The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-04-17

ElEDN a-MMNA1AAN-MN ~ ~
CARRIED sput-BEhat Has Al
ready HBeen Done Character
OF the Soil.
Correspondence of The Times-D Democrat.
LAKE CHARLES, April 2, 1886.
Finding that the developments of
the syndicate had far transcribed my
expectations, and desiring to see for
myself the dimensions Of their opera
tions i determined to learn from MIR.
j. b. Watkins all I could Calling
upon him, he very courteously ten
dered me the use of his beautiful and
swift steam yacht, the Xantho, to fla
cilitate my Investigations. He kindly
postponed trip to New Orleans to
accompany me, and Profs. A. Thorn
son ana S. A. Knapp, his chief assist
ants, honored me with their company.
DIR. Vim. III. Kirkman, a well-iniormed
and public-spirited citizen of Lake
Charles, was also of the party.
Our course was down the Calcasieu
river, through Lake Galcasieu, to the
scene of the dredging and rice-plant-
ing operations of the company, dis
tant about forty miles from Lake
Charles.
Down the river, ] noticed quite Il
number of settlements, some of them
very handsome, with orchards of peach
and orange-the latter, ] fear, killed
outright, by the exceeding rigor of
last winter-of considerable dimen-
sions.
Around the east shore of Lake Cal.
CasIeu were seen more residences than
were expected, and it may be said to
be well populated.
Coursing down the lake, and on its
east side, soon came upon the scene
of the first or upper system. This is
based upon a continuation of Black
Bayou, which runs into the prairie o
number of miles and forks.
THE SECOND SYSTEM
is upon a much larger scale and upon
a different plan. First, there is run q
base canal Of greater width and depth
than any other, near the shore of the
lake, and approximately conformable
to its course 10 the Gulf. This is the
great foundation of the drainage and
the main receptacle of the surface
water from the subordinate canals. Al
the mouth of this canal is placed {
gate, which can be closed or opened
as the occasion may demand. The
,leyee thrown up on the lake side Of
the main canal is presumed to be sufii
cient protection from flooding the area
landward by storm tides; but, if not
the embankment can be raised by dir
secured from a parallel and contiguous
canal. The levec of this base cana
must be eight or ten feet broad anC
four to six feet high. The character
of the earth from the seat of the cana
is impermeable, and prevents sipeage
Ultimately this Iesee and all subor
dinate ones will be dressed into sym
metry and "set" in Bermuda grass tx
prevent erosion from storm tides o.
attrition by rainfall.
At right angles to this,base canal
which runs approximately north ant
south--are canals coming equidistan
| Ia half mile apart) into it. Thes1
smaller canals run east into the prairiei
and drain the upper areas. The smalle
canals are six feet deep and twenty
one feet wide. They are not all o
equal length. These long parallel
/ grams are subdivided into forty aor,
tracts by bitches running north ant
south, and interesting the canals a
right angles. These arc for subordinate
drainage and are fitted with sluices
They make the land dry enough fo
rice.
So far about thirty-tWo miles o
canal have been cut, but this is only
commencement. They are getting
ready to SOW rice, and have pumped
the water off alarge field. Part the,
have pIowed with two sorts of plow
--one a gang pillow called the Cuban
another a larger and single pillow
There are five pIows in the former. /
does much better work than the lat
ter, making beautiful work for the i'm
nense roller, which is ten feet high
with as much tread All the work i
done by steam. In two parallel canal
are two large scows each, and on eithe
scow are two powerful engines ant
boilers. Attached TO each is hug,
steel drum, upon which plays or wind
o steel cable. At given signal, b,
whistle, the machinery is starter. On,
engine pulls the pillow, or roller, AM
Winds upon the drum, the other drum
unwinding. Having made the hal
mile to the other side, the other en-
gine pulls back the huge roller or ploE
THE DRAINAGE System
is so arranged that the fields can b
| flooded or drained at will. Prof
| Thomson told me, most elnphatically
| that be had solved the problem .
drainage, and that he could reclaiH
the land, and iitit for agriculture. M
exigency seem to battle his capabilities
There are several inventions devise,
by him, in the emergencies Of Iii
novel work, on one or more of whicl
he has secured patents. Not beinl
machinist enough to describe, j shal
not attempt N further than TO sa,
that ! saw this hinge roller, steerel
from the front by a lover adjusted i
an arm that was most astonishing
work.
Some Of the employees kindly pulle,
MS a long distance 10 q boat throngl
the canals to the scene Of dredging
This huge steam dredge takes up 4
one scoop cubic yard and a quartz
Of earth. Mr., Watkins told me thai
on hard race, one Of his dredges has
cut several hundred feet Of canal il
one day. 0rdlnariIythe dredges (threc
cut about 600 feet per day. Only on
was at work Al tile time; the crews .
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