St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-05-07
Tide Water Navigation to tzae
Teche.
EARNEST WORKERS OPENING THE WAY

EARNEST WORKERS OPENING THE WAY.
IN. O. Picayune.l
When the Opelousas Railroad was
completed to St. Mary's parish, and
cars commenced making regular trips
between New Orleans and BerWick's
Bay, there was general rejoicing
through the Teche region and all along
the line. The old and present low water
steamboat route between Berwick's
Bay and New Orleans is about 800
miles, 155 miles to the mouth OF Red
River, thence to New Orleans 205 miles.
From st. Martinsville to New Orleans
via mouth Of Red River the distance is
was open, the distance was about 200
miles shorter.
The new steamboat route is to be via
Tigerville and Houma and Bayou Ter
rebonne, crossing the Lafourche some
distance above its mouth, thence
through Barataria Bay, Lake Where,
Barataria Bayou and Harvey's Canal
and locks. Harvey's Canal is Oh the
west bank Of the Mississippi, opposite
the Highly Elevator.
The distance from Harvey's Canal to
Houma, in an air line, is about fifty
miles; by the Morgan Railroad it is
about sixty-tive miles from Algiers to
Houma. BY the new steamboat route
the distance will probably be more
than hundred miles. We have not
the official figures.
From Houma to Tigerville via Bayou
Black, the distance is twenty six miles.
This bayou has an average width of
about 100 feet, and all average depth of
3.22 feet in the middle of the stream.
According to IL late survey it will cost
about $1,000 mile to open navigation
between Tigerville and Houma, and
the enterprising people OF Terrebonne
parish are pushing their dredge boats,
and will have steamers running between
Houma and New Orleans by next
August-in season for the next sugar
crop.
BY the official survey, the distance
between Tigerville and the mouth OF
Bayou Black is eight miles and Il half,
and the bayou has here an average
width of 14S feet and an average depth
of IL. IA feet. 1t is estimated that $40
! will clear this part of the bayou OF all
logs and swamps and overllansing trees,
and all appointments to navigation.
From the mouth of Bayou Black to
the Atchafalaya River, or Berwick S
Bay, the distance, via bayous Bout,
Shaver, and Chene is about ten miles,
the average width OF bayou from 400 to
900 feet, and the average depth II to Is
feet.
Here then is the great future route
for vast trade, and travel also, between
New Orleans and the Lafourche par
ishes, Terrebonne, st. Mary, Iberia, St.
Martin, Vermilion, Lafayette, and st.
Landry. VermiIion steamers will not
stop at Morgan City to give their
| t., tho whom tl,ov n,u
do better by taking them to the city via
Tigeryille, Houma, and Haryey's Canal.
And the Courtableau, that great high
way fora large trade and travel between
st. Landry and the upper portions of
st. Martin and Lafayette parishes and
| New Orleans, approaches within two
miles of the Upper Teche at one point,
and runs over into the Teche in high
water. By dredging the Upper Teche
above St. Martlnsville, which is now
contemplated, and dredging through to
the Courtableau, nearly the whole trade
of that bayou could be brought to
New Orleans via Bayou Teche and
Houma at an immense saving of dis
lance and cost. 1t now goes by the
Atchafalaya and the mouth of Red
River, more than 100 miles further than
by the Teche and Houma route.
|
between st. Martinsville and New Or
leans, and two OF three between the
Courtableau and New Orleans via the
mouth of Red River. We will prove
| in future articles that these parishes
could save oyer million dollors in ten
years by opening navi CATION via Tiger
Vile and Houma, and abandoning the
Red River route altogether to the end
of time.
Does anyone think that this new
: route is creature Of the imagination
only Let him 20 to Terrebonue pa1 10.
!, ank talk with Judge Goode, Mr.. Ed
Mcclellan, Col. Cage, the Bislands, the
Skaters, any man Of intelligence in the
J parish, and they have many such, and
let him look at the dredge boats work
ing up Bayou Terrebonne towards
Houma, and he will see that these
people are in earnest. They have a
strong organization of strong men, and
| are working for their individual inter
ests as well as for the general welfare
of the parish and country.