New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-25
OUR OUTLET CANAL AS A MILITAR1 DE-
rENSE.

in an engineering point of view OF tn
proposed ship canal below Fort ST. Philip.
We attach much importance to the re
b ply of this gentleman, not only from hi
e professional experience in both the de
e partments referred to, but especially be
V cause he has been in charge Of the work
of navigation at the passes. In answer t.
the questions, he says:
l consider the construction of shiI
canal below Fort st. Philip, from the rivel
to Breton Island Pass, entirely practicable
to the depth of twenty-five feet. wblcf
8 would be sufficient, probably, for all future
| commercial and naval purposes.
The details of the lock should be, how
, ever, properly studied and carefully exc
cuted, and location on the river should be
under the protection of the guns OF Forts
, ST. Philip and Jackson, due regard being
had to the permanency OF the river bank.
The Importance of this canal, in military
point Of view, can not be Overestlmated,
for it would make Of the Mississippi river a
safe harbor several hundred miles long,
capable of floating the largest ships OF war
| navy yard of construction and supplies
could be established anywhere in that dis
lance, perfectly safe from attack. where all
material for naval purposes could be had IN
| the greatest abundance and at the cheapest
| rates.
We attach due consideration to the
opinion of physical practicability, given
| by an expert Of high reputation. 1t is,
however, to the military view Of useful
ness that we desire especially to call
the attention of the Senate Committee
on Transportation, as well as those of our
citizens especially charged with the duty
of exhibiting evidences of the Importance
| of this great work in o national point Of
view.
l. Whether the passes of the Miss;s-
! sippi remain in state of nature, or shall
be improved by dredging, using dams, or
other concentration of current, there
must always be delay in entering the
channel. Plotting is indispensable, and
but few vessels of heavy tonnage can
occupy the channel at one time. There
must be, then, anchorage inside and out
side OF the bar, and there may be, from the
cause indicated, an arrest or assemblage
of vessels within range Of enemy war
vessels in the gulf, and entirely with
out the protection of any works which
are or can be founded on the alluvial
ooze on each side of the bars. The
navigation of the Mississippi outlet |
would, then be in danger OF injury or de- |
struction from the impossibility of secur-
ing suddenly any large aggregation Of !
tonnage which might at any time be en-
tering or departing from the outlet This |
danger from foreign war vessels would not |
be confined to the immediate vicinage of |
the bar, but would apply to the lower
reaches of the river for at least twenty
miles. We may imagine Spanish naval
war, with the foreign and coastwise trade
of the Mississippi working in and out of
the outlets. The compulsory delay of
this commerce would expose it to danger.
2. If this ship canal of seven miles be
completed. A vessel wishing to pass in
or out of this river would be safe from the
possibility of injury. A vessel fearing
an enemy or indeed a storm would run
for the canal. 1t would be itself har-
Dor. If menaced by an enemy vessel,
any number of ships could pass rapidly
and in procession through the canal and
into the river. There would be har-
borage extending some sixty miles up to
the city of New Orleans. We need not
state the armement of the two forts, but
it would be adequate to arrest the pas
sage of any enemy vessel. The canal
would be, in the words of General Beau
regard, ,''under the protection of the
guns of Forts st. Philip and Jackson"
Certainly for half the canal, and this would
be added to the length and safety of the
harbor as stated. Sooner or later light
traffic and passenger railroad will be
laid down along the river bank to the
forts, and thus troops, supplies and mu-
and defend the outlet of the Mississippi
against any possible danger of destroying
or cutting out the shipping We do
not think such a harbor of refuge, so
protected from war and from storms, ex-
lists in the world, as that demonstrated by
the letter of the distinguished military
engineer which we have quoted The
difference between this route and outlet,
so protected from the interior to the ocean,
we particularly address to our friends
the grangers. When cortrasted with that
of the lakes and the st. Lawrence, for
hundreds of miles under the guns and
within the jurisdiction of foreign gov
the Importance of the Missis-
5ippi route, in war as well as in peace,
will be apparent to them. In this new
and impressive view the ship owner of the
East and the producer of the West are
alike interested. The insurance offices
md the marine values insured against |
damage by war or storms will see an in
cidental importance in the work scarcely
to the economy of transporta-
ion itself.
The Importance of this view can not be
impressed and diffused, and
We would address suggestion to the press
Of New Orleans TO bring it before the
Committee Of Transportation and the
leaders of those papers who are likely to
have influence in presenting to the Sen
tie committee all the advantages, COM
nercial marine and military, of the Fort
st. Philip canal.
We are much pleased with the zeal with
which General Beauregard adverts to the