The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-31
The Mississippi Problem.

The city of New Orleans, geoyraphyl-
cally, is the best located city ON tho
sphere. She is near tho gulf, and has
all the Mississippi basin ut her back.
She has an area of land 1000 miles
north of her by 1900 miles wide, all
of which has untold facilities for agri-
culture, manufacturing, grazing, and
commerce. She, like Now York, has
water lines IN her rear that reach out
and drain tho numerous tributaries to
her main ditch, tho great Father of
Waters. Perhaps you hayc noticed
that Boston has deep water in front
and railways in the rear; and, practi-
cally, it is tho same with Baltimore;
while New York has the six by seventy
foot Eric canal and lakes behind her
Hudson river, and to the fact of tho
cheap water transportation Of New
York, she owes her success rs Il rival
city to Boston and BaltimOre; and,
now, then, should New Orleans have
deeper ocean vessels than either of
those three cites, and with water flow
ing to her doors, why wouldn't she
increase enormously in her CONNER
cial power?
But there are two great problems
which yearly, monthly, weekly. daily,
and hourly confront the people of
Louisiana, and they arc these:
l. Can Louisiana get rid of her
overllowsP
2. Can New Orleans harbor ships of
fifty feet depthP
Not long since crossed tho river at
Now Orleansa mile above Canal street,
to "Harvey's Canal" Tho milc-widc,
muddy, turbid stream was moving to
the gulf at about tho rate of three miles
por hour, and, when full, it has to run
down a slope of about seventeen feet
in going to the gulf, ut tho rivers
mouth, 120 miles distant. landed ut
Harvcy's canal-dock, which is not
yet opened to tho Mississippi river on
Its north end, by some few rods.
walked south for less than 400 feet,
when, down there in tho canal, l saw
gulf water just twelve feet lower than
tho river, only few rods north of
where stood. You ask why don,t
they cut the bank two miles wide and
fifteen feet deep, straight to tho gulf.
only fifty-fivc miles south, and thereby
drain the flood waters Of tho river,
and so increase tho outflow that tho
bottom Of the river will deepen up to
its rocky bottom or shoals? Well, now.
ancient citizen, you have mo, sure.
Why don't theyp
But, now, while this could be done,
there perhaps IS Il better place. 1t is
just ten miles southeast of New Or
leans, on the east side of the river, ut
the Lake Borgne canal outlet. There
the gulf is six miles east, while where
stood it was fifty-fivc miles away,
and were side mouth made there 1T
tho Lake Burgne outlet, two miles
wide and fifteen feet deep, ut most,
tho outflow of the surface water of tho
river would be so great that there
could not he any overflow, and. con-
seqnently, the problem of how to dry
Louisiana is easily solved. When
that is done, then the Harvey or Barl-
taria gulf-water ship canal could easily
be made five hundred feet wide, fifty
feet deep, and straight rs q pole, due
south to the gulf. fifty five miles. and
through which could pass tho biggest
ship that could be made. Gulf water
should be used, and thus keep out tho
settings of the MisG1sippi river.
These settings now drop. after meet.
ing tho gulf water. three miles out
from the river mouth, and are roach.
ed up on the sea bottom just like the
thread in weaving cloth. and tho shi ps
can't pillow through it when drawing
more than, say, twenty-five feet, anG
were it not for the constant dredging
or passing of tho screw prOpellcrs O