New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-06

the Legislature of Louisiana passed reso-
luton requesting our Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress to urge an early est
mate and survey of the same by competent
officers.
This resolution was accompanied by a
memorial Of the Chamber OF Commerce OF
New Orleans, and go far met approval that
a survey was ordered from the War De
partment in 1887. From this order l.
Poole, United States engineer. says: II Is
nv opinion that an artificial cut offers a
fairer prospect Of certain results than any
other plan that has been spoken OF, OF
opening the Mississippi TO ships o. me
largest class. A lock at the Junction OF the
river will prevent the deposit OF mud 10 lhe
canal, and the iettit. al the sea may DE so
placed as to form perfect artificial Dastlon
| or breakwater.
CAPTAIN Talcott. United States engineer
| in his repOrts for 1888, and Professor or
| shev's measurements of 1851 ana 1872 Eho"
| that the deposit OF alluviOn only advances
/ seward at the rate OF one mile Ia hl.een
years or $50 feet annually:
The first work done on the passes was oE
| Captain TalcOtt, United States eHglneer'
| in 1899. by order of the War Department.
| hut circumstances were so pnfaVordoIe
| 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 20
| ,he Towbeat Association, which kept A
channel eighteen feet deep ana Hlio ana
| a uuarteY long, by using harrows. A storm,
| afrer their contract and efforts ceased, filled
| the same up to it former normal depth OF
| In 1856 the United States let contract 20
| Craig 81 RightOr, but all to no effect, by
| the incessant but silent workings OF the
| forces which caused the formation OF the
bars, and the contract had 10 be aban-
dOned.
In Breton Island sound into the gulf and
sea there is not a rock, reef or !slet Inc
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 therefore be no necessity for pilots; 10
| port will ever have an easier and more
| direct access.
Mr.. Frederick Wilkinson, Deputy Sur
veyor General Of Louisiana. says the PROJECT
| of a 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-tour feet, is highly COM
| mendable.
CAPTAIN A. ". Bowman, United States
| engineer. reports that in his opinion 1.-The
only practical plan for securing perma-
nent ship channel for vessels of the first
class to New Orleans is to cut canal from
some point on the Mississippi above It's
mouth to some one OF the arms OF the Gull
which approaches nearest the river"
Captain w. A. Chase, United States en-
gineer, says "the construction Of a ship
canal on the plan indicated by Major
| Buisson should be resOrted to-"
Mr. BENJAMIN BuissUn, civil engineer, IN
| a letter dated New Orleans, September 80,
| 1870, says: Il surveyed the coast of the
| Gulf from above Fort st. Philip down to the
passes of the river, and found by obserya-
| ton and sounding there no deposit OF the
| Mississippi mud was made on that coast or
by the Gulf stream east Of the passes, but
| found the sediment all went to the west
| ward bv the action Of the Gulf stream and
! the current OF the Mississippi.
| In the wear 1910 went with CONNIE.
| dore Rousseau in command Of the United
! States corvette. To make reeonnoisance OF
| the aforesaid coast. and came - anchor
near the shore, five miles below Fort 81.
| Philip, in Breton Island pass. found five
to eight and ten fathoms water out the
| pass, and J have No doubt 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 80 form any bar.
! Captain G. ". Howell, topographers.
! United States Amy. in letter dated New
| Orleans, September D. 1870, says regarding
| the Fort st. Philip canal: THE subject was
I brought officially to my notice br the En-
| gineer Department last July, and on the
| twelfth of August was able 20 report the
| project apparently practicable, and lis
| realization of the greatest moment 20 :hr
commerce of the Mississippi"
| The commercial conventions at Cincln
| natl in 1870, Baltimore in 1871, and in New
! York in 1872, ail unanimously passed resC
| lutiOns recommending the general govern
ment TO aid and build this grea: natinne,
canal. 4 copy Of these resolutions, with a
| memorial from each convention, was sent e
| the President OF the United States.
| The lands tributary 10 the Mississippi
| river exceeds 1000 sCIare miles. The
population Of this area - little less :haI
100000.
| Cvrrgp STAY. fSG,SHsR's CvFrcg
New Orleans, September 2 1872.
| President OF New Orleans Chamber Of COmmtTc.
SIR-The survey directed by congress
| has been completed. and thu constructor
of the canal ascertaineG 10 be feasible.
Plans for lock, guard locks, entrance 4
river and iettics extending into .BTetoI
| Island Pass partially completed, and a re
port 20 be submitted TO Congress at its He&
! session is being prepared.
The plan adopted Is for canal twenty
| seven feet deep, two hundred feet wide q
| the bottom throughout the trunk, with
guard lock near the gulf and lock eight,
feet wide and four hundred feet long az tn
river. An estimate of the probable cost
not yet completed, but enough has beel
done to show that the work will not COS
far from $4,000 600.
Very respectfully. your obedient servan.
G. II. HOWELL.
Captain Of Engineers, United States Army
L. j. HIGBY,
j. S. COPIES,
+. A. HABER.
c. G. FORSHET,
A. MOULTON,
Committee GU Distinctions.