New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-17
Continuation of the Inspection of the
Leyees.
DoSALDsoNvILLE, April l6, 1874.

DoSALDsoNvILLE, April l6, 1874.
When the Mary Ida returned to the city
Wednesday evening from her trip to the
crevasses in the parish of Plaquemines it
was understood that she would leave again
at twelve o'clock that night to continue the
investigation of the levees along the river
between New Orleans and Baton Rouge
and, indeed, as far up as Port Hudson.
In accordance with this understanding, a
representative of the REPUBLICAN was on
board promptly at the hour stated. He
found General Longstreet, commissioner of
engineers, on board, and shortly after Gen
eral NJ jeff Thompson, State Engineer, ac
companied by Colonel Wrotnowski, assist
ant State engineer, and John G. Long
street, attached to the engineering depart
ment, appeared. Jacob Hassinger, Esq a
member of the commission of persons,
shortly afterward came on board as one of
the inspection party. The boat did not
leave the wharf at the city until after one
o'clock. In the meantime DR.. Worrall and
a representative Of the Times came on
board, completing the party for the present
trip Of the Mary Ida
1t was about one o'clock on the morning
of the sixteenth instant when our neat
little craft cut loose from the Crescent City
and made its way quietly up the river.
After General Thompson and others had
given in their experience" cracked the
usual number OF jokes and the company
had taken ''night-cap" all around, all re-
tired to rest.
The first stopping point for the boa. was
understood to be the Bonnet Care Gre
vase, located about forty miles above the
city. on the same side of the river, in the
parish OF st. John the Baptist, near the line
dividing it from the parish of ST. Charles.
The morning OF the sixteenth Thursday
turned up any thing but pleasant. 1t was
gloomy at early dawn, made so by the dark
and threatening clouds, and shortly after
daylight had fully made its appearance it
commenced to rain and the big drops came
down in earnest, giving everything, above
and below. decidedly watery appearance
The Mississippi N the neighborhood of Bon
net Carre. and indeed all along the coast
oSo"SSA tAoU poAhu 0AN LILO CltS, pTcseuUS,
if possible, even more magnificent proper
tions than below the city, and in its broad
meanderings the river assumes an appear
ance that is well calculated to arouse the
energy and skill of man to stay its destruc-
tive prOpensities at this time. But this
must be confessed to be "a big Job" espe
ciaNy when it assumes, as it occasionally
does, one Of its swelling and tearing moods
The river is in one of it's capricious turns at
the present time. seemingly not caring
where its goes or who it hurts. p.
We reached the crevasse at Bonnet Care
about seven O'Clock, in the midst of such
pelting rain that the programme was
changed, in SO far that we did not stop
there on our way up, but continued our
course toward Baton Rouge.
We have passed through the rich par
ishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, st. John, ST.
James and Ascension, and found them all
threatened with the high water. and il
many places the people were working on
the levees in the midst Of a heavy rain
storm. 1t is impossible to imagine damper
state of things than exists all along the
route we are now travelling. We will stop
long enough at Donaldsonville to afford an
of mailing letters and obtain
ing papers from New Orleans of the six.
teenth, and will proceed from thence to
Baton Rouge, and if it is still raining when
we get there we will very likely continue to |
Port Hudson. On my return trip to New |
Orleans from there An inspection of the |
different crevasses will be made, and will |
write up the result in my next. when hope |
shall be able tC say positively the waters |
are falling. N. w. T.