New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-26
To the Gulf via Barasaria.

Captain John COWdon, who needs. NO In
PRODUCTION to- the readers of the REPUB
LIcAN, has recently made formal survey O
the bay of Barataris and its water connec
tions with the right bank of the Mississippi
Through the largest part Of the distance b,
finds sufficient water to aoat any ordinary
craft that might seek entrance to the river
Other portions of the routs mapped out HI
considers can be made equally available t.
commerce by comparatively small outlay
His views are certainly worthy of careful
consideration, and he sets them forth in
brief in the following communication:
NEW ORLEANS, April %, 1876.
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
Having sounded and made q careful sur.
| vey of the route for the Barataris canal,
from the banks of the Mississippi. opposite
jackson street, through Harvey's canal to
LivinaDton, will now, according to
prOmise, give you the result of my sound
ing observations, and estimate as to the
probable cost of the whole thing, in order
| to create Q channel twenty-f0ur feet deep,
with sufficient breadth to begin with, 80
that ships drawing twenty feet of water
may pass A. easily as from here to Fort
OAcAoOA. AAeup Will HCtA0 oO0ltlOn0l
work, aided a. we will b. by nature, the
expense will be but trif1s, and the time
short until Great Easterns may land ct your
wharf. ..
Twill begin with section NJ. l., or Har.
vey's canal, now six miles long and carry
ing depth of fully six feet deep bv fifty
feet vide, which, 1t an expense Of $252, ,l64.
can be, with proper dredgeboats. enlarged
to width of 200 feet at top by 100 At bot
NJ Vhn l..
which would build out of wood 800 feet
long by 100 feet wide and forty-fve feet
deep. with three intermediate gates, in.
cluding two steam engines and two power
ful pumps, with reservoir, in order to do
the locking with lake water, placed in posi-.
ton, will cost $l74, 1856; in all for this Sec
tion $426, $50.
Section No. 9, or Upper Little BslAtaris,
is six miles long, which is now from twelve
can be made to carry q depth of twenty
four feet with sufficient trimming of points,
clearing out of slogs and cutting Of trees,
for SS6,592.
Section No. 3, or Lower Little Barataria,
is $50 feet wide, six miles long, with sound
ings FROM twenty to twenty-six feet. But
little dredging, clearing of logs and trees
sary, and will cost $4,000.
Section No. 4, or Big Barataria, seven
miles long, from 800 to 500 feet wide, shows
soundings from eighteen to thirty Elk feet
deep, and clearing out and cutting ono
point will cost $4,000
Section No. 5 is cut Elk miles long, from
Big Barstsris to Bayou St Denis, skirt
ing . live oak ridge, dredging . canal l25
feet wide at the top by seventy five feet at
cost &254 ,440.
Section No. 6, or Bayou St. Denis. is
eight miles long, with sounding from thirty
six. thirty, twenty-eight, twenty -four and
twenty feet, 1000 feet wide, and with chan
mel at bottom from 200 to 400 feet wide. II
has some points to cut off, and requires
dredging for . depth of twenty-tour feet,
which will cost say $50, 600.
Section No Z, or cut through the marsh
bordering Grand lake, four miles long, l25
feet wide at the top by seventy-fve feet
wide 1T the bottom, twenty-four feet deep,
will cost $l72, 428.
Section No. consists of sheet piling
three and half miles long, and dredging
costing $40, ,428 is required.
Section No. 9, or Barataris Bay proper,
which 10 two and half miles long by 1000
twenty eight, thirty, thirty six, forty, forty
eight and fifty six feepdeep. will require no
expense.
Section No. 10, the bar and cut to deep
water, say thirty six feet deep, with piling
guard walls a. at the Suez Canal. only
made of less expensive material but per-
fectly durable, strong and efficient in every
way to secure q channel forty feet deep
across the bar, will cost not more than
81, ,434, 900.
It will require ten dredging machines
with tenders, steam engines and carrier
bands, all complete 60 as to do all the
dredging aud handling of the mud by
steam, each machine working at the rate of
1000 cubic yards to the hour from any
& aaR'1 1t to Ten ns driver. eS
engines on boats will cost $4,000. Other
tools. building, saw mills, etc., will cost
$45, 900.