The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-03

through these bayous and dspositing Its sedi
ment on both sides formed, Is / have said
ridges,
In the case of the Metsirie BAYOU. the water,
after crossing many miles, forming all along al
exceedingly high ridge, came in cont sct with th G
waters OF the Bayou St. John, and crossing the n
formed sort of connection with another sedi
nentary bayou, called the Bayou Road stream
which commences at about Toulouse street
these two streams uniting ia one continued
downwards, or rather eastward, and formed tht
GENTLY Ridge, ex ending to Chef Mentenr.
will here make no mention OF the lesser ridges
such as the Bayou des Cannes Ridge along 81
Charles street, the Coteau des Lepreaux, etc.
That immense area comprised between the
ridges above mentioned would have been at all
times subject to flvial overflow, IL nature had
not provided for drain. A glance at The map will
| show you that the Bayou st. John il the nv tI1ral
drain Of all that portion lying west of the Bayou
Road Ridge. starting from the downward end OF
it's drainage area, it discharged the waters into
Lake PoDtohsrtrain, after cutting, as it is, the
ridge in two portions.
Croisieres (which is the name given to bayous oil
the nature OF Bayou st. john were more or les
| hlled up with sediment, when the water of the
river was high; but the current created in them
by heavy rains would soon ont and carry away the
| sediment. fact worthy of note is that the
bayous des Croisieres are much deeper at the in
| tersection OF ridges, whenever the connection OF
the river and ridge bayous was discontinued.
30 much for the basin formed by natural levees
and lts natural drains on the west end OF the
Bayou Road Ridge"
| Let us now examine the portion east of the
bayou Road Ridge" This portion, as the first
one, forms basin entirely enoircled by ridges, to
| wit: The River Ridge. the GENTLY Ridge and
lastly, the Versailles Ridge. Of which / have not
as vet spoken.
Through this portion nature has reserved q
drain, which IL in every respect similar to the
Bayou st. John; l mean the Bayou Bienvenue
draining into Lake Borgne. Draining bayous Of
this kind can be traced in Lower Louisiana,
wherever basin is formed by surrounding cir
Gle of ridges.
We shall now go back to 1881 or 1882 and e1-
anime into the works done by man at that time.
The Cansl and Banking Company dug the New
canal, throwing an embankment on the west side;
this formed barrier across the valley first de-
scribed, preventing the flow of Che rain water to
the Bayou st. John, its natural outlet to the lake.
The inhabitants above the canal instituted suit
against the company; the result Was that the
company was compelled to build in six or seven
places the oulverts that exist thus partially
storing the drainage to it's natural flow. A few
years ago the city built the protection levee on
the upper line OF Carrolltou, come sting the Mis-
sissippi and Eetalrie Ridges, thus forming an
her barrier, cutting off the flow of water from
that porti IN of the basin between Carrollton and
Kennervile.
It will be well to remark here that above Oar.
rOllton several canals cut through the Metairie
Ridge afford sufficient drainage for rain water,
but should orevasse occur between Carrollton
and kennerville they would be totally INSULT
cient.
These remarks 1 make to show that the real
protection OF New Orleans lies not in the pro-
lection levee" from the river TO the ridge mot
on account of it being too low, being sufficiently
bight, but in the levees bordering the river az
far up as bonneville.
The upper line protection evee from the Metal
RE Ridge to the lake affords an ample protection
against the highest waters OF the lake. About half
mile OF the protection levee, which had been
built from the upper protection 1evee to the New
canal has been partly destroyed in the lake storm.
This levee, which 10 intended to run In an easter
)y direction about three and half miles yond
the New canal, will meet the lower line protec-
ton levee along Peoples Avenue. This lower
line levee 10 completed from the lake shore to
about the intersection OF Florida Avenue, and for
about two thousand feet on said Florida Avenue.
On the lower line protection levee there is yet to
be made about fourteen thousand feet through
Florida Avenue. and about six thousand feet
along the lower from said avenue to the river
ridge.
All the other works, when completed, will in
close New Orleans in q continuous chain Of
levees. provided with the necessary locks and
food gates, and afford ample protection against
oil oveIfiows, provided no accidents happen to
none of the locks and fl ,od gates give wav.
Now that have laid before you the plans exc
cuted bv nature for the protection and drainage
OF the site on which our city has been built, aud
also the plans partly carried into effect by nv
predecessors in Office, will go back to our start
ing point and explain to you my views upon the
protection from overflow and drainage OF New
Orleans.
What is wanted at present is protection
against lake owe, fows, aud that as soon rs prsc-
t,cable, and to be N harmony with the present
financial crisis of the city.
To attain tots end, the best and most ec7nom-
ical plan is TO make q frat line OF protection by
I, - 4 I-..:ea
hui locks in the New canal aud in the Bayou st.
john, at their Intersection with the ridges, flood
gates in all canals crossing the ridges, restore
Gentiy Ridge to its original height at the inter.
section OF the Pontohartrain railroad complete
the canal and l. wee along Florida Avenue to tn
lower line, and thence along the lower line to
about Claiborne street, and the protection will
be perfect.
The waters Of the lake, no matter how high
they may be, will never cause any overflow in
this city, provided that the locks and food
be kept in good order.
Let us now examine the drainage question.
The improvements needed to drain the immense
basin formed by the alb We system of protection
levees just related, though quite numerous in
number, can hardly be dispensed with.
It will DO necessary to place draining ma
chine at the angle of the lower line levee and Of
Florida Avenue, throwing the waters in one of
the branches Of Bayou Biepvenu. 1t will also
be OF great necessity to place another draining
nACnlue On IeOp1e q avenue at the intersection OF
GENTLY Road. The London Avenue draining
machine is admirably we'll situated to render
efic ent service. Zach Of these draining ma
chimes, consisting Of double machineries aud
wheels. must be placed on eide canals to allow
the water to flow through the flood gates in the
main canal, which often happens ct times when
the like water is low.
A canal dug in Florida Avenue up to the Ma
rigny canal, one dug in Lafayette Avenue one
in Washi gton Avenue, and one in Poland
Avenue, all three from Claiborne street to the
Florida Avenue canal, will greatly help the water
in quickly finding it's way to the draining ma
chimes.
these canals dug, together with the3 draining
machines (6 wheels) would co nplete thorough
system Of drainage for all that portion Of the city
below the Carondelet canal, go that this section,
which haa, up to the present, been the most neg
lected, would, at the completion Of those improve
have an excess of power in it's draining machines
10 comparison with the other sections, nor in the
area to be drained, but because the water will
nj t,ra1ly flow down