New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-01
Senate Transportation Committee.

yesterday at IL M.
Present-Senator Window. chairman, and
Senators Sherman, West, Davis and Con
| Over.-
The first witness summoned was General
Cyrus Bussey, who testified as to the charges
on cotton at this port for drayage, com.
pressing, warehousing, etc.
! The committee then entered on the exam.
ination of the result of the refusal of the
deputy collector of this port to allow Mr..
Weeks to use his warehouse as bonded
warehouse, Judge Kennard conducting the
| examination.
The first witness was Captain A. X.
! Miller, who testified as to the general prac-
| tice in other cities, the value Of merchants
having warehouses under certain privileges
ard the general desire of the merchants tor
! the establishment of such warehouses.
Mr.. Weeks was recalled to answer a few
| questions of minor Importance.
Mr.. P. =. Herwig, deputy collector of the
port of New Orleans, was then called. He
showed that the refusal Of Captain Weeks
was in consequence of the wording OF the
law, which left no discretion. The applica-
| ton had gone to Washing gton with his ap.
proval. He desired to afford Captain
Weeks and all merchants of New Orleans
| every facility for the advantage Of COM
merce. When an entry was made and the
importer desired to send his goods to any
warehouse that was his privilege, and the
collector had no discretion in the matter.
He detailed the manner Of doing business
In such cases. III answer to Senator West,
he showed. that the mode Of conducting
business was that Of the customhouse IN
New York, which had been approved of by
the Secretary Of the Treasury. 1t was an
injury to put goods on the wharf to remain
there because of the delay steamships
would receive.
The subject, although connected to it, was
not considered as having direct relation to
that of transportation, and, having bu: lit
tie further time was dropped.
Colonel E. D. Frost was called to testify
as to the rates Of railroad transportation
compared with that of the Mississippi river
He said they were about sixty-six and two
thirds per cent. He assigned as q reason
why more Western products did not come
to New Orleans, the difficulty of getting
them away again. 1t would be much more
easy TO build railroad from New Orleans
to the canal than it was to build forty miles
from this city on the jackson road
General Beauregard was then called. He,
in answer to Senator Window, said as a
means Of military defense the construction
of the Fort st. Philip canal would have
this effect. The forts are thirty miles from
the mouth of the river, and at present there
is no refuge for vessels after an enemy has
crossed the bar. If the canal were CON
structed, a fort at Breton island. which
offers favorable inducements for it's con-
structlon, and the guns of Fort St. Philip,
which would command the other end, would
be sufficient protection. No vessel belong
ing to an enemy, drawing over eighteen feet,
could come up the river. In case of war
the draft of water at the bar would be
reduced. With the enemy's war vessels on
the outside the dredging would cease. The
canal could be easily kept at depth of
twenty-five feet. No port of the world had
a haroor Of such safe refuge as the Missis.
sippi river, with such q protection. There
would then be no need Of works at Pensa-
cola. A naval construction depot could be
established here at less expense and the
government could save the sums expended
at Pensacola by employing them on the
canal. A country like the United States
should not lose sight Of this advantage.
There are no engineering difficulties that
can not be easily overcome. The difference
between the canal and the present method
of improving the mouth of the river are
that large sums are now annually expended
for the latter and the canal would cost
very little to keep in order after it was built.
To Senator Sherman he said it was very
easy to overcome the difficulties in the way
of building the foundation Of the proposed
locks. 1t was necessary to understand the
compressibility of the soil. He compared
the foundation of the Custom house, built
first Of timber, and afterwards overlaid
with concrete, with that necessary for the
locks. There must be Sufficient base for
such foundation. 1t was entirely mat
ter of calculation, and there was no obsta-
Gle that could not be overcome. He de.
tailed the soundings and experiments neces-
sary to obtain the information for making
the calculations to indicate the resistance
to be established against the settlement of
such buildings. The Suez canal might be
work of similar character;
The sand there was more difficult to over.
come than the alluvial soil here. The natu-
ral deposits in the water of the canal would |
be principally deposited in the lateral |
basins. The canal must be dug in water, |
% avoid the danger of the caving in of the |
walls. This was an enterprise of such mag
,itude that it ought not to be made on a
minimum scale
To Senator West he said the proportion
# the weight of the walls of tie Custom
louse and the locks was in favor of the
after. He could not express an opinion OF
he forts without having the plans. The
'asins could be made of any length.
To Senator Davis he said it was fair to
presume that if the forts remained without
ettling, which was the fact, the locks
would do the same. All our soil is pretty
iear homogeneous. Timber used for foun-
lations, if kept from contact with the air,
would remain perfect indefinitely. In
making repairs at Fort ST. Philip in 1853 he
ound timber placed there by the Spanish
ngineers, cut green, With the sap in it,
which was still perfectly sound.
To question from Senator Sherman, he
eplied that in regard to cheap transporta-
ion the advantage was in favor of large |