New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-31
A coETRovERsIAL ERUPTION,

CONTROVERSIAL ERUPTION, =.
The position of the New Orleans pres
! is this: The commercial authorities of th,
city have chosen to present a special mod'
of improving the river outlet. This ha!
. been done upon an extended comparison
: Of every other mode. It has been deemed
proper to abide by this mode, and not te
reopen discussion which bat strengthens
our opponents and divides our friends. II
is great misfortune that at the moment
we considered the question closed, New
Orleans should be forced into discus
sion by civil engineers as to whether she
had made right choice OF mode or not.
It was with the purpose of maintaining this
undoubted unity and REFRESHING the intro
duction Of any other scheme until the
canal had been tried, that we noticed the
letter Of Pro fessor Fontaine, pub
lished in Memphis paper. This plan
claims nothing original, comedies that it
has similar object with that of Mr.. Eads,
and this superadds to the single issue be-
tween the canal and jetty subordinate
controversy of modes of jettying. At no
other time would We have admitted to the
| counter scheme Of Mr. Fontaine, except
that now it comes to divide and perplex
the action which the commercial interests
Of New Orleans have chosen, and upon
which the vote OF Louisiana in Congress
is believed to be unit.
And now, when we seek to suppress this
domestic disputation, comes Professor
Fontaine with long communication, |
which he asks US ''magnanimously" to |
publish. The publication of any paper |
complicating an argument which is in
progress before the congressional commit
tee would produce exactly the effect which
we deprecate. We therefore decline the
publication of this essay, but will state
the position taken by it's writer, lest any
injustice should be inadvertently done
him by our article with our readers.
We therefore give this synopsis:
l. Professor Fontaine is not the agent
Of any patentee, nor contractor, and has
no desire to be connected with any con-
tract.
2. Attributes to US statements of the
Of the Academy Of Sciences
md merchants, which we quoted from his
etter.
g. Charges the Chamber Of Commerce c
With having advocated the st. Philip t
anal through fear that it would "inter-
ere with the success Of the Noyes canal
nd the dredge operations Of the Es-
ayons." =
[NoTE.-The capacity of this professor :,
or seeing into the motives for rejecting ::
is plans is wonderful :,
4 Repeats that General McAlester made "
lventions on the Essayons for which he y
ad obtained patent. Acquits General =
and General McAlester of any :,
her than honorable motives in preferring -
.edges to any other mode Of improve g
ent. "
5. Asks US to announce that "all the -
angers of the West are in favor of his 4"
an, and Chicago not opposed to it, }" and :.
at the 'plan elaborated by him pleases ~
ore than million of grangers and the a.
5hteen millions of people they repre- y. y.
nt." We respectfully inquire what Eads w
II say to this. Va
g. Attrib utes to US mistaken descrip- an
n Of his plan. We had understood it u'
be line of caissons filed with stone ei'
be employed in concentrating the cur his
It, Explains that he 'happened to -
Commend the patented latticed caissons -
Lieutenant Manico, of the British navy, nc
the best materials used in Europe for lea
h works as the Bonnhouse breakwater ues
the foundation of the lighthouse on Jur
Goodwin Sands, and made some i'm Ga
on his invention" tor
. Is willing to debate the question with n"s
Chamber of Commerce in any public FER
|. the
inch we suhnit as q statement of oil CHI
points made in this communication, ora
ch are at all material to the vindica- AS
l Of Mr.. Fontaine. 1t acquits him tloi
e Of the agency and Of the invention nea
Manicos patent lattice caissons and tAe1
sents him merely as commercial pro
lanthropist, desiring to secure for all j.
myers and others better outlet facili- poA
than those projected by the mer- a'os
nts Of New Orleans. We take pleasure ana
recording our entire appreciation Of one
personal character of Professor Fon- hoa
e, and occord to him all the disinter- 10"
d patriotism and scientific skill appar- 10 {
from his communication. aitn
hat We need now is harmony, not dis anu
Ition. 1t is unreasonable to expect slde
eminent board which reported in favor MN
he canal, to submit to the veto of Gen.
Barnard, or the public to abandon a Ao@
that has been surveyed for one i'm in'e
ed from Europe, and as yet is only in "o0
hands of the draughtsman. We there su'c
abide by the plan of the merchants AZ"
shippers, and decline to encourage cane
eruption of controversy on the sub anu
in our crowded columns. Day
The
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