The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1882-07-01

I'm offering a resolution, at
the last session Of the Police Ju'
ry, appropriating a sum OF money
to blow up some OF the islands
and bartures in lower Bayou La.
fourche, in order that the current
may wash them away, the Presl
deut of that body submitted the
following remarks:
SIN offering tho Resolution I have Just
read lido not ask any action Ut the Police
Jury at this session, but propose to advo
cate its passage at a future session OF this
body.
inundations in this Parish is one Of mouen
tous Importance to every inhabitant there
in. ~
Tnat the lands Of this Parish are liable
ia inrAdatiun from breaks in our Levees bo
fore the water in the other Parishes Of the
! State reach danger line ia u fact notorious
to evcry intelligent citizen. For this there
! should be some valid and tangible leasOn.
| In a survey Of Bayou Laf"nrchs made.
| some ten years ago.. by an officer OF the Uni
| ted States Engineer Department, the meas
I uremepts showed that the capacity Of out
! let in that stream in front Of Haraug's plan
| tation, when full to the top OF the Leveef
| was only equal in volume to the capacity
| Of inlet ut Donaldsonville when the heigh,
I If water was two feet below the level 81
the earth.
This fact will. at once, show the utte1
impossibility Of the water coming into I'M
streau, when it reachee it's full capacity Of
inlet, to escape through tho more marrow
and obstructed passage at the point indioa
ted.
This obstruction operates as o dam hold
ing the water back. checking its current
and thereby causing it to deposit SAINT
along the stream, higher up, until the capa'
ity Of the stream, is reduced to that in
front of Harang's,
This deposit has been gradually creeping
nm the stream until immense battures ar
formed along the banks. or islands ar
made in tho centre, almost rs Tar up a
Raceland.
In the mean time nature has been strivn,
to remedy the evil itself ty washing o.
the bottom of the stream among these oil
structions until q depth Of six to ten fee
is found in low water. without q particle q
sand in the chanuel. the bottom being cor
posed Of blue pitch like mud. !.
There can be no questiG1t that these il
lands and bars are formed 1b6ur. aud he'll
together by logs. stumps. and other NOVA
bles in the body Of the stream.
Were these bars removed in high waite
the stumps &c. could be removed in lo'
: water following. These Islands are fornie
, from deposits Of Mississippi sand. Looscne
by any means that would give an Openiu
i for the currents to pass through, the
r would crumble to ATONE n would be ca
ried away by the current to the Gulf
Mexico
G A few kegs Of powder or pieces Of Dyu
mite dropped into these sandy formation
and exploded by electric batteries woul
9 make 40 opening sufficiently large to c:.u'
. o passage OF the water through them whe
they would very quickly crumble to piece
! The experiment is worth trying. The
terests involved are of 80 great importan,
q that the expenditure of q few hundred dc
: lars will be nothing. compared with Il
! good it may accomplish.
n The amount OF money and time
4 pended last Spring upon the Levees in
fourche would amount to over twenty tlm
the amount ask d to test this matter. K
q move tho distractions go as to secure .
pacity of outlet equal to that Of the inlet
- to Bayou Lafourche and there will never
q . rise in that stream of sufficient height
cause any inconvenience, much less DANA
to the furmers and planters ON the banks
that stream, in the limits of Lafourche.
The experiment Ia worth the trial. If
fails then other remedies must be sougl
No other Ones are known that would n
vost thousands of dollars. Let an effort
~ made and an opportunity be offered {
=. Bayou to clean itself by giving the wal
Q passage through these deposits, which
n will enlarge and ultimately remove the I
~ atructiOne.r