The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-02-03
The Harang Canal.
New Orleans Price Current. ]

Blanc's canal thence to the bayou, en-
tering it twelve miles below Lock
mort. By this line of communication
that portion of the Lafourche is with
in thirty miles of New Orleans, short
ening the distance compared with the
old route no less than 100 miles.
This simple statement is sufficient
to Indicate the great Importance OF
this Improvement, and illustrates the
advantages to be derived from Im-
proving the natural waterways OF our
State aud using them rs feeders either
of the larger navigable streams or OF
the rail.
AS long ago as 1929 the State Leg
islature, approaching the great I'M
portauce of close water communica-
ton near the city of New Orleans
between the Mississippi river, LA,
fonrche and the different lakes and
bayous lying west of the Lafourche,
chartered a canal aud slackWater
navigation company, which organized
under the name of Baratarla and La
fourche Canal Company. The canal
was started from the Mississippi at
point opposite GreeEville, now known
as Westwego. Magnificent locks were
constructed there at II cost OF Soo,U
and il canal dug communicating with
Lake Salvador through Bayou Bara-
taria. Lake Salvador is fifteen miles
long. At the other extremity OF the
lake, near the mouth of Bayou DIES
Allemands, another canal fifteen miles
long was also dug, connecting 1t with
the Bayou Lafourche at Lockport,
where another splendid set OF locks
was constructed at Ii cost OF S6u,UN'.
But for some reasons or other this
canal proved failure and no vessel
ever passed through it. The Company
after expanding nearly hall "a million
dollars fell through, aud the great en-
terprise was neglected and we may
say abandoned, except that portion
of the canal connecting the Mississip-
nj river with Lake Salvador which,
proving remuneratiye, was kept up
and we understand to-day belongs, or
is under the control of the success sion
of the late Il. r. Barrow. Small boats
with their cargoes of oysters, bsh,
oranges. POTATOES and other products
from the country around the Lake,
Barrataria Bay and the Gulf coast
west of the Mississippi to the La
tourche, find au easy and safe access
by this waterway to the city ot New
Orleans.
That portion of the Lafourche and
Terreboune and the Gulf coast west
of the mouth Of the Lafourche, how
ever, were deprived of the advauta-
ges and benefits contemplated by the
Legislature in granting the charter to
the Company: Some eight OF ton
years ago, Mr.. Harang, who owned "a
plantation on Bayou Lafourche about
twelve miles below Lockeort, at the
point nearest to Lake Salvador, Gully
six miles distant, conceived the idea
of cutting small canal connecting
the bayou with the lake, his small
means preventing him from doing
more. Very soon MANY OF the Small
trading boats found it much easier,
quicker and safer to pole and work
their way through the mud and grass
| of this small canal, than to run up the
BAYOU Lafourche To Donaldsonville
seventy five miles, and thence down
the Mississippi eighty-fve miles to
New Orleans, or to risk the dangerous
navigation of the Gulf and come up
through Barrataria Bay and the many
intricate bayous to Lake Salvador.
Such was the condition of things
two years ago, when Nh. Jules A.
Blanc visited Mr.. Harang, and at once
perceived the Importance and benefit
such canal would be to that portion
of the State. With these views he
purchased the canal from Mr. Harang
with portion of land ON each side OF
it, ard then bought the different por-
tions of land bordering it through to
Lake Salvador, and went tn work
with his usual energy, constructing a
dredgebeat which he has kept in the
service for the past two years, until
now, he has canal of twenty-five to
thirty feet wide with n depth of water
of five to six feet, which is opened to
navigation.
Most of the oysters and fish brought
TO the city from the Gulf are caught
in Timbalier, Terrebonne and other
bays which line the Gulf west of the
Lafourche. Hitherto the boats in this
trade have had to run through the
Gulf around the month Of the La
fourche into Barataria Bay, and then
up to Lake Salvador TO the city, but
by Mr.. Blane's canal they avoid this
long and dangerous navigation. En-
tering the Lafourche from Timbalier
Bay, fifteen miles mp the Lafourche
brings them to Mr.. Blanc's canal.
The canal, although open for navi-
cation is not yet completed. MIR.
Blanc, still working on it, proposes
to make it thirty feet wide in it's
whole extent, with good towpath on
one side where boats will be towed hy
horses. In fact, he intends to make
it so convenient that it will be used
by every boat trading in that direc-
ton. The canal will be navigable at
all seasons of the yer, whatever the
stage of water in the river.