The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-08-17
Drainage of New Orleans,


10 every citizen of New Orleans this ia
question of the greatest Importance. Their
is not the least doubt that the want of prope
drainage, not only of the city but of tn
swamps Immediately in its rear has been on
OF the principal causes of the terrible NOR
Ytallty here during the yellow fever epidemic
which have visited us, if it be not, as SOM
hold, the cause of the visitation itself. Opl,
a few days since, DR.. Newman, of the Board O
Health, reporting upon the unusual mortalit,
now prevailin g in the Third District, said
Upon consultation with the Oldest and most
| experienced medical practitioners of the Dis
trict, much light has been thrown upon the
| snhJect, as the result of years of labor and OBJ
| servatlon. l am confidently assured by them
mat when the winds blow in a northeastern
direction, sweeping across the lake and ada
cent swamp, invariably malarious feyers
abound, assuming in a large number of cases
the vlrulent form of mali gnant intermittent
Sarlously known as congestve or pernicious
fever.
Upon the subject of drainage, the Picayune
says:
The question of drainage will probably be
an open one in this city for some time to come.
The natural leSelness of the land and the
helght OF hlgh-water mark of the Mississippi
river and Lake Pontchartrain are Obstacles
in the way of an easy solution of the dificnl-
ties. But notwithstanding these natural bar
riers, mach has been done in the work of re.
claiming the swamp land in our snbuIb BIS
From an old file OF a paper published in this
city in 1910, we marked an account of the
drowning OF a ftatboatman in the swamp and
mIre, at place in the neighborhood of the
spot where Leeds Foundry now stands The
man was endeavoring to make his way along
IN the dark ON wooden walk, when he fell
into the water and lost his life. 1t seems
hardly possible that ST CHI should have been the
condition of orr suburbs at that time, and it
serves the better to illustrate what has been
accomplished by tho work of reclamation.
Mahy OK our old citizens can remem Der when
there were comparatively few houses above
Julla street, and it is but within the last few
years that building has been commenced in
the far rear of tie municipal limits.
When the levees now in process Of construc-
ton around the city have been completed, and
the intended machinery built, there is every
probability that at least those noisome canals
which offend the sight 80 much, will be clean
sed. and the atmosphere purified by tie rapid
removal of the organic matter, which Of neces-
sity accumulates in those drains
1t is of vital Importance to the community
that this work should be finished, for with the
improved facilities most causes of complaint
against our present BY stem will be DESTROYED
or obviated. Those of the medical profession
who have devoted much time to the sanitary
statistics of New Orleans and the relation or
drainage to the health, have expressed the
opinion that, with a perfect mode of relieving
our streets and cutters of the refuse of the
inhabitants, New Orlelns would always be,
what She is this summer, most healthy city.
Without machines of great capacity in the
rear 1t is not possible to create current in
the branching canals sufficiently strong to
carry off the water before decumpos ton OF the
organic matter it contains has commenced
butlf this rapid passage is effected, it would
seem that there could be no chance for nlalartal
gases to escape within the limits, or at least
III dangerous quantities.
That our city authorities are alive TO the i'm
portance of a complete and effective system of
drainage, is evidenced by tho work already
commenced and now being pushed forward to
completion. The Herald gives the following
details concerning the work:
Probably not fifty people in the city of New
Orleans have any accurate idea of the pro-
grcss that has been made in the matter of car
rying ont the system of drainage adopted IN
1871. There is a general, but very confused
idea that something is going on, and that
dredge boats at work somew bere, but 1t is
hardly too much to say that the operations of
tue Russian army in khiva are more thorough.
~ understood than the operations of the
Dredging Company in and around New Or
leans.
Even those who own carriages and drive out
on the various roads in the suburbs, though
they get glimpses of work in progress, h we
no definite idea of its extent, or of the pu pose
aimed at. Digging canals and making road
ways, Is u rather unprepossessin8 kind of bus
mess, and comparatively few people care to
witness the mouOtonOus plugging of the huge
bucket of an ugly dredge-b boat, or to see the
men employed begrlmed, they necessarily
are, with smoke aud mud.
Previous to 1871 the canals and sewers of the
city were entirely Inadequate to receive and
discharge the immense amount of surface wa
ter, and the consequences were of very's erl-
Gus character, especially to those who inhabit-
ed what Is knOu'n tue overflow district.
The plan which was adopted to more effect
nally drain the city and protect it from over
flow, both from the river and lake, provided
for the construction of leVee wall y
around it, commencing at point just above
Hickok's Hotel, IN CarrO1tUoD, aud running
thence by an almost straight line to the lake,