The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-10-18
rkorEssoR EoNrArNEs rLAN

PROFESSOR EONTA1NE's PLAN
For Draining New orleans and PrOtectin,
IL Against EpIdemics ana Inundations.
Editor Democrat at-AIthough the subject Of tbi,
communication is not political, but matter o
vital interest to oil classes Of the people OF New
Orleans, I address 1t to the DEMOCRAT as thf
organ Of the parry now in power, upon which
rests the fearful responsibility Of 80 administer
ing the affsirs OF our city and State, as to pro-
mote the general welfare OF the citizens who
have honored the representatives of the De.
mocrscy with the public sword and purse.
Since presented to the Mayor and explained
TO you and several members Of the Board oI
Health and other gensie q week ago the
rough outlines OF the plan, 1 have 90 far elabo.
rated ts detsils that am now ready to give it to
our city authorities, the Chamber Of Commerce.
the Board Of Health, and the engineers, meohan.
les, property holders and businefs men in the
fofm OF public lecture. l will hold myself ready
erly TO do SO, and suitable raBgements can be
made Tor It, will only request that the evening
selected shall not be sunday, Monday or Satur-
day. wish the room for tue lecture TO be large
and well lighted, and provided with rostrum, or
raised platform, upon which can be placed two
blackboards and q map Of the whole city, both
sides o. the river. sufficiently large to be seen by
the audience.
have prepared plan for thoroughly draining
and protecting from inund .ion an area OF 400
square miles, including the city and it's suburbs,
snd Oil the country between Bonnet Carre Bend,
Lakes Msure pas, P0ntohsrtrain and Borgne, and
she Noyea Canal, and the peninsula tf AIgiers,
at cost less than that OF the bridge at st. Louis
or of frst class British ship-of-war. The part
OF the plan which includes the drainage and pro.
te0ti0n OF the city area can be completed in less
than two years for less than the cost OF the
bridges across the Ohio at Cincinnati and Louis
vile, or the best ocean steamer In the Collins
line. The draining canals complete for New Or
leans and the peninsula of Agiers can be built
Tor less than the finest steamship in our hai Dor
cost its owners. u he improved value OF only an
aore or seventy yards deep Of the land On both
sides OF the drainage and protection levees their
whole length, in one year would more than pay
the whole expense Of the proposed work.
recommend that the mouths Of the sewers
shall strike the draining canal not only below
the lowest water level Of the Mississippi river at
least six feet, but b. meath the surface line Of
Lake Pontchsrtrain, in order that all the pipes
which shall conduct the filth Of the city into them
may have sufficient waterfall. devised several
EpOdes for draining this foul matter into the main
canals and through them into the river without
the use OF steam pumps or draining msohipes,
which.a are not only very expensive, but as used at
present. az useless to protect the city against
the incursions Of the foods of the lakes when
lashed into fury by great cyclones az was Mrs.
partington's broom to bru b the storm waves
OF the Atlantic from her cottage door.
The cheapest and most effective con-
trivance ! ARRANGED for this purpose
sewer, worked by an under-shot water wheel re-
volved by the canal current, until thought of
another plan, which have completed and tested
BY. . most Satisfactory experiment TO- day. This
will obviste the expense OF all hydraulic engines.
The principle is entirely new, and so simple and
easily applied, and IL likely to be 20 useful to
mankind when IL shall be applied to the drainage
OF the vast deltas of the ,ndus, Ganges, Oambo.
dla Niger and other great elta.maklng rivers,
that have thought it worthy Of new Greek
name. have veptured TO christen IL Ehmusesis
from the Greek eLnt,tzeo, to suck out because, by
y the bottom current of canal twenty-six feet
deep is made TO suck out the contents Of every
properly conducted sewer leading into it.
LII fxedness Can b, given to the banks OF the
mississippi by the appropriation of money neces-
sAry TO construct the Inc xpensive convera aing jet.
ties which the plan recommends to prevent the
channel from shifting from the nfid-bapks or cen.
trail libe-the only mode for deepening il by ero-
fioD, and for preventing under mines and over
hows, ekmuzesis can be applied directly to the
river itself. or to canals leading out Of it, and into
u again, and conducted through every swamp ly-
ing useless In its great valley. All these over
flowed, fostering mslarious set rbonisn bogs can
be drained, dried, and transformed into salu
brious and lovely sites for the abodes and culti-
waited felds OF unborn millions of our race who
fevers
hope my fellow. citizens of New Orleans will
not euppose that intrude this important subject
upon their 1t ention from any motives of vanity.
Vt osner Feinsn incenlVe. was fofced by various
circumstances to study this subject, and sense
OF duty prompts me TO lay before them what
have learned, and which clearly foresee will be
OF inestimable benefit to them and to their pos
terity, IL it shall be wisely used. II had the
means / would gladly publish the whole plan,
without troubling them ut all, and even apply 1t
promptly for their relief. But unfortunately for
them, like the first apostles, can truly say, tell
yer and gold have none, but such as have give
4 thee" They are welc me to IL VIII. never they
choose to have II, and as it may die with me, my
bad health, caused by bad drainage, added to the
encroAchments Of time upon my physical facul.
ties, reminds me that they had bet or receive
what have to present without much delay.
Very respectfully, your obediept servant,
EDW. FONTAINE,