New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-16
THE CREVASsES.
An Inspection Trip Down the River-Ter.
r1t!e Accideut-A Tugb0at Capsizes and
Thirteen Lives Lost,

r1b!e Accidental Tug gbOat Ca DsiZes an
Thirteen Lives Lost.
General Thompson, State engineer, al
, companied by General Lcngstreet, Con
} missioner of engineers, Colonel Wro.nowsk
assistant State engineer, and John G. Long
street. civil engineer, took passage on tn
neat and feet steamer Mary Ida, Captain
Ruiz, yesterday morning about ten O'Clock
ior the purpose Of making an inspection @
tie creyasses at Bellechasse. on the righ
bank, and Greenwood, on the left bank o
the Mississippi. The boat arrived at tn
Bellschasse crevasse abou: twelve an,
found the work Of closing the crevasse pro
crossing under the direction Of Captain NJ
| w. Uart0n. There were about $50 men a
work here. The gap to be closed is abou
80 fee: wide, and the water has washed
Oat to the depth Of fifteen feet. The engi
neecs estimated that The water was runnins
through the gap a. 1he rate Of SIX miles al
hour and about forty million cutie feet pel
hour. The prospect FOR closing the Belle
chasse cTevasse is good. # the money il
furnished promptly 10 do tie work. Con
sidering the interests involved in permitting
this crevasse TO remain open, it is importan,
that j: should be closed as soon as possible
While tie boat was lying a. Bellechasse
plantation an accident occurred which had
the effect to demOralze the hands working
on the crevasse, and will undoubtedly cause
some delay in the work. The tug Rich.
ards, belonging to Mr.. L. J. Highly, of thi.
city, proprietor Of the grain elevator. and
commanded by Captain A. Joachim, cap.
sized and sunk just below where the work
on the crevasse was being done. By this
accident thirteen men were drowned. The
following are the eir names, as far as could
be ascer:ained: Harrison Taylor, John VIII
liams, William Russell, Ben -, Sam Scott,
Alfred kawel, William Hail and Rene
Jayne. Besides these there were three col.
| Ored men and one white man lost, whose
| names could not be ascer:ained. The white
man was relative Of Captain Jeanfrau,
and was in business with hin in the parish
Of PlaGuemines. The fireman Of the tug
was also lost. His name was Edward
Caters. He was colcred man and has
family living on TOledano street. The three
colOred men whose names could not be as
certained belonged TO the Baker plantation,
located four or five miles above the Gre
vase. The only persons saved were Cap
tain Joachim, James Whitesides, the engi-
neer. and colored man. Mr.. D. A. Chat
fraix was on the point Of boarding the boat
when she sunk. thus having narrow es-
cape.
The sinking Of the boa. was so sudden
that it Was impossible 10 render any assist.
ance.
After The acciden: :he Mary Ida pro-
ceeded down to the crevasse a: the Green
wood plantation. Here the work was found
progressing with great energy and system,
leaving not doubt but that the crevasse
would be closed by next Monday. The
crevasse here is about l60 feet wide. with a
depth not greater than three feet. The
whole work is under the management of
that skillfal and indetatigable planter. John
Dynond, assisted by Captain S. w. Sawyer,
the champion crevasse closer. Mr.. Ned
Smith. one Of the most experienced sugar
planters in Louisiana, who manages labor
with wonderful skill and effect, Mr.. A. V.
Brady, chef quartermaster and commits.
sary on the work, and the cheerful, hopeful
and energetic II. P. Kernochan, who is also
a we'll known planter on the coast.
The prompt action of Mr.. Thomas H. Mil
Ter, of the firm Of j. w. Burbridge Il Co,
of this city, in forwarding lumber, sacks
and supplies, has been of great service,
and is IN keeping with his well known ad-
ministrative abilities. There is another
gentleman who is deserving of mention in
this connection, and that is Captain r. D.
Mitchell. He has, we understand, been of |
much service on the work, without having
any interest beyond tha. taken for his
friends. The labOrers on both of these |
works deserve great deal OF credit for the |
manner in which they work, enduring much
and laboring late and early with
out a murmur.
1t is estimated that about 300 acres of
growing cane, the finest in the State, will
De lost II this crevasse is not stopped. The
'ane is growing on the following planta-
ions: The Belle Air, the Woodlawn, the
'airvlew and the Fanny, belonging to John
Oymond; the Union, belonging to j. w.
5urbridge Il Co.. the Linwood, belonging
o 5. w. Sawyer; the Scarsdale, belonging
0 ID. +. kernochan, and the Catherine, be- |
onging to 5. Horner Il Son.
The crevasse at the Bellechasse plan.a-
ion overtows about 800 acres of cane.
The boat left the Bellechasse planta ton,
m ha ns% b., ~ |
clock.
On the way up, Mr.. Fasnacht. the owner
+ the Orange Grove plantation, discovered
Ieneral Thompson on the boat as she was
asslng by, and was very emphatic in his
lnguage to that gentleman in regard to the
respect Of a break in the levee fronting
is plantation. Mr.. Fasnacht urged upon
eneral Thompson the necessity of for
arding lumber and other material needed
strengthen the levee. In consequence of
hat Mr.. Fasnacht had to say, Generals =
ongstreet and Thompson stopped at Terre- =
l-Beuf station and examined the Car. q
arveon levee, on Mr.. Fasnacht's place. q
hey found the levee too low here and per-
rated with crawfsh holes. The engineers j
'omised TO send material 10 strengthen the N
wee at once. u
On the way up the boa. took on number
persons, among them Mr. E. H. Lombard
nd agent OF the Citizens Bank This A
ntleman was endeavoring 70 make his
az to the city on horseback, when be was
vited by General Thompson to take pas el
&c On the boat, the General assuring him u u
at he would reach the city much sooner
that way. Mr.. Lombard has been at the