The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-05-03
Bayou P~laquemine.
REASONS WHY IT SHOULD BE OPEN TO
NAVIGATION.

Capt. j. w. Bryant, who recently
made an appeal before the rivers and
harbors committee Of the house in be-
half of the permanent improvement of
the bayou Lafourche and tho reopen
ing Of the %Plaquemine route, has pre-
pared and forwarded to the Hon. An
drew Price the following ad ditional
data relating to the latter project,
for use before the rivers and harbors
committees:
In 1917 William Durhy, in his sur
vey of Louisiana, recommended bayou
Plaquemine as Il drain for the Missis-
sippi river and a better, shorter and
more reliable means of communica-
ton between the bayou Teche section
of country and the Mississippi river
thai by way Of the Atchafalaya.
Said Mr.. Darby: "From the efaux of
the At~chafalaya to it's mouth there is
but n place 1.-THE mouth of Plaque
mine) where the river approaches
very near the Mississippi. 1t is only
even miles in a direct line from where
the Plaquemine leaves the Mississippi
to its discharge into the A%tchafalaya.
In autumn when the waters are low
the tide reaches up the Atchafalaya
and Plaquemine to within FIVE miles
Of the Mississippi"
In 1915 the steamboat Louisville
entered the bayou ~Plaquemine from
the Mississippi, and went to St. Mar
tinsville, on the bayou Teche. This
was the first boat to pass through the
bayou.
In 1927, through legislative enact
ment, bayou Plaquemine was render
ed nayigable for keelboats. After
this. and up to 1866, it was largely used,
and exclusively so by steamers en-
gagged in carrying freight and passen-
gers to and from the bayou Teche, and
are steamboatmen yet living
who remember it, in time, distance,
and in other respects, as a route
preferable to the one by way Of
Atchafalaya.
Quantities of drift passed through
from the Mississippi, which was kept
from forming obstruction and imped-
ing the waters flow by means of a
maintained at State ex-
pense, but afterwards, through ne
glect, the drift vas allowed to ledge
and accumulate, until RATS were form
I'd, which interrupted the discharge
Of waters. and caused them to back up
and overflow the levees and lands ad-
For a distance OF about TWEEN
miles down from the head of
the Plaquemine, and on either side the
lands are very fertile and were in a
high state of cultivation, the product
IF sugar and molasses alone amounted
to $504.OO From the causes stated, |
and rs a "a of avoiding the ruin
that was to follow, the head of the
was closed with a dam, under
of the police jury of Iber- |
vile parish, in 1866. Since then COM
.nunication with the bayou by water
las been cut off and maintained with
The bayou Teche section bv means of the /
route more difficult and expen-
sive, not alone in the costs of car
but in insurance, the rates of
which arc nearly double those that
prevailed when the Plaquemine route
was in use. But, owing to the in
crease in population the need of conf
AZ between carriers and the
for cheaper, quicker and in
creased facilities of transportation, and
If other certain and immediate results
% follow. the popular sentiment in
favor of the restoration of the route
lnder the plan of locks recommended
by the engineers and adopted by con-
yress is unanimous. Before the rivers
and harbOrs committee it was shown
recently that the value of the pro-
1ucts of the bayou Teche shipped nv
alone, and not including
The shipments by rail, amounted to
s1,371, $50. The return cargoes, con-
of supplies of all kinds,
mechanical and agricultural imple-
nents. machinery ETC., amounted in
value to 81 $50, 1000. To this must he
added the coal received from the Ohio
direct, valued at 500, 900, the
value of the cypress and pine logs
manufactured into lumber and shin
,les and shipped mostly to the west
sru states, estimated at $75O,O0O. and
he farm products Of the Plaquemins
md supplies purchased, valued ut
e45O.0OO, the whole will make a total
IF 81, Ill., $50 for the year ending June
30, 1889.
1t was asked by the rivers and har-
committee if the estimate of the
cost of the locks was mot axcoSs;,o