New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-30
A PERPLEXiNG QUESTION.
Which is Preferable, to Close BOnne
Carre Crcvasse, or Leave 1t Open:

EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
Several apparent advantages seem to
Indicate the latter course This is the fifth
crevasse since 1911 inclusively-lSl4,
1880, 1858, 1871 and 1874 OF these
five crevasses three have occurred within
the space Of half mile-lsi4, 1858 and
ls74-and strange to say, each of these, and
especially the last one (still OPEN, has
heaved up large quantities of shells; the
shells actually covering an area OF twenty
or twenty-five acres, in some places eight
cen and twenty inches deep; where as, the
other two crevasses-lSl9-50 and ISL
though only mile above, did not show
any signs of shells. What would this indi-
cate! A communication of some kind with
the lake, or more probably, an old shell
bank, dating pack to the early form alton OF
Lower louisiana.
Five crevasses in thirty years would lndi-
cate that the river means to have Its way
through. An outlet to the lake would
relieve all the lower coast and over l25
miles of levees on both sides, and there
would be no more fear of the city getting
under water from excessive rises IN the
river Of course contrary winds would
have to be guarded against on the lake
shore This would necessitate proper
attention to the levees there.
1t is a remarkable fact that the river
bank only caves in after the fall OF the high
waters, and that, generally, only when the
rise has been excessive and the current
great; hence the outlet, by reducing the
river below, diminishes the current, from
which follows a lesser number of cavings
in, and obviates the necessity of new levee
building and repairing.
1t is also true that the greater the current
the greater the deposit Immediately behind
it; hence relieving the river of its excess
of water, and diminishing the current t, may
have some influence on the bars at the
mouth of the river.
An outlet is not cutoff. The latter re-
duces the water in the old channel to a
dead current, hence deposits and gradual
filling UP; whereas the outlet only relieves
the river of its excess of water, diminishes
the current, but does not destroy it entirely.
The theory of the channel filling up is alb
surd.
On the other hand, the divided current
going through the lake would probably
create channel, facilitating navigation
and probably reduce distance in direct com
munication with the gulf. The Rigolets
would most likely have to be enlarged.
The levee which gave way in 1874 was
barely ten feet high, whereas a now levee
necessary to close the gap would have to
be fully twenty-five feet high, owing to the
| gradual fall from the river bank to the
lake-a distance of about three miles
This fall suddenly stops at the edge OF the
swamp, which, owing to the deposits OF the
| five consecutive crevasses, Is, IN some
places, ten, twelve and even fifteen feet
| higher than the open space IN 1ront-a
| great saving in the construc ton OF wing
| levees from the river to the lake. The
swamp, to the lake, is of cypress and ash
| which allows of solid and substantial levee!
being built.
| These levees, though costly, will certainl,
cost less than the rebuilding OF the levee
since 1874 in this section, aside from the i'm
mense damage done by each crevasse to tn
neighboring planters, many of whom hav
been completely ruined.
| With an outlet to the lake the jackson
| railroad would have to build bridge o
trestle work across the opening. Far bel
| ter that than continual Interruptions AM
repairs.
| Another very important point must no
be overlooked. The new levee to be bull
if built according to the stakes by tn
engineers, is nearly in . V shape, none o
the best to resist pressure, especially Of
volume Of water twenty-five feet deep
almost immedistely opposite the curren