said Mississippi and Mexican Gulf Ship Ca
nal Company shall be required to have
ready for work within fifteen days after the
passage Of this act, machinery of sufficient
power to excavate at least twenty. five thou
sand (25. .000) cubic yards per month, and
to move the same the distance required to
build the protection leyee and to increase
as soon as practicable their machinery to
the capacity of at least fifty thousand cubic
yards per month.
SEC. g. Be it further enacted, etc, That
at the end of every month it shall be the
duty of the City Surveyor of New Orleans.
or ain engineer appointed by the Board of
Administrators for that purpose, to examine
the work done by the said Mississippi and
Mexican Gulf Ship Island Canal Company,
during said month, and upon the measure
ment of the width and depth of the canal,
canals, or parts Of canals dug, and protec
fion ievees built, certify as to the number
of cubic yards excavattd and the number
of cubic yards of protection levees bnilt du.
ring the said month. It shall be the duty
Of the Administrator Of Accounts, on the
to him of the said certificate of
the City Surveyor or engineer appointed by
the Board of Administrators by the Presi-
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