New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-26
DRAINAGE.
OFFICE MISSISSIPPI AND ME-

DRAINAGE.
OFFICE MIss,ssrPpI AND MEXICAN GuLr
| Ship Canal Compauy.
New Orleans, La April ~, 1871
To the Honorable Mayor and Administrators of New
Orleans and to the rublic:
The merits of the act providing for the drainsg
of New Orleans by the Mexican Gulf Canal Com
| pany having been fully discussed and severe de
nunciation having been made against the company
it is due to the public and to ourselves that W,
notice these charges, and give brief history o
! the whole affair.
Having so far completed the Lake Borgne Canal
that portion of the machinery could be spared
from that work, and knowing that the drainage O.
the city Of New Orleans and the swamp in the
immediate vicinity was demanded by the people at
indispensable to make New O.leans healthy and
prosperous. we determined to ask the Legislature
to pass law authorizing US to do the wolk unde,
the direction of the Board of Administrations of the
city.
On examination we found that no authority e
listed IN the city charter to control the drama &c
fund or authOroe the work. and that the whole
question was tied up in litigation with the Ship
Island Canal Company who were before the CITY
Council with demand for e4Oo,O00 of bonds,
or the equivalent thereof, an ordinance for which
that company had procured from the City Cou neil
of Jefferson, on the of its dissolution for the
privilege of draining into useless canal not one
foot of which had been dug or in any probability
ever would be. The City Council was, in fact, en-.
tirely helpless in the matter of drainage
After making careful inquiry of those best in
formed upon the subject, and learning that the
drainage assessment uncollected would he nearly
II net quite adequate to meet the expense a .
thorough and complete drainage Of the city. and
rQp vi nU ho
citizens of New Orleans that such a work would
meet with the hearty approval of the people, and
moreover. being assured by members of the City
Council that such law was greatly de- sired Nv
them and would be promptly enforced, Thereby
believing the city of the claims of the Ship Island
Cana! Company and restoring to the city for drsin-
age purposes large fund which was greatly
needed), we moved in the matter
Several bills were introduced in the Legislature
to authorize private companies to drain the city
One Of these was submitted to Mayor Flanders,
and several amendments thereto made by him.
This bill provided for q grand system Of shell roads
and street railroads through the territory to be
drained, and gave to that company the right to
charge toll on all such roads, thereby enabling a
private corporation to SO construct their shel,
roads along tho canals to insure large revenue
his bill also gave the company the exclusive use
d. the canals for navigation purposes and III addi
ton gave them the right to sell the dirt excavated
rom canals not required for levees. The price of
excavation in that bill was sixty cents per
cubic yard, mere fraction below the average price
liked BY law for the Mexican Gulf Canal COMPANY.
Mayor Flanders did not carry his amendments to
edncing the price Of the work, nor did he strike
nut any OF the special privileges conferred upon
he company:
COu,nara fhia r>;I1 ,r,,:.,.
with our law. Act No. 30 coufers
10 authority upon the canal company except the |
light to construct the protection levees and exca
ate canals at fifty cents per cubic yard each. The
ity has all the benefit to be derived therefrom If |
hell roads are constructed On the levees, they will
e free, or the tolls wiz revert to the CITY. The
annals Will belong to the city, and the dirt not re.
ulred for levees can be s0d for the benefit of the
lty. We are compelled to supply our own
lachinery. and furnish large capital to commence
le work, and do not receive any compensation
ntil after the work is performed The city can not
se anything by this law
As to the assertion Of the Mayor that .'this law
more infamous than the Ship Island Canal bill,
III the most Infamous of all the infamous laws of
us Legislature" we have to call attention to the
CT that the Ship Island Canal Company demanded
the city $4,000 of bonds, or the equivalent
ereof, without rendering any service.
Under our law we would have to dig more than /
miles Of canal forty feet wide and ten feet deep
fore we could receive 100000 and the work
ust be performed where the City Council directs.
le Ship Island. Company have done no work, yet
e. gave demanded money enough to construct |
arse proportion of the canals required between |
9 city and Lake Pontchartrain. It is well known !
at Mayor Flanders advocated the payment of
so 600 by the city to the Ship Island Canal Com
ny. And in comparison with that scheme-the | !
'st stupid, imprscticable and pernicious ever :
vised for the drainage Of the city-the laughing. a
'ck of engineers and stencil in the nostrils of I
, people, Mayor Flanders pronounces as "in. 9
nous" the just and wise Law passed BY the recent
gislature. Is further comment necessary? n
rue, an effort 10 being made by means Of T.
:bled and incomplete statements from certain d
ords of the Drainage Commissioners. to prove .
It the price is too high. But the narrow and 3
How canals dug BY the Commissioner are n
Oh smaller than those required by this act. In B
excavation Of canals, - in the building Of :.
ees, the cost increases snoemously With the | b
; and, in addition, in nearly III the cansle to Be-
= the rear q tAe city, ne earth; in oease. q
nee q thsdr -. H. = - lnvve1 tvls6xi =
'eaa1le statement = ~ 61tiu, ~ = stlI1 =
49, 49, = = d % - p y I =
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