New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-05
FORT ST. PHILIP CANAL
1lemOsinf or the New Orleans Chamber of
Commerce in Favor of the Fort st.
Phillip Canal,

| silors. Boards of Trade Governors and Legisia-
| lures Ill the States tributary 10 the Mississippi
Siver
| We, the undersigned committee on OBJ
| structions at the mouth and channels of the
| mississippi river, appointed by the Cham
[ Der OF Commerce of New Orleans, beg leave
| TO call your attention TO the history of the
| Fort St. Philip canal, begging your CO.
| operation.
DIR. Cartwright, one of our most distin-
| guished hydrJ graphers, states positively
! that the bars at the mouth of the Missis-
sippi river have not increased, as it is gone
rally believed. but have remained the same
| for lao years.
Mr. Benjamin Buisson, State Engineer of
| Louisiana in 1882, suggested the idea of
! avoiding the bars Of the Mississippi by canal
! from Font st. Philip to deep water point
/ in the Gulf Oft the leland of Breton. After
| a careful survey he reported to the Legisla-
| ture the plan was feasible. On this report
the Legislature Of Louisiana passed reso-
I luton requesting our Senators and Repre-
sentatiVGs in Congress to urge an early esti
/ mate and survey OF sbe same by competent
officers.
! This resolution Was accompanied by
memorial of the Chamber OF Commerce of
| New Orleans, and so far met approval that
! a survey was ordered from the War De-
partment in 1887 From shis order l..
| Poole, Uniteds States engineer, says: 1t is
| my opinion that an artificial cut offers
| farer prospect of certain results than any
| other plan chat has been spoken of, of
! opening the Mississippi 70 Ships OF the
! largest class 4 lock at the junction of the
! river will prevent the deposit of mud in the
! canal, and the jetties at the sea may be so
| placed as to teru perfect artificial bastion
OF breakwateC.
! Captain Talcott, United States engineer,
in his reports for 1888, and Professor For
| shey's measurements of 1851 and 1852 show
that the deposit of alluvion only advances
| seaward at the rate OF one mile in fifteen
| years, or $50 feet annually.
The first work done on the passes was by
| Captain Talcott, United States engineer,
in 1899, by order of the War Department.
| but circumstances were so unfavorabe
| that he obtained no result. In one stormy
night twice as much mud was thrown into
the bar as had been taken away.
In 1852 the United States let contract to
| the ToWboa Association, which kept a
channel eighteen feet deep and mile and
a quarter long, by using harrows. A storm
| after their contract and efforts ceased, filled
| the same up to it former normal depth Of
fifteen feet.
In 1856 the United States let contract to
| Craig & RightOr, but all to no effect, by
| the incessant but silent workings of the
| forces which caused the formation of the
|
! dOned.
! In Breton Island sound into the gulf and
sea there is not rock, reef or islet. The
! depths vary in the mean line ninety to
| thirty four feet. The lighthouse on Breton
| island and that On the pier of the canal will
| point out the entrance to the latter. There
| will theH efOre be no necessity for pilots; no
| port will eyer have an easier and more
I direct access.
| NJ Erodor;oJ- SE;Il,;nso,, TaDutu CIV,
| vey0F General of Louisiana, says the project
| Of q ship canal is a feasible matter, and
! from the depth of water stated now TO exist
! in the Gulf of Mexico. into which the canal
is TO open thirty feet, is highly COM
mendabie.
Captain A. II. Bowman, United States
engineer. reports that in his opinion ''the
only practical plan for securing perma.
nent ship channel for vessels of the first
| class 20 New Orleans is te cut q canal from
some point on the Mississippi above its
mouth TO some one of the arms of the Gulf
| which approaches nearest the river"
! Captain ". \. Chase, United States en-
! ginecr. says ''thc construction OF ship
cana; on the plan indicated by Major
| Buisson should be resoGted to.''
| Mr.. Benjamin Buisson, civil engineer. In
| 4 letter dated New Orleans. September 30.
| 1870. says: II surveyed the coast of fhe
! Gulf from above Fort st. Philip down to the
| passes Of the river. and found by obserVa-
| ton and sounding there no deposit OF the
| Mississippi mud was made on shat ecast or
| by the Calf stream east of the passes, but
! found the sediment all went to the west
| ward by the action of the Gulf stream and
| the current OF the Mississippi.
''In the year 1910 went with Commo-
| dore Rousseau, in command of the United
| States corvette, to make a reconnaissance of
| the aforesaid coast, and came to anchor
| near the shore, five miles below Fort St.
| Philip, in Breton Island pass. | found five
! to eight and ten fathoms water out the
| pass, and have no doubt a ship canal,
! with thirty feet of water, can be built
! there; and from my experience | am salts
| fed no deposit will ever be made at the
| outward end of the canal to form any bar
| Captain C. w. Howell, topographers,
| United States Army, in a letter dated New
| OElears, September 70, 1870, says regarding
| the Fort St Philip canal: 1.-The subject was
brought officially to my notice by the En-
| gineer Department last July, and on the
twelfth Of August was able to report the
project apparently practicable, and its
realization of the greatest moment to the
commerce of the Mississippi"
The commercial conventions at Eincin-
matt in 1870, Baltimore in 1871, and in New
| York in 1872 all unanimously passed reso-
| lutions recommending the general govern
ment to aid and build this great national
| canal. A copy of these resolutions, with
memorial from each convention, was sent Go
! the President of the United States.
The lands tributary to the Mississippi
river exceeds 10000 square miles. The
| population of this area is little less than
! J.! ,0O0,000s
| CSIrED STATES EEGIHRRR's OFFICE,
New Orleans September }, 1873.
President OF New Orleans Chamber Of Commerce:
SIR--The survey directed by Congress
| has been completed, and tho construction
Of the canal Lscertained TO be feasible.
Plans for lock. guard locks, entrance 60
river and jettits extending into 'BretOn
Island Pass" partially completed, and re
port to be submitted t. Congress St it's next
session IS being prepared.
The rlan adopted is for eanaf twenty
seven feet deep, two hundred feet wide at
the bottom Throughout the trunk. with e
guard lock near the gulf ana a lock eighty
feet wide and four hundred feet long at the
river. An t'stiinats Of the probable cost as
not yet completed, bus enough has been
done to show that the work will not cost
far from $4,000 900.
Very respectfully. yonr ebedienS servant.
G. II. HOWELL.
Captain of Engineers, United States Army.
!4.J. HIGBY,
j. S. COPIES.
F.A. HABER.
c. G. FORSHEIe
A. MOULTON,
f'Ommittee On ObstrucSiofso