New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-16
WHOLE NUMBER 1854


The Barataria Canal Company held a
meeting at the Union and Planters Bank
recently to hear read the report of En-
gineer J. J. Williams on the projected
enterprise. After recounting and describ-
ing foreign canal works, and after point
ing out the course of the Barataria canal,
the report says of its cost:
After opening the twenty-four foot chan
mel, including the twenty-foUr foot lock
and the deepening of the bar at Grand
Pass TO thirty feet, the net income capi-
talizsd will go great way toward con~
pleting the thirty foot channel, including
the large lock at New Orleans; after which
it will only be necessary to dredge out six
feet more tosform thirtysix foot cham
mel all the way from the Mississippi river
to deep water in the Gulf The cost Of
the twenty-four foot lock at New Orleans
and sea walls on the bar and channel to
the depth of twelve feet clear through villa
cost 81, 763,75S, .
2. The cost of the twenty-four foot chan
mel clear through, $50 feet will cost Sd
535, ,431, ,t b ...s,.. .lsq,.
3. For the cost of thirty foot channel,
5000, 000
4. For the cost of a thirty-six foot chan
mel, in round numbers say $40, 600, 600.
He closes by giving the following as
the advantages of the proposed route over
that by the passes to the sea:
l. It will be navigated in clear water,
no water bearing sediment being allowed
to enter the canal except perhaps in lock-.
ing through the river but even the Mis-
sissippi water need never enter the lock
chambers. In this way very great item
for dredging could be saved, which, other
wise, would be heavy annual expense to
the company.
2. The annual expense of keeping the
canal in complete repair would probably
not exceed 100000; while the expense Of
maintaining the same depth at the mouth
of the Mississippi river, were it possible
to make it permanent, would involve the
annual expenditure of over 81, 900, 600.
3. A wide and deep open sea, with no
dangerous reefs or shoals to avoid in front
of Grand Pass, so that no pilot would. be
required in entering the harbor.
T. After entering the harbor ships can
run in behind Fort Livingston, where
they will find secure anchorage, with
ample harbor room, in from twenty-five
to tifty-six feet water, and perfectly safe
from the severest storms.
5. 1t is ffty.four miles shorter from the
Gulf at the entrance of Barataria Bay, and
twenty-five miles shorter from q point two
miles off the mouth of Southwest Pass to
New Orleans than it is by way of the Mis-
sissippi river By the canal, vessels
would be favored by the tides all the way
to she city, while on the river they would
be compelled to stem q current of four
miles per hour the whole distance.
6. Unlike the mouth of the Mississippi
there will be no fears of shoaling over the
bar at Grand Pass, when once reduced
to its proper depth, for the reason that
the daily ebb and flow of the tides, the
bay being an estuary of the sea, will have
the effect of deepening instead of shoal-
ing the bar.
Z. The reclamation of 600, 900 acres of
| land in connection with the construction
of the canal, making it paying invest
ment independent Of all other consid>,-
erations.
A very important point to be considered
about the reolaiming of these lands in
connection with the building of the canal
is the fact that out of 205 miles of Ieyees
required to enclose them 1S0 miles are al
ready constructed, SO that there is now
only gap of about twenty-five miles TO
be built in order to completely surround
the whole tract of 600, coo acres with a
continuous line of leVees, thus presenting
to capitalists one of the rarest of oppor-
| tunities for investment, for the reason
that seven-eighths of the entire line Of
1evees is already completed, and, as aston
ishing as it may seem, if the lands, when
reclaimed, sold for only one-third the
price the same kind of land sells for in
Holland they would bring $l20, ,0Q0,00
The report was received with attention,
and minor points of business connected
with the enterprise were discussed by the
meeting. -Nemphis Audldnche