New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-20

The BaFatarla Canal Project.
The following paper was prepared by
Captain John Cowdon, to be read before
the Chamber of Commerce last evening:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
Chamber of Commerce and Citizens of thii
valey-Although the subject to which
shall endeavor to call your attention IL one
that not only the commercial and social in
civilized world have Q deep interest, shall
at the outset consider it in 0 mere selfish
light, as if there were NO other people than
those of Memphis and New OIL ,sns to be
benefited, for. it is through the selfshnese
of local interests, when combined and con.
centrated. that we see the accomplishment
of all great achievements.
Memphis feels as deeply as do you the i'm
portance Of not only deep but permanent
gateway to the seas; for on the eingle article
of cotton We can present facts that will
sustain tina truth and sincerity of this as
sertion. Our merchants handle 100000
bales of cotton, which costs them all the
way from g to IS bale to place
it on the seab0ard at New York
by rail, where, in consequence of
having twenty-four to thirty feet in her
harbor, six thousand ton ships carry it to
Liverpool for 81 so . bale; when, at the
same time, by river or rail, we can place it
in this port for 81 a bale. But, here COM
mences our Difficult les. The ocean freights
to Liverpool are more than double those
from New York. This is in consequence of
the proportionately small class of vessels
that can only CROSS the bar or mud dam at
the mouth Of the Mississippi.
But even with this disadvantage hanging
over us, the freight rates are in favor of
this route, which our people prefer, we're
there no other difficulties in the way,
which are the fruits of speed and reliability,
which can only be overcome by the open
ing of q permanent, as we'll as deep, gate
way to the Gulf.
Gentlemen, a. commercial men, you all
understand this 80 wen that an explana-
ton 10 only q useless consumption of time,
since nearly all our commercial transac.
tons are now based on bills of lading,
which is the best of security, accom-.
panying by mail the bill of exchange,
which at maturity has to be met, whether
the cotton, tobacco or grain 60 forward or
not. And often in consequence of delays
incident to the bar, cargOes have been de-
tanned, when, with difficulty and often
great sacrifice, the drawers Of bills of ex-
change have had to meet these bills with
other means. Hence. it Is that nearly all
our cotton is forced by raj across the con-
tinent.
Therefore, by such improvements Mem
phis not only sees how she may become q
better cotton market by fiom 81 to "a q
bale, which will soon increase her receipts
to nearly double this number of bales,
three-fOurths of which will seek the sea
board here at through rates to Liverpool
from 50 to 81 bale, and perhaps less.
We have other local interests that will
be benefited; for when the roads are forced
to bring productions of the soil to and not
from the river, we will soon have cheap
coal, iron nnd provisions which will
enable us to speedily become great man
utacturing mart of the interior, as well as
marine city of the seaboard, for we may,
as can all other interior cities of the
Ohio AMI Mississippi valley, build our
own ships, and take an active part
in the opening of the great and
yet undeveloped, commerce Of 10000, Ooo
South America, the West Indies, and ul-
timately result: in placing ships from China
at your doors, via the Tehuantepec canal.
These are the natural results arising from
this great and reliable gateway, if ever
made.
Now for the great problem, for it is non.
sense for US to think of competing with
New York, which is not satisfied with
twenty six or thirty feet, but blasts out her
harbor for forty feet We have only TWEEN
ty feet of water on our bar, and by dredging
even this depth, it will be impossible to
maintain it. Neither does the jetty system
fill this bill, for in Europe, where it has
been tried, as claimed, successfully, they
can show no such depth as we are com
PEELED to have CT be blotted out as
q commercial city. And in this view of
the case there can be no harm in the
discussion of this great question, for in so
doing We are only educating our people to
the vast Importance of this great improve
ment. go that in the event of the failure Of
the great and almost superhuman work
now going on at the South Pass, we may
not be long delayed in the organization of
q company with the ability to accomplish
this great work by the means of canal,
without having to wait, at an expense to
the people of this valley of more than q
million day, for the slow coach OF gov
eminent that from past acts is not going to
be in any special hurry about opening this
river, which We all know would be greatly
against the interests of the trans-contl.
mental railroads whose bonded debt of bill
lions will and no doubt have, on more than
one occasion, influenced the action of the
government on this very question.
In this view of the case the proposition
of a canal next looms up for our c0nsidera-
ton. That of the St. Philip has attracted
much attention, and at one time possessed
great strength even in the House of Repre-
sentatives of the nation, and may Go so
again. But to my mind, thinking as do
that there is far better route, some seri-
GUS objections are presented, and without
any assumption on my part, and with all
due Difference to the opinions of the many
distinguished men who have been its warm
est advocates, and inasmuch as we are
seeking all information on this great cues
ton. there can be NO harm in my placing
such objections as present themselves to
my mind before the public, for the truth is
what we want.
In the first place, in consequence of the
constant and steady movement OF the whole
delta of the river mouth since it first en-.
tered the gulf at Baton Rouge, and the fact
that the same laws are still in force that
procured this result, the advocates of this
canal can not set up the claim of perpetual
permanency. 1t is true the time may be re-
mote, but nevertheless true, this outlet may
be blocked up, and it may come sooner
than We anticipate, for the pilots OF the bar
assure me that there are already dangerous
shoals, and that under certain conditions OF
the wind sailing vessels would have to be
towed distance of thirty miles from the
canal to clear these mud shoals.
No matter if the ST. Philip canal be
built, or the jetties ever so successful
the sailing commerce of the country il
left subject to the towage tax, which
at say 81 50 per ton on say six mil
lions of tons-less than the amount of tons
that during seven months of eash veal
passes through the little Erie canal-wOuld
amount to $4,000, 900 for one year; for ter
years it would be $50, O00, 900, and for fifty
years, which is, as it we're, but day in the
commercial lite time of nation, 1T would
be $3.50, 100000
In reply to this it will be said this amount
is extravagant; that we do not have the
twelfth part of this marine tonnage. l al
once admit the fact, and blush not only fol