The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-16
FILLING Up OF LAKE PoNrcHAR1RA1N
INCREASING DANGER OF AN OVERFLOW.

Mr.. T. S. Hardee, City Surveyor, under dat
of April 10Th, writes the following letter to tn
Administrator of Improvements:
Dear Sir-In your communication of the 81
| inst. am asked my opinion with regard to th,
the present peculiar condition of Lake Pont
| chartrain in connection with Bonnet Care
crevasse and the waters of the Gulf, and &c
submit the probable damaging results of q
| heavy gale in ovelfi owing the rear of the city
| 1 consider the situation a serious one, and in
the present condition of many of the back
leVees, no time should be lost in raising and
| strengthening them.
The effect of the Bonnet Care crevasse il
clearly proven to raise considerably the normal
| level of Lake Pontchartran, because the
| capacity of the RiEolets is not equal to dis
charge the Mississippi water as fast as it comes
in, when the river is at anything like flood
height. And these d difficulties must increase in
proportion to the rise of the river and the con-
| sequent increase of the volume of water to be
discharged.
This is the third successive season that the
Bonnet Care Crevasse water has poured into
Lake Pom tchartrain, besides he crevasse of
1871 and it is contended with good reason
that the deposits from the muddy water are
tending to shoal the lake. If this be true, it
follows that the capacity of the lake, as q re-
water is received into it, and of course the
same volume passing through the lake this
year in a given time will cause the water to be
raised correspondingly to higher level than
The notes in this Office show that the average
level of water in Lake Pontchartrain during the
orevasse prior to 1871, when not disturbed by
winds was four feet and six-tenths below the
standard height of the Metairie Ridge,-in 1875,
four feet and one-tenth and up to the present
time of this year three feet and r-tenths,
proving that the theory of shoaling is not
without some foundation for correctness.
OF course the same bulk Of water did not
pass through the crevasse each of the above
mentioned years, but near enough so to enable
some idea to be formed of the enlsrgiDg effects
of the crevssse 1pon Lake Pontchartrain in
elevating the water line, and to sustain the
fear that each year that the crevasse remains
unclosed adds to the danger of 9 disastrous
overflow in the rear of the city whenever the
winds should 80 combine as to produce it.
In the present situation of Lake Pontchsr-
train, with the water nearly two feet above
the usual level, and already filling all the
swamp basin contiguous to il, it can be easily
conceived that a furious gale, similar to the
one of June, 1871, would SO hold in check the
accu initiating waters of the crevasse, that it
woald only be question of the duration of
the storm TO carry the water bodily over the
natural barrier of Metafrie Ridge, and thus
inundate almost the entire city.
/ wonld therefore earnestly recommend that
all of the back levees, which are now too low
and weak, should be strengthened and raised
to the standard level of Metairie Ridge.
/ Herewith have the honor TO transmit .
memorandum showing the points whore work
is required, and the nature and probable cost
Of the same. Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS s. HARDEE, City 6aEyeycz.