The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-25
BUREAU OF wHARvES AND LANDINGS.
This bureau embraces wharves measuring as

Wharves at Posts Nos. "a, rs and 27........ 2I
| BY Euerman, under contract ............. 5Ot
New work. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 100
| New work was discontinued in May, when il
became evident the wharves would be leased.
Two gangs Of carpenters and laborers, one
above Canal street and one below, were constant
| ly engaged in making general repairs to sucf
wharves as did not require rebuilding, until July
l. when the entire force in this bureau was sus
pended.
The total amount OF lumber used on the
WnarVes was. ,!6t
Timber. Observation-Disclosures. SO SIS
The approac aches to the wharves were found tc
be distracted by ballast, slaves, etc., and fire..
quent protests and complaints were received
from shipping interests. The steamboat land
ings, near Canal street, were found in such bad
condition as to cause great damage to cargoes IN
discharging, and The sugar landing, below Gus
tomhouse street, was disgrace to our city. The
vast domestic sugar and molasses crop, arriving
at this port was, during lnclement weather, re-
CURED to be rolled through mud-hoes from six
inches to eighteen inches in depth, causing much
damage to the sale thereof, and much lnconve-
nience to samplers and dealers. The condition
of the levee caused owners of vessels to refuse
payment of wharf dues. This Department
caused the steamboat cotton landings to be
thoroughly resheiled and placed in good order.
The mud was entirely removed from the sugar
landing, and from six to eight inches Of rock bal
last Was used as a foundation; three inches of
gravel was placed over the ballast, and then COW
cred with the best quality OF lake shells each
layer or material war thoroughly rolled with .
four thousand pound iron roller.
There was used upon the sugar landipg and
steam oat landing 1920 tons OF ballast and gravel,
and upon the cotton and sugar landings 1866
barrels of lake and oyster shells.
The repairs and maintenance of three nuisance
wharves, and towing Of boats from Toledano
street, Fourth District. Robin street, First Dis
uict, Louisa street, Third District, has hereto
fore been charged in a budget as expenses of the
wharves and landings. In my opinion this was
wrong, as this service was In no way connected
with the commercial use Of 81 id wharves; how
ever the courts having enjoined all other parties
from co.tinuing the business, ana affirming the
sole right OF the New Orleans anitary and Elk.
cavatiug Company to continue the night soil
work, the Counc have accepted the offer Of said
company to keep the wharses in repair and pay
the expenses Of this SERVICE which relieves the
city Of the expense Of about ten thousand dol
lars per year.
GAZING LEvEEs AND BULKHEADs.
During; the nigh water OF February. March
and April, the Bureau Of Wharves and Landings
was called uoon frequently to build bukheads,
and prevent cavIng levees in the sixth District,
Algiers, Fourth District and Third District. Tn,
entire revetment along the levee, Sixth District,
wss renewed and strengthened. In the Fourth
District the levee at Sorapuru street caved badly
TO Within ten feet Of the houses, greatly en-
dangering the lives and property of citizens. A
woodwork bulkhead had formerly been construct
ed which failed to afford the required protection.
Under the advice and supervision Of City Sur
VeyOr Hardee, filing OF earth and rock ballast
was used in such manner as to completely
secure the object desired and to doubtless pre-
vent the necessity Ut large annual OUTLAWS heI etc.
lore required at this point. There was used at
he Sorapuru bulkhead $500 tons rock ballast and
1000 cubic yards of sand and earth.
In the Third District 2740 feet of bulkhead
work was constructed and the same filed in
" tn sawdust and earth securing the district
rom caving banks and overflow. The revet-
nent below Algiers WAS renewed and strength
sned for distance of about three miles. This
work properly devolved upon tbs Louisiana
Leyee Company; they failed or refused to do it,
md bills have been made against them for
s15. 39' q and placed in the hands Of the City
Attorney for collection.
The ballast complained Of by the shipping in
erest has been removed, and very little now OBJ |
'tructs the approaches to the wharves. Under |
authority of the Council the Department ar
'anged to purchase about all the ballast along |
he river front at the rate of sixty cents per ton,
md intended to permanently improve all the |
andings with ballast and gravel.
Owing to financial embarrassnents, rendering |
he city unable to meet the payments for said |
ballast large quantities were, by dire ion of the
JounciI, surrendered to the owners, and is now
,elng purchased for the jett1es. The city will |
doubtless never have another opportunity to |
procure such quantity OF good material so
heaply.
The expenditures from the budget for the Bu-
eau of Whafves and Landings for the seven |
months commencing December l, 1874, and end |
ng June 80, 1875 were as follows:
salaries and superintendent ........ 81 ,150 90 |
Nuisance whaiv.s. Observation-Disclosures. 4,501 66 |
Wages, cart service. Observation-Disclosures. 8OS IS |
Wages. repairing levees and bulkheads S,76l 90 |
Wages, carpenters and laborers on
WudTVcb b.lSO 54 |
hardware, spikes, tools, etc. ........ 1925 81 |
lumber, ballast and shells. ........... 10950 SO |
s44,636 rs
.ess amount charged LEU
i-iana Levee Company Sic, 391 81
.ess cost OF nuisance
wharves.. ............. 1913 Oh $40, 1874 %
otal cash expenditure for construc-
ton and r. pair. S25, SOP SO
There was issued in December wharf improve
lent bonds to the amount OF sl4, 900, in payment
)r Lumber contracted for by the former admin
tration.
BUREAU OF DRAINAGE.
There are four draining machines, viz: Dublin |
venue machine, Melpome ne machine, Bienville
lachlne, London Avenue machine.
The Dublin Avenue and London Avenue ma
hines are in comparatively good order. The
lenviile and Melp0mene machines require ex-
,nsive repairs.
1t is most in portant that the Benville machine
Mould be put in order, as the section between
lie New Canal and Bayou st John is entirely de-
endsnt upon this ms chine for drainage; in case
an acciuent to either the Dublin Avenue or
elpomene machine the other machine could
mpor arily perform the service; in the case OF
,cident to the BlenvilIe machine great incon-
,nience and probable damage would ensue
The appropriate for materials for this bureau
rs been exhausted. When the budget was
ade l estimated for the usual supplies of sala
es, fuel, oil, etc, recnired for the ordinary use
the machines.
By reason Of an explosion of one Of the boilers
the London Avenue machines the amount re.
Tired for repairs has greatly exceeded my ex-
citations. Captain Greco, who was sup rn-
noing the machines, made careful examina-