New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-10

| this everything depends upon the caving OF
| the hank and the securing out of the bottom
/ of the river. Everything done now IS TO
| that view, At the head of the raft, and Tor
J some distance below, the bottom OF the river
| has secured out some ten or twelve feet, ana
| IN low water the banks are twelve or tour1
| teen feet high where there was scarcely any
| hank. This has been accomplished In one
4 short year, In a few more the banks there
| will be as high as at Fulton, and the ad-
| iacent land as free from overflow. This
will be when the caving of the banks and
the securing out of the bottom of the river
| have brought it back to its original width
and depth. Everything depends upon this.
A boat is necessary to keep the jams clear,
and nature in time will do the rest.
As the banks cave in and wash away, 1t ls
very necessary that the heavy timber, now
some distance back, should be cut OH or
deadened. All such will receive due atten'
ton this spring as the appropriation IS
amply sufficient. Until that time 1T Is
Thought that trip or two week with the
Sterling through the whole length OF GA
river and the old raft will be sufficient TO
keep the way open for steamboats, In the
narrow part of the river jams are OF easy
formation, particularly on rise IN the
river. At first they are easily removed, nut
if allowed to rest q few days they Oecome
very difficult to manage. During the pres
ent trip of the Sterling she broke some fOnr
or five Jams and the same drift will no dou6t
form as many more before it gets clear OF
Old river.
At a low stage of water at the head of the
raft the bed of the river is now considerably
below the bottom of all the outlets that run
into the lake except DOoley's bayou Even
at the present stage of water, some eleven
or twelve feet above low water, no great
amount of water runs out through Ked
BAYOU, Hervey's and KOuns' canal ana
O'Rouke's slough. Apparently the heaviest
body of water puts out of DOoleys bayou,
although that is packed for four miles with
drift. The current in the other outlet ls
sluggish and much retarded by drift and
sand bars. These outlets are paving the
wAy TO close up entirely as soon as the main
river washes out to it's original dimensions
and proves its capability to carry OF the
spring freshets. In our opinion, under the
present regime, it is only question OF time.
With the Sterling or some other small craft
constantly on hand to keep the jams clear
and the river open, and the current Will 90
the rest When the "biue mud" and other
hard earth will not yield to its gentle per
suasion little ultrO glycerine Will eject
ually correct the evil.
Just above Shreveport, and almost in
eight, will be found Hntchkiss' cut-7H
as it is called. For some years past 1t was
looked upon as failure and no attention
paid 10 IL. Even Jhe government 0lE
scarcely needed it; yet within the last few
weeks it has gwen promise of accomplishing
what it was originally intended for: 1t Is
now fast washing ont, and the next rise VIII
put the river through there. thus cutting OH
over five miles. In the bowl of the bend
thus cut off is the mouth of Twelve mile
bayou. As it is the nearest way and the
greatest fall, the waters of Twelye-mlle
bayou will find their way past Shreve-
port through the cutoff Even in hugh
water now that is the case. The
wash in the cutoff SO far has pro-
duced very strong current for three OF
four miles above and the banks of the river
are caving rapidly. This cutoff, once fully
made, will create a current above that VIII
take a first class steamboat to stem. 1t
will also have the effect to scOur out the
bottom and make the banks cave much
faster than they otherwise would, and thus
hasten the work of improving the nsviga
ton of old river The effect of this cut of
ia now felt almost up to Gilmer's logs. Here
will be required some artificial work at the
proper time few pounds Of nitro-glycer.
iue, which has been found q very useful
remedy in the removal Of the raft, will do
the needful work.