Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-13
WATER IN NEW ORLEANS.

The city of New Orleans is built at point
on the Mississippi river where it curves like a
gigantic horseshoe. The city is about one
hundred miles from the Gulf and is built on
swamp grounds. It is in perpetual danger
lofOvertlOw, both from the river and Lake Pont-
chartrain, which is ten miles distant from the
Mississippi.
The levees-pronounced levys-protect the
city from inundation from the river, and these
are two rows of piles driven into the ground
along the river bank the first row of piling is
a few feet out from shore and are cut off, say
two feet, above the highest known water mark {;
the other row of piling is placed sixteen or
twenty feet farther out i'll the stream these
are driven much lower than the others heavy
timbers extend from the inside to the outside
piling laid at an angle Of about thirty-six de-
grees, and on these planks of yellow pine are
securely fastened with an intervening space Of
two inches between each row Of planks the
planks are laid parallel with the river, and the
force of the current is, of course, broken by
this continuance a few feet inside all this is
a Observation-Disclosures formed also of plank,
spiked against piles driven in the ground and
against this the earth is packed securely.
The river being higher during the rainy
season than the city the entire drainage of
New Orleans is from the Mississippi river to
Lake Pontchartrain. All the wash suds,
kitchen and chamber slops are carried by sur
face drainage through the streets into the
four or five drainage canals that flow into the
lake named, which is about four feet below
the level Of the Mississippi In order to carry
off so much refuse water the cutters are about
two feet wide and are frequently thirty inches
in DEPTH, measuring from the top of the curb.
These deep cutters cross all the streets running
north and SOUTH and where they cross the
streets are covered with iron tagging.
AS the Mississippi is the muddiest river in
the United States, and is unfit for drinking
or cooking purposes during six months OF the
year each house in the city has one OF more
immense tanks in the yard for the purpose OF
securing rainwater; if the house is three
stOried one the tank is a three-storied concern
also, and, being usually ten feet in diameter,
they hold an immense amount Of water.
While the last census shows that eighty-six
per cent. of the acreage of Louisiana is water,
or, in other words, for every tillable acre OF
ground there are six Of water, yet it is all un-
historical fact that for purposes of ablution
less water is used in New Orleans than in any
other American city. Possibly there are a
score of houses in the city supplied with bath
rooms, but doubt it.
"You appear to be very busy" said to the
proprietor of one of the two public lighthouses
in the city day or two ago.
Eyes, sir but hats because the city is
filled with Northern people, come here on
business and to see the mrdigras; they bathe
two or three times week such weather as
this, while the native New Orleans man don't
bathe that often in six MONTHS" was the in
formation the proprietor gave me.
The people of New Orleans are divided into
four classes, or rather nationalties French,
Spaniards, Italians and 'Niggers." The
French, Spaniards and Italians are clannish !;