New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-31

back to the Mississippi, below the city. We
say by artificial means, for the simple rea-
! son that the surface of very large portion
of the immense area to be draned-some
| %. 900 acres of lands but few inches
above the ocean, and consequently the
| lake level at ordinary tide, while during
| high water in the lake it is COnsid-
| erablv lower than the surface level
of the water. Hence there can be no such
thing as natural drainage in New Orleans,
except in the vicinage of the river levee.
Nor does it meet the requirements OF the
| situation to confne the drainage system to
| the slip of territory this side Of Meta!rie
| ridge. That has been the plan hitherto
| adopted. During its continuance the sew
| age must be pumped either into the two
| navigation canals. which divide the terri
tory to be drained into three separate and
| distinct drainage districts, or 1t must DE dis
| charged into the swamps. In either case
the offensive sewage, the fecuent and tecal
matter gathered in the rear OF the city Is
not finally disposed of. If thrown into the
navigation canals, it is conducted by them
DdCk " tut Va eiAO SAor, - AAA'O SNo
swamps, it fills the air with foul miasmas to
be waited back over the city. The sewage
should, therefore, be rapidly conveyed di-
rectly to the lake in wide, deep canals, ex-
cavated for that specific purpose, and dis
charged by means Of powerful pumps. into
the salt water. This comprehensive and
efficient plan has been adopted by the city
Administrators.
In the second drainage district, COM
prising the area above the New canal. dis
lance of less than six thousand feet remains
to be excavated to make the connection with
the lake. on the line of the old CarrOllton
railroad The network of small canals in
that district just in the rear of the city
all communicate with the main outlet. now
so nearly completed; and in the course OF
six months the sewage of this whole area
can be thrown directly into the lake.
In the first drainage district, comprising
the space between the navigation canals
and directly in the rear of the chief bust
ness portion of the city, the dredges on the
line of Orleans street have reached point
within 5000 feet of the lake. The Orleans
street canal will gather the sewage of this
district and convey it to the lake, and by
means of cuiverts sunk below the Caronde
let canal at the points where that
canal intersects the line OF Orleans street
and the Marigny canal. the sewage OF much
of the Third District below Carondelet
canal can be discharged through the same
outlet There are to be three of these main
canals leading from the city to the lake.
The work on two of them is more than two
thirds completed. These canals ale between
fifty and sixty feet wide and twelve feet
deep.
The work of excavating has progressed
sutiicie ntly to demand that preparations be
Immediately made for erecting powerful
pumping machines at the lake terminus OF
the two canals that viii be completed
during the coming summer: They viii III
doubtedly be of great benefit TO the city.
and when the whole drainage system is
completed. and the protection levees erect
ed, d long-needed work VII have been ac-
compli shed that must add greatly to the
prosperity and beauty OF the Crescent City.
and this VIII be accomplished az a very
small expense compared with the great
benefits that must Iiow from the establish
ment of perfect system Of city drainage
and protection against overtows from tue
lake
Prior to the first OF March the COM anv
had excayated So. lSl cubic yards OF earth
at the cost to the city Of Sl9l.01 %, and in
addition about $4,000 worth of work had
been done Oh the levee extending from Car
rollton to the lake shore. The company
has been at work bat ten months and in
that time has excavated miles of canal.
From this showing it will be seen that the
idle talk that il would take an expenditure
of millions of dollars to complete this work
is simple nonsense. Yet it is an enterprise
that has had to he prosecuted with great
difficulty, and in the face otgreat obstacles.
up TO the present time. In few months,
when the energy and enterprise OF the men
engaged in this great work shall have com
pleted it, our citizens will wonder why it
was not done years ago. the benefits will be
so great. While all portions Of our city
W La Ca l'CAICutC diihc tilc dSl DeututS u a
thorough system OF drainage and protection
against inundat!ons, Canal street is to be
relieved of the filthy canal that now runs
through that beautiful street withou. ac-
plishing any permanent good.
The Drainage Company has placed one |
OF their most powerful machines at work |
IN Poydras street. commencing at a point |
where It intecsects Gaivez canal. A canal |
Will be dug from this point through the |
middle OF Poydras street to Hagan avenue,
and this canal is intended to DO away with |
the necessity for the canal through Canal
street, and that will be closed up. which |
will add greatly to the beauty Of that mag
niticent thoroughfare. This plan also Oh
Yates the necessity of a canal through
Banks street. which is too narrow for that
purpose. Poydras street is very vide
and the construction OF a canal in that
street, connecting with Galvez and Hagan
avenue canals, viii injure no one, and at
the same time assist in making our drainage
system complete.
ID ID;