New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-03
Relative to Streets and Landings,

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street, is in a most disgusting condition.
The approaches leading to the landing are
mere bog holes. The shipping moored at
the First District wharves have the most
circumscribed limits in which to load or
unload. There are at present laying at the
wharves of the First District about thirty
vessels, registering in the aggregate over
$4,000 tons, and capable of floating 100, 900
bales of cotton. The value of the vessels
is estimated at $2.OOO,000. The disburse.
nents of this mercantile fotilla must be
immense, and the commercial value of such
an array of shipping is SO vast to New Or
leans as to render the fulfllment of their
needs and requirements merely an act of
simple business investment and common
justice.
1t appears that for over year the city
carts have been daily dumping garbage
and street refuse upon grounds Immediately
fronting the shipping. The sepage and
drainage from such a mass of decay ing
matter is in the highest degree unhealthy.
The efiuvia arising from this mass of cor
III,
but in the summer season the stencil is ab-
solutely insupportable. So great is the
nuisance that ships are frequently trans
ferred to other wharves by their captains
and owners rather than allow their crews
to be subjected to the evil effects OF the
sickening, revolving malarial atmosphere.
Business men and residents in that vicini-
ty complain bitterly Of the above mentioned
state of affairs. They assert, and with
reason, that the shipping interest and it's
attendant trade is being driven from the
First District. 1t is stated, on good author
ity, that for nearly three years there has
been no work done by the city in the way
OF improvement or repairs to the streets
and landings of the First District. u
The convenience, the prosperity, and the
health even of the citizens of that quarter
demand that something should be DONE
and that speedily. 1t is a crying shame
that large ships, capable Of carrying four to
five thousand bales, should be forced to Law
at strip of a wharf that is bu1aened on all
sides by cesspools and heaps of garbage
"" ossAAA0Ay 6AOOAuo tAI5 buOulU DO looked
into by the Board of Health Then the ap-
proaches to the wharf are in a vile condi.
ton. The roads-or mud holes, called by
courtesy roads-are scarcely wide enough
o.admit the passage of a good-sized cotton
wagon. This is matter that should chal-
lenge the immediate attention of the Cham
Der of Commerce.
And now let us suggest a remedy for this
miserable state of affairs: First, of course,
stop dumping garbage and offal along the
line OF the levee; next, utilize the vast
quantities Of ballast that are piled along
the landing by heaving it into the mud
holes and filling up the cess-pools. This
ballast can be had very cheap. Indeed, the
parties who own it should be required to
move it or forfeit it. The ballast is there
at hand in suitable quantities for the pur-
poses, and it looks like wantonness on
the part of the authorities to allow SO ex-
cellent an opportunity of putting our prin.
cipal wharves in order to escape For bal
last to remain beyond a certain time on the |
levees is in violation of the city ordinances,
and the officers of the city are required to |
cause iC to be removed. Let it be moved !
md utilized. Every body will be benefited |
md no law abiding citizen wronged.