New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-03
THE CITY HALL.

The most important feature connected
with the Department Of Improvements is
the city drainage. 1t has already given rise
to much discussion in the public prints, and
unfavorable comments have been made by
some papers of the amount of expenditure
necessary to bring it to its present state of
excellence. A few months ago the rear
part of the city and the swamp beyond were
covered with water. The canals now com
pleted and those being dug afforded to this
section such thorough system of drainage
that it is now dry and ready for cultivation
and Improvement. Six weeks ago the angle
formed by the tail-race of the Dublin
avenue draining machine and the canal
along the bed of the old Carrollton railroad
was from six to ten inches under water. 1t
is now high and dry, and embraces some
thing near four thousand acres On this
side of Carrollton avenue, between Wash
i1gton and Common streets, the section was
very much in the same condition. 1t is now
dry.
But that more accurate conception may
be formed of the amount of drainage done
improvements, we append the snhjoined
statement of the three drainage districts,
the work being done under the special SUI
pervisior of the City Surveyor:
DRAINAGE.
First section, l2,l46 lineal feet; second
section, 1890 lineal feet; third section, 6S5O
lineal feet Of new canals eXcavated.
One new draining eng inc and boilers; re-
pairs to wheels and buildings three engines
and boilers repaired two new sets of boil
ers; seventeen miles of protection levefs in
rear of the city raised and strengthened:
new draw bridge over Canal CarOndelet at
Marais street: new bridge at Metairie road,
upper line protection levee and canal; new
bridge at Gentilly road and Marigny canal:
new boiler house and house for foreman,
Dublin avenue, machine and two squares
fenced in: new wood culverts along levee at
head OF every street, for sanitary purposes
during summer: bulkheads New canal and
Claiborne street, and one new engine house,
Milneburg.
KEEPING BATTURE DRAINED AND SIIELLED.
I63 coo barrels of oyster and lake shells:
las tons of ballast: batture holes filled
and levees extended from st. Louis to
Thalia street: value of area filed, $4,000:
twenty-three miles of river levees re
bank. and l4.4lS lineal feet front of new
and reconstructed wharves.
STREETS
Two squares Of square block paving, on
CnstomhUuse street, from Dauphine to
Rampant streets: ten squares Of square
block paving Oh Rampant street; two
squares of square block paving on Bourbon
| street: plank road on Julia, Glrod and
| Lafayette streets to levee; plank road on
| St. Joseph and Water streets to Ievec; plank
road on Gravier street, and Calliopc be-
| tween Carondelet and Howard streets ;
| plank road on Bayou bridge and Wells
| street: Stowe wood pavement on Dryades
| and Common streets; thirteen squares shell
squares NicOlson pavement ON st. Charles
| avenue: macadamiZed roads around New
| Basin, ten squares reconstructed; iron brdg
| plates, brick bridges and curbing Oh st.
| Charles avenue. from Felicity to TOledanO
! street; round stone on MOreau and Levee
streets, at Poland street. five squares: iron
| bridges ON Common, Drvades and Canal
streets; curb setting on Common, Dryades
| and Canal streets; curb setting on ST. Mary
and Carondelet streets; opening of MOreau
street, and paving and banquetting the
| same, two squares; opening of CasacalvO
| street, three squares; banquette lntersec-
tions. 2S, 636 feet of batture made under the
| superior of this department.
The Surveyors department, under the SUI
pervision of the Administrator of Improve
ments, has now the additional labor which
was performed formerly by three boards OF
drainage commissioners and their engineers
ana draughtsnan. A visit to the City Hall
will satisfy any one-when they see the new
drainage maps and subdivision books fol
each drainage section, prepared from data
obtained at the conveyance Otfice-that this
long neglected and tedious work is now
developing to an early completion. Copies
of the section maps have been filed in court
in conformity with the drainage act of 1858
The fall of rain during 1871, and also dur
ing the present year, has been unprecedent
ed The fall from October 3, 1871, during
| twenty-four hours, was ten and hall
inches, whereas the greatest on record pre-
viously was five and half inches. The ex
treme high waters of the river and lake and
their. long continuance at a high stage, per
meated the entire subsoil of the city, con
sequently many of the roads ere in bad con
dition, and what have been kept up have
cost largely. The present draining wheels
only remove the sewage water five to Sill