The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-07-25
Report of Preliminary Exami'
nation OF Bayou Vernniliomo

OFFIcE UNITED STATES ENGINEER, New
ORLEANS, La, Jan. 20, 1s91...General:
have the honor to submit the following
report upon preliminary examination O.
Bayou VermiIion, bay and passes
Louisiana.
This examination was made by Assist
ant Engineer r. FL. Thomson, whose re
, port lcopy herewith) is so complete there
remains little more to say, and reference
of the stream, the varions distractions tt
; navigation existing, and statistics.
The value of the sugar, molasses. cottoI
and rice of this years crop is over $500,
900, and it the infreights are of equa
value, as estimated, the total annua,
81, SOC. 900.
InsItTy opinion this showing is sufficient
to warrant improvement to suchta an ex
tent as to allow 81 feet OF water to be car.
RED up TO the crossing OF the Southern
Pacific Railroad.
| es s6I roughly that this work will
cost $4,000 no further survey will be re-
CURED unless Congress decides to under.
take the Improvement.
want, w. L. FIsK,
Captain of Engineers.
Brig. Gen. THOMAS j.. CASEY,
Chief of Engineers, u. s. A.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. II, 1S91.-Sir: I re-
spectfully submit the following report of
passes,,with accompanying map.
Bayou Vermilion, rising in the parish of
st. Landry, flows IN a southerly direction
Tor a distance of approximately ninety
miles to its mouth, where it emptiesiinto
the bay of the same name. Tt may be said
to be navigable for its entire length, as
all parts of it have been used for the
transportation of crops and supplies, but
the construction of Morgan's Railroad
across the upper portion has caused an
tire cessation of all traffic above the
crossing.
The facilities offered by the railroad
have also caused the withdrawal of the
tending from the railroad to Sebastopol
tCoulee.
The distractions consist of logs and
Overhanging timbers.
From Eebastopol Cou1ee to Vermilion
Bay boats drawing 81 feet can at all times
freely pass, SO far as the stage of water is
concerned. The bayou has a very uniform
width of about 100 feet until it passes
|Abbeville, and from that pointit gradu-
ally wldens to the mouth, Wherethe width
is about 400 feet. For the last seven miles
ut flows through the sea marsh.
After leaving Sebastopol Coulee the
first obstruction is Broussard's Bridge.
The only fault to be found with it lis the
location, it being in q short bend, and
and stern are both in the bushes on the
banks. The location is inexcusable. as
by going up the stream $50 feet the bridge
could have been placed in a straight
reach. There is no special danger in pass
ing the bridge, but 1T causes great delay,
especially when there is any wind.
The next serious obstruction is the
bridge at Abbeville.s This is so dangerous
that / have thought it best to make the
accOmpanyingplan, by reference to which
you will see hcw badly a structure can be
located.
Certainly the location should be
changed so as to place the structure at
right angles to the stream.
The next serious obstruction is the hull
of the steamboat Exchange, which lies
about two miles below Abbeyille. The
forward and after decks remain intact.
but the middle of ths hnH has been broken
up, leaving the ribs of the vessel at low
tide exposed. This wreck is peculiarly
dangerous, and the snag which sunk the
boat projects from the bank on the on
posite side not more than 100 feet above
it. The relative position of snag and
wreck make this a particularly dangerous
obstruction.
There is another drawbridge at Perry's
Bridge, but the river is straight and the
opening ample.
At Rose Hill plantation, some fifteen
miles below AbbeVllle, is a sunken coal
barge loaded with coal. but it is probable
that the owner will attempt to recover
the coal and cut up the barge for fuel.
Between Sebastopol Coulee and the
mouth of the bayou there are about fifty
snags which should be removed. Many Of
these are just below the surface at low
water and are never visible.
The bar extends from the mouth of the
to Buck Point, a distance of about
'three-quarters of q mile. 1t is soft mud,
and the steamers by always passing in
one place have made a channel through,
pushing the mud up on each side. AT or
binary high water there is not more than
S feet on this bar, but the mud is SO soft
that the steamer can push through at least
| foot of 1T.
From Buck Point ont into Vermi1ion
Bay. at a point north of Reddish Point. the
point to the Gulf through Southwest
Pass there is fully 10 feet. "a line drawn
from Reddish Point to Cypremort Point
would pass " o very extensive shoal,
which is bare at low water.
In passing between Bird and Marsh
Islands the water is not more than 81 feet
in depth. After passing Bird Island it is
about 8 feet to Bayou Sole Bay. where it
deepens to a depth OF is feet. There is an
other shoal just north of Morrison CUT
off with 5aafeet, hntin thecut-off itself the
depth is 10 feet and upwards. and this
depth continues TO the open water out
side This examination was asked for by
living ON the Vermilion. with the
hope to have the stream opened at the up-
per end, that they might have some GER
tain and speedy means of communication.
A very forcible example of the uncer-
Of the present route has just oc-
CURED, as the only steamer now running
broke down and was unable to deliver the
When we reached the bayou
they were out of supplies; in fact some of
the merchants had hauled temporary sup
plies of groceries from New Iberia. The