The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-23

.sseports from the Hoard Of state En-
gIneers.
The Governor, on Wednesday, received the
following telegram from Messrs. Harrod and
Richardson, State Engineers, who went to ex.
,sraine The Tones Bayou dam:
SHREVEPORT. La, August 81, 1877.
iov. r. T. Nichols,
Average depth over dam and through wash al
island end OK feet; extremes . 10 10 feet Not in.
crossing. Dam OF mattresses and eand bags III
next high water can probably be built for $4,000.
Navigation extremely bad, and water may fall.
Here 3 three feet win arrive Saturday night.
HARRoD and RICHARDSON.
Major Hardee, who went to make q reeonnois.
sanoe at the mouth OF Red river, reports by tel.
egrsph az follows
Gov. y. T. Nicholls. - ~
With the facilities offered by q steam tug and
yawl the work Of examination at the mouth Of
Rcd river was greatly expedited. Sufficient data
aAe been obtained 10 show the dangers threaten.
ing navigation, and upon which some immediate
action may be based as probable remedy for re.
lief. viii return TO New Orleans on The Par
goud In order 10 submit the result OF my investi-
cation and to confer with regard to what IL adj
+. q. HARDEE.
During The evening Major Hardee arrived in
che city and will to-day present 10 che aoyernor
Che following detailed report;
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Office Board Of State Engineers
New Orleans, Aug. "a, 1877.
Gov. r. T. Nichols:
Dear ACCORDING 10 instructions received
From you on the 18th inst, left New Orleans
that day on the steamer Texas for tho purpose of
making an examination at the mouth Of Red riv.
or, with the view OF determining the present and
prospective difficulties to navigation at that
point. reached there at daylight on Monday
morning in company with CANT. Wood, repre-
sentsng the Red river interest, and Capt Hodge,
representing that Oh the Ouachita, who had
been invited by Capt. Aiken TO be present and TO
give me especially what information they pos
seesed with regard to the difficulties Of the eitu
alton ~ they existed last fall. We found
steam tug and yawl awaiting our arrival. and,
with the facilities afforded by these,
THE WORK or EXAMINATION
was very greatly expedited.
A reconnaissance was frat made over the route
eotwetween the present and old mouths Of Red
and both sides of Turnbulls island, a distance OF
about fifteen miles.
Az result OF this investigation the form of
survey required for the emergency was decided
upon and preparations Immediately made for its
execution.
Very grave aud plainly apparent dangers I'M
exiet, which almost certainly point to
an obliterstion OF the connection between Red |
river and tho Mississippi at no distant iay, un-
less some steps are taken to counterfeit the clear
ly defined operations of nature.
To accomplish this successfully would require |
very extensive surveys, occupying considerable |
length OF tune to determine the plan to be
adopted, and afterwards the expenditure OF large
sums of money to construct the necessary works |
The appropriation Of $4,000 by the Last Legisla.
&are ia totally inadequate in my opinion TO per-
form any work looking to a permanent improve
md hal rf.s INV
occasion were devoted principally to obtaining
such data Ms would enable me TO suggest how
come portion of the States appropriation
COULD BE JuprcIousLY EXPENDED
in affording temporary relief during the present
season.
The map accompanying this report will show
the different lines that we're run, and also the
on each of said lines. IL will be OBJ.
served that on the line at the head OF the Atchafa-
laya the deepest sounding obtained was 60 feet.
whereas on the line Immediately below that
point, on lower Old river, the cross section show
ed greatest depth If only is feet. This, together
with the cieerly marked and heavy current set
ting down the Atchafalaya, the closing up Of the
head OF upper Old river above, aud the extensive
bar below, forming in what is called the ''gut" In
lower Old river, point unerringly to what nature
is slowly but surely doing towards severing the
between the Rel and the Mississippi
rivers. and causing the whole Of the Red river
waters to be emptied down and through the
The ten cross sections taken through the gut
where the
GREATEST DIFFICULTIES TO NAVIGATION EXIST,
show upon the map q clearly defined channel of
over eight feet On Monday morning early the
Iexss, drawing five and half feet, passed
6on.
III the water could remain at it's present stage.
or even fall not more than five feet more no
serious trouble would arise, but on the day of
zoe examination the water gauge showed mark
OF WE'VE feet above the lowest water of last |
year. On reaching this lowest mark therefore |
without any changes in the situation. there
would De found ridge or bar of mad four feet
Of about 5000 feet.
The removal of this accumulation of mud st
The earliest possible moment is the problem tn
% solved. "
At the present stage Of water there is still
SOMETHING OF CURRENT
,ast the Atchafalaya and through the ppt into
he Mississippi, and this may be maintained for .
onie time to come, especially as the Mississipn
sysr seems to be falling more rapidly than the
led. The water at present coming out of Red
liver is quite free of sediment, and it is fair to
resume that no more deposits will be aecumu.
sted this season in the gut, and We have, there
1re, to deal with only what il already there.
Ii the situation at the head of the Atchafalaya I
ad been more favorable, it would have been ad- '
isable to try the experiment of mattrass sill ]
similar to what has been effected by Capt. Esds
the head of Southwest Pass in order to defiect
oFne portion of the water from the Atchafalaya l
Cwn through lower Old river, thus creating q (
stable current through the gut. which would !
r@suS sid the proposed work. But the great
epth OF water scovered there places such an
experiment. beyond the reach of the means at G
IT disposal, and we are forcsd consequently to r