New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-16
SHALL OUR RIVER BE DAMMED7

Is our outlet have attracted the attention
= the planting interests The two enginee,
who have been most intimately connecte
" with the levees and outlet Of the Missis
sippi appeal to Congress over their pre-
fesslonal signatures against the insan
proposal to obstruct the outflow of rive
now bursting its banks at hundre'
e points. These engineers describe tn
dangers which threaten our whole coun
try and city They say: every additional
inch of water counts in weight against tn
brimful levees. They ask Congress:
= Would you, can yon, at such momen
contemplate or tolerate the half insane
proposition of strangers, who know nothing
. | Of the habits of our inexOrable enemy, tC
dam up his waters at the mouth by jetties
or win gdams, that must inevitably send
back the waters to the very city of New
Orleans and complete the impending de.
| structiOn.
And add that this result is assured,
according to their lifelong experience and
observation"
That these. are not imaginary fears are
shown by the following. The New Orleans
Times of yesterday says:
Our attention has been called to the COM
plants of planters on the coast. whose es-
tates are threatened with inundation by
every passing steamer.
It adds:
The Robert 4. Lee, on her down trip. it
| is alleged on good authority, threw the
water two feet over the top of the levee and
Id tl,Av
water.
Even the Picaytne. which affects to
treat the danger of the Eads dam as triy-
ial, is compelled to give the caution which
| follows:
As the river is now at It's height, and the
waves from passing steamboat dash com
pietely over the bank and add much to the
| danger of the lavees, it is suggested that all
the steamers keep as near the middle Of the
river as possible SO as to lessen this danger.
Here is testimony to prove tie truth of
the remark, ''every additional inch of
water counts in weight against the brim.
full levees' The Picaytne even requests
the steamers to 'keep as near the middle |
of the river as possible Even to make |
a landing may imperil the crop. Engi-
neers Forshey and Hebert have been
chosen to represent the Chamber of Com
merce. They therefore treat this question
not solely as scientific disquisition.
They make the distinct point that while
the river is way of commerce to the UP.
land Sta ties, its banks are the home of the
vllav ,far oV,I g l
While the citizen of st. Louis only en-
ploys the river as the medium of pleasant
travel to the women and children of
his household, the citizen of Louisiana
reposes all that is most dear behind
the frail protection of a hillock that shuts
out the memorable waters. II the St. Louis
Democrat would send special reporter to
view whole people standing guard night
and day, with the fugitives gathering their ;
cattle and children to fly beyond the
ravages of the food, as if in time of war
some conjunction would surely come over
/ breast not wholly delivered over to a
compact with monopoly.
Turning from an appeal to sympathy,
We ask Ohio, Illinois and Missouri if they 6
wish the sugar crop destroyed? The
of those States know that there c
5 in this city and the surrounding planta- q
ions an annual demand for one million bar c
els -four, with corresponding quantity of t
ork, bacon, lard and whisky The chief 6
of planting implements is in i,
hese States. 8
Does New England wish the destruction d
three hundred thousand bales of cotton, b
r does New York desire that forty or fifty ii
lillions of specie and specie exchange i,
,all be annihilated? n
These results are general, and show 81
'mmon interest throughout the Union "
the specie products Of Louisiana. We a
k if it is either just or generous to sub "
ct Louisiana to special damage to Sc &C
Ire common benefit? We can even
y more. Louisiana can send her pro- L
lets up the river or out of its mouth, as la
now is. One million five hundred re
ousand bales Of cotton are now received tn
d exported here. The Increased depth of as
river is asked, that the Jmh; qrain trade tn
the West nag be accommodated. Louis TO
Ia is less interested in this deepened OF
tlet than others. Her commercial city pu
rives its chief support from the crops
Louisiana. Why then should Louisi- AL
! be dealt with as penal colony,
ose feelings and interests have neither the
or protection? Is she not AM
State? And if so, has she not rights? NIL
e planters and merchants of Lousi- OF
. should petition Congress to spare son
N this cruel and visionary experiment var
,sibly some other means may be l
pied which will give commerce to the mes
st, without ''destroying"-we quote In
words of Engineers Forshey and mai
oert-''us, and that without remedy" OF
is indeed worthy of consultation woi
ether our planters and merchants have moi
rights in the premises which the z
rts of the. United States viii protect. cee'
is proposed to erect dam across a a q
am, the effect of which will be to in nine
irreparable damage-damage which at ?
not be compensated by the verdict of city
ury impanneled to ascertain the nole
mt, court of equity may inter- "
= to inhibit and restrain the work. cree
lch a remedy lie in the affair of a CON- sma