The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-29
THE BARATARIA CANAL.
synopsis OF Prof. Forsheys Report ON tine
subject.

form. quite too long for q daily journal. 1t
win bear reading and criticism, and is val
liable contribution to our physical geography
and our capacities for development
The Professor begins with an essay, upon
mn outlet for the commerce Of the Mississippi
Valley. He says the productions Of the couf-
try have increased u two decades from ~
half, he estimates for the Missssippil,.s
mouths, II it's bars are not cboked with sedi-
ment. One experiment y now In progress 70
Obviate the difficulty We want as u, many out III
faria Is one, and we believe the best solution
OF the question.
GEOGRAPHY.
Next he examined the geographic question
He finds in the net work OF lakes ana Dayous
a Setwes a t9 Mss esaapsl f through
Bayous and Bay TO Grand Pass amply large
Tor all purposes Of commerce, Ilil thlrty
miles Of the fifty-five miles already made by
nature, and the utmost facility for cutting the
cnnal through the marshes the remaining
The tidal ebb and flow only to meet, instead
OF d current Of muddy water, ut three miles
per hour for 100 miles OF distance as III the
Mississippi river.
The Professor next examines
THE WINDS AND STORMS,
md says that the cyclones are Tended off the
Grand Pass by the projection Of the Missis-
sippis mouth. The great storms have not
much in favor Of the Barataria The harbor
is deep and secure for about one and hall
square miles, inside the islands, and Of TWEEN
ty-fve To forty feet depth OF water.
THE SURVEY or THE ROUTE.
Commencing at the head of Harvey's Canal,
directly opposite Louisiana Avenue and the
elevator, where the bank OF the river has
been permanent for at least seventy years,
neither abrading nor making, the line is the
same as that OF the canal already cut, about
forty feet wide and five TO seven feet deep. 1t
continues with that canal about five miles.
and then DIVORCES to the right with q curve OF
about mile, to flow easily into the Bayou
Barataria. Thence that bayou has thirteen
feet water south three miles to the Bayou des
Families, where it increases to twenty feet
Its width everywhere is from 100 to 1876 feet
II Ia increased by the DIES Families; thence to
the Bayou V1llars the waters are wider, say
100 to $50 feet, and twenty-four feet In depth
twenty-five miles from the river, 1t widens to
$50 to 600 feet. and its depth is nowhere less
than twenty-four feet. often deeper. even to
thirty-six feet deep. It takes the. name Of
Barataria river below the des Families 1t is
lined with plantations and houses.
Its course liz still south, and the Bayou Du-
pont here makes the route for two miles; and
thence the canal has o cut across the marsh
the lakes. This is easy OF excavation with
out stumps, roots, or stone. The canal
thence has large channel, almost like the
Mississippi river, from 200 to 1900 feet wide
$50 miles Is still called the Barataria river,
st. Denis section From thence the line
enters the Baratara Bay, In shoal water, and
thence to the Quartelles and Independence
sea marsh for q distance Of eleven miles, to
deep water In the bay. All the bottom is mud
and shells, and easy OF excavation; and from
thence to Fort Livingston, at the pass, into
the gull we have deep water and secure
harbor.
Thus we describe the synopsis Of the Pro-
fessor's route to the sea, which is adorned
by all his elegance and profusion Of illustra-
We now enter upon the sea works, or what
the world would call "ietties" We find them
here denominated
.'sEA WALLS"
We shall attempt to describe them after Civ
ing, the grounds on which they are to be
The scashore at this place bears southwest
and northeast sixty degrees, and the pass
enters nearly perpendicularly; Between the
two islands, Grand Isle and Grand Terre,
asymmetrfcal channel with greatest depth
OF seventy-two feet The mean depth for
ITO feet across Is fifty feet This depth and
symmetrical channel slopes up outward to the
forms a bar of only eight feet water; thence
u slopes of very gradually to the deep sea Of
twenty fathoms. The water is shoai on both
siiues, varying IRON fye oten 1eeJ. Inc mate
Tlal forming the par, IL SAND ana hard niue,
ana the bottom, both inside and outside the
par, ~ tough mudI-blue clay.
the plan then, IS TO start IT. the two wing,
wallis from the shore some 4OVO IeeC apart ana
70 converge, them TO 1000 feet upon the bar,
and thence to run them parallel TO each other
out to deep water, say thirty feet ana there
70 build pier-heads OF masonry, rising clear
above storm tide. we understand the Fro
lessor to prefer concrete, or French beton, for
s rna1eTlal ~ puliaihg, ano lne pipcks ne Woula
I LOT % o. gaDlons, soineWnab slhlitr W Ihe
II 4; w 4ia - ~ MI, o,,d ao, ~ ao
.,I - ,, ~ e h, J n;nta ~ ~ na
VII SCOUT ,' out lIe ptf Anu iii . s we ciin
.s ms seems 70 ~ weli iuh i lot G,e
ci., \; li,,';tpa ~ JUG ano I , Go
more q ~ s par aSa ana a ndeed