New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-26

| w. G. ELLIOT.
P. LANDRY,
| JOHN X. SMART.
| Oprcz BOARD OF Stair EysINRsRs,s
| New orleans February 10, 1874. i
| Hon. W. Kern. Chairman of Committee on Drain.
age and Canals, House Of Representatives
In compliance with the resolution Of the
House of Representatives., transmitted tOime
a few days since, directing the Chief State
Engineer to examine tho condition Of the
New canal and make such measurements of
work done by the present lessee, and report
to the Committee on Canals and Drainage
of the House whether the contract made by
the lessee with the State has been complied
with, l would report as follows:
Since have occupied the position of CHIEF
State Engineer, l have repeatedly passed
over and along the New canal, and observed
the men and dredges at work, and the man
ner Of disposing of the material. l made
at these times such observations and meas.
urements as l deemed it my duty to maxi,
under the general provisions of the law es
tablishing the State Engineers Office, and
giving to the board a general supervision Of
all public works.
During the prosecution of the work o!
widening and deepening, everything was
done satisfactorily, and a number of months
ago the work was considered completed. !
made no full instrumental examination OF
levels to connect with the "Hampson bench
mark" in CarrolltOn, which has b6p
adopted by the United States engineers asa
standard, and afterward connected this
line of levels with the city gauge near the
Magnolia street bridge, and found that
mean tide in Lake Pentchartrain is at the
reading of 4.6l on that gauge. 1t will be
found in the report of Generals Humphreys
and Abbot, United States engineers, in ap-
pendix B, page ffty-six, that the Oscilla-
lions of the regular tide of Lake Pom tchar-
train is only fOur-tenths, therefore a read
ing of 4Sl on the city gauge at Magnolia
street would indicate low tide, and a read
ing Of AL would indicate high tide. Il
should here remark that the readings of the
gauges and grade lines in New Orleans
should have the minus sign before them, as
they measure downward from plane as
sumed above the Metairie ridge). But it ia
well known that there is huctuation in
the lake, occasioned by the winds, of very
much more, especially at storm periods.
These extremes of high and low water, Oc-
casioned by the winds, can have no bearing
on the contract for deepening the canal.
With these facts before me have pro-
ceeded to carefully sound the depth and
measure the width of the canal with the
following results:
The city gauge was reading $50, or
Observation-Disclosures above mean tide, or
hrty-one-hundredths sabove low tide (call
this four inches). l proceeded in q skih
through the canal, from Magnolia bridge to
the lake, and sounded with pole, at close
find a single place in the main channel
where the sounding was less than eight
feet. and the sOundings were generallv rang
ing at eight feet four inches, eight feet
six inches and up to nine feet in
depth. In the small side basins the sound
ings showed less depth of water. which
may have been occasiOned by the deposit
canal, as the passing sup and down Of
vessels, particularly of steamers, would
throw this floating sediment into the basins.
As to the width of the canal, found at
no point at the named stage of water, less
than 100 feet in width. except at the bridges,
and one point near Miro street, where there
is wood work ON each side, and here, for
only a few feet (say ten or twelve), the canal
is but eighty-six feet wide; and at another
point at Metairie ridge. opposite the grave
yards, where the piled up dirt has slougheh
into the canal. This piled up material had
been partially. and was being moved away
to raise the Firemen's and Metairie Gene
teries, and the caved banks will soon be
l find that the side basins have been dug
at the following points of full width and
length, but rs aforementioned, some are
not. at the present time, to full depth:
At Claiborne street there is one of 900 feet;
at johnson and Prieur streets there ia one
Of 200 feet: at Galvez and Miro streets
there are three of 600 feet; at Gayose and
SalcedO streets there are two of 400 feet at
Clark and GenOis streets there are two of
400 feet: At toll gate there is one of 900
feet; at bend in canal there is one of 900
feet; at point between bend and lake there
hncyv Of 81
at lake end there are four basins of 800 feet
1t should be remembered that the Mel
pomene street draining machine continues
20 send It's waters into this canal, as did the
Carrollton avenue draining machine for
some time after the work On this section of
he canal was completed. The deposit oc-
'asloned by this drainage into the canal OF
large portion of the upper part of the city,
and the natural sloughing and waste
brown constantly into the canal, would
evidently change the cross section in some
1egree, but the rate of this filling time and
requent measurements can only determine,
In view OF the preceding facts l do not
hesitate to say that the present condition of
ne canal is in fair working order within
ne range OF the tide proper, or agreeably
% the middle ground and bars in the lake.
md that the work was faithfully performed
IND completed at the time, according to the
of the contract and under the
aw.
l would here remark that the action OF
he winds and waves on the sands of the
axe bottom causes a continual filing ND of
he channel near and at the mouth of the
anal, where the channel has been. by artis
icial means, made deeper than the bottom
# the lake, and requires frequent removal
II this deposit by the dredge boats. For
hree or four months of each wear the
lredge boats are employed for this purpose.
nd measurements of depth of water taken
.fter storm will vary considerably from
hose taken before the storm, and these
measurements would vary still more if
aken before or after these periodical deep
nlngs. Though the resolution of the House
u Representatives does not contemplate
my recommendation on the part of the
'tate Engi neer as to further Improvement
a the canal, l would respectfully suggest
hao the lessee be required to continue the
etties on each side of the canal still further
ut into The lake, say distance of four or
I'VE hundred feet, or until depth of water
ully nine feet is obtained, without artificial
leepenlng. All of which is respectfully
L have the honor to be, yours, most re-
pectfully,
NJ. JEFF THOMPSON,
Chief State Engineer.
Which was adopted.
MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.
STATE OF LoursrAEA
Executive Department