New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-22

captain United States engineers. 1t was
so full and minute that its estimates O
construction might be used to-day. Con
gress took no action upon it.
THE BLOCKADE OF 1859.
1t was when the heavy products of the
West and South first began to assume
their subsequent proportions that New
| Orleans was alarmed by the blockade Of
ffty-fve ships at the two passes. One
ship drawing nineteen feet had been
aground sixty days at Pascal Outre; two
others, drawing sixteen and half and
seventeen feet respectively, also INSTRUCTED
| this outlet. The Southwest Pass was also
closed by three grounded ships. The
value Of the cargoes of this blockaded
fleet, even at the low prices of that period,
was 81, 367, 339. The financial and COM
mercial consequences of such al embargo
naturally excited the factors, bankers and
shippers Of New Orleans. The Chamber
of Commerce sent committee, composed
of responsible men, some Of whom
still deserve and ENJOY the respect Of their
fellow-citizens. This committee was COM
posed of Messrs. W. Creevy, Wibray, J.
3. Morrison, G. A. Fosdick and Skipwith.
The Chamber of Commerce received their
report, appealed to the State Legislature
and to Congress and appointed COM
mittee to go to Washington. The Com
mittee on Commerce and Manufactures of
the State Legislature reported, March,
1859, on 'the condition of the bar at the
mouth at the mouth of the Mississippi"
and especially to ''the enormous amounts
of appropriations from the federal gov
eminent which have been expended in at
tempts to remove the distractions, with
out any benefit whatever"
This refers to the attempt to open the
navigation in 1889 by bucket drag, at
the close Of which experiment, in one
night Of storm twice as much mud was
replaced in the channel of Southwest
Pass as had been removed in a season;
the contract of the towboat company,
which was unsatisfactory; and the at
tempt in 1885, under the direction of
United States engineers, to concentrate
the current by closing all the passes ex-
cept two, and the construction of oblique |
dykes; the Improvement of the navi-
gable channel by blasting the mud with |
gun powder. The merchants of that |
period were convinced that the river out
let's were unmanageable by any artificial
means. They turned again to the canal,
but as Congress had not favored that
work, the merchants determined to re-
sumo the construction of the canal as
. joint stock and toll company, DEEM
ng it better even to tax commerce
or its use, than leave it to the
rremediable obstruction of the passes
The following officers, on behalf of the
insurance companies, subscribed to the
expense Of private and preliminary sur
Tey of the canal route and gulf soundings:
John Pemberton, president Merchants
Insurance Company; T. A. Adams, for
crescent Insurance Company; Charles
Briggs for Louisiana Insurance Company;
James Edwards, for Sun Insurance Com
oany; John Tuyes, for Orleans Insurance
Company; E. Ganucheau, for Louisiana
State Insurance Company; o. Gaillard
or Citizens Insurance Company; H. Pey-
'haud, for Hope Insurance Company; J.
u. Lapeyre, for Louisiana State Bank; A.
and others, merchants and
actors. This private survey, based on
he studies Of Chase, Buisson, and other
Engineers and photographers in the SER
ice of Great Britain and the United
states was favorable. 1t was Endorsed by
he Board of Underwriters of New Or.
cans, and by the Chamber of Commerce.
This was on the twenty-seventh of
Iarch, 1857 1t is possible that the
ivil war alone prevented the execution
f this work. To this experience has
een added that Of the dredge experiment
ince the war. With two blockades with u
n the last two years, rendered even more
ormidable than formerly by the i'm
'roved means of transportation between
he Mississippi valley and the eastern