The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-29

Let us take an example. The steamer. James
sas Tvsl It Tts nr wse
gauge at Carrollton twelve feet five inches,
three feet below maximum. Her rate OF g speed .,l
miles per hour. The waves Of practical value
were obiaue % degrees TO her course on eecn W
side, and could bs distinctly counted to me III.
and irregular waves that followed; Ten OF these
wa were nearly the same height. and were
bst aid not o break them These
about sixteen inches height at 800 feet behind the
steamer. and the remaining ten waves averaged
were delivered against the banks with the veloc-
ity Of the steamer plus the rate OF the current
say fourteen miles per hour or twenty iset ~ per per
by computing its dynamics from this data; we
"a ume the tonnage of the steamer multiplied
The etc tonnage Of freight ann vessel was about $500
tons We have. then. 4600.Oo0 pounds mutt Piled
by 14.e seconds multiplied by 1850 for each mile
abnormal applied by this steamer. amounts In
foot pounds to 1901 900 pounds. equal to 10000
let us illustrate: A leyee Of nine feet in
height, by tho recent formula Of Humphreys and
Abbott, with slopes Of two and three to one, con
tains 1900 cubic yards in evory 100 eet OF levee,
and 5000 pounds to tho cubic yard. The 300 feet
OF levee. equal to the length Of the steamer
James Howard would weigh 10.s0o.00o pounds.
I he force thrown against the levee or bank each
trip by the steamer passing would be $4,000 0
pounds. one-half OF which is 34o4oooo-
than three times the weight OF the whole leyee
Owing to the tenacity OF tho soil and mate
ras Of the banks Of the river, these banks 90
stand these forces. repeated fifty times a day
do stssnd this fearful servitude Is almost miracq
Ious But it is wholly abnormal. and chargeable
to the commerce Of the Mississippi Valley
Your COMMITTEES will not pause here 10 com
pute the forces hurled by seven thousand trips
Of steamboats, and barges. with their 5000 tons
Of burden each year. The figures would pe ne ,,..
.t,ppu Int EARNESTLY
and emphaticaily to tho attention ot Congress
tic wear and tear of this immense commercial
scrvtude upon the levoes. which the onfeebiel
efforts Of depleted and ruined States have
thrown NJ for their protection. For distance
of 1000 miles Of river front mt Hood time the
water Is at tho top Of the leve"s and ten feet
above the level Of the fields and grounds below.
whore homes and W mon and children dwell,
whore fields are bright with promise, Tho lateral
wave of ono single steamboat is Liable NJ any
time 10 wash over and dissolve the levee. and
unlock the angry waters. and loose them upon
their romorsci isas mission 81 DESTRUCTION,
Along threatening points stenmers cannot lanu
for fear Of this and in descending the stream,
for miles at times. they arc obliged to shut OH
steam and drift along lost their waves consum.
mate their impending ruin. Hero IS delay ana
reduction upon tho commerce. OF that mighty
river which calls aloud to Congress Tor relief
But again the commerce OF the city OF New
Orleans with the country lying Just north Of
Lake Pontchartrain il suffering and In some
branches being desroyed BY aups to close the
lies lust north of New Orleans, and only four
miles from tho heart Of that great city. 1t is
nearly forty five mics long and has an average
width Of twenty two lies. lta western border
is within five miles of the Mississippi river. and
upon that border. for distance Of some
gheen z, niles runs nd b aaso E, 1ns
Pontchartrain connects in the southeast through
tho Rigolets with Lake Borgne; the Mississippi
sound and tho Mexican Gulf Formerly 1t was q
most beautiful expanse Of waters. clear and
healthful and abounded plenteousiy with the
finest salt water fish and oysters, while the
bat p.tnu unh
over its surface were sought each even,
ing during tho seven summer months of
that climate by tens OF thousands OF the
people of that great city. and their health
ful Influences were felt throughout its entire
limits. Across its waters hundreds OF vessels
were constantly passing, bringing TO market
their freights Of lumber. wood. tar turpe itine
shells. mosses brick sand and lime besides cot
ton and other produce. The northern borders
of tho lake sought by hundreds during the sum
mer heat and it, shores were dotted with beau
tifu residences and handsome villages. But the
Bonnet Carro crevasse Of 1874, in April, hurled
its angry surchargo OF tnreid waters into the
track Of the Now Orleans. St Louis and Chicago
Railroad. and susponding its operations Tor
months Mt total loss to the road OF some 81 900
900. 1t continued to pour the waters OF the Mis-
sissippi river into the lake during the springs
and early summers o. lst7s.7e nhe ds result Is
broken up. for the waters Of the river have
changed the whole chara ter Of the lake and md
oyster ,r beds The lake itself is rapidly hll-
Ing up with the sediment with which the
crevasss water Is charged, and which IL
deposited so soon as the crevasse water Is
checked in the placid waters Of the lake. Navi-
CATION of the lake Is becoming dangerous and
difIicult The trade Of the lake. which engages
and employs 800 vessels and 5000 men. and sup
Mt. utter ruin. The cty Of New Orleans. impover-
i.hed and almost bankrupt has just ordered n
photographic survey Of tho lake for the pur-
pose Of determining accurately tho effects of
the crevasse in filing up the lake. thereby rails
ing the water line and threatening TO overflow
the city itself The intermingling OF the lake and
river (fresh md salt) waters is producing mala-
rial fevers both in city and country. destroying
the charm of tho country retreat, and making
that n curse TO the city which was intended to be
one Of its chief blessings. for the lungs OF the
lake now breathe disease rather than health In
the cty's face
Here, then. arc evils to the commerce of the
country and to It's general welfare. which brings
the relief asked for directly within the constitu-
tional power of Congress to beStow.
But again. Not only is tho river and lake com
rnerce suffering from Theses accum ulations Of
evil and danger, but the commerce by railroads
in the delta is suffering. And here we cannot do
| better than extract from the very able memorial
| OF the New Orleans Chamber OF Commerce. pre-
| pared by Professor Forshey. and adopted by the
Five railroads traverse this inland sen. and
every one Of those is, in it's turn. ,wheImed
road that led from New Orleans north
ward had It's operations stopped ST Tor months
| Dune. So 900 900 The New Orleans and Brashear
road had its bed whelmed by the food. and now
builds its track above the food to escape 1t II it
can The Vicksburg beginning and ending in
tho food region, is struggling for existence. and
scarcely pays running expenses, We may add
too that it runs through one Of the most fertile
regions in tho entire cotton belt its ternini be-
! ing opposite Vicksburg and at Monroe. La.
The Memphis and Little Rock road has been
entirely abandoned from it's initial point to
whore It meets the Iron Mountain road
Railroads are impossible In the delta so long as
we are without the protection of levees. No
| Southern Pacific road. even should 1t get its
millions Of treasure from the Government. need
| expect success unless the levees are maintained.
| We must remain divided empire for seven or
eight hundred miles from the sea. unless we
can have levee protection.
Here again are reasons appealing directly to
the commerce and development Of the country
and looking to its general welfare" which
plead Tor the relief asked for.
But we propose now TO glance ut this subject
as n m pasure of political economy Contem plate
the fearful loss sustained by the floods material
~ and the depreciation Of real estate in the over
flowed regions.
The loss by the food Of 1871 was sl3 900 900 This
/ t he.a nj nnd ia a. NON