The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-10
WATER IN new ORLEANS
People Use That From the Clouds
for All Purposes.
So Shallow Is the Soil That the Dend
Cannot he Buried in the Ground,
But Are Deposited In Tombs-A
Southern City That Is Consider
ably Below the Level of the Sen.

During the neavy thunderstorm
Washington a few days ago. three mel
were watching the falling sheets OF waite
from the window Of the reading room OF
hotel fronting on Pennsylvania Avenue
One was a resident Of the Capital, anothe
was from Kentucky and the third was
visitor from New Orleans.
After forming pool at dollar cor
ner, to be won by the man who should
come nearest to guessing the exact amour
of rainfall, as recorded by the local wealth
er observer, the three fell to discussing
great storms generally from the standpoint
of personal experience.
The Washington man had Travelled ex'
tensively in tropical countries and he re-
lated stories of some of the many adven.
lures he had passed through in terrific
transforms in the South Pacific.
The man from Kentucky hadn't much tt
say, beyond remarkiBg that if as much
water should fall in his State as was thai
moment falling in Washington. fully
seven-tenths of the male population oil
Kentucky would have fit.
Then it was the turn Of the man from
New Orleans, who prefaced some interest
ing statements about his home town. by
declaring that he had seen the principal
thoroughfares of the Crescent City flooded
to the depth of foot of water by a shower
that had lasted less than half an hour. The
two other men looked little incredulous
and the Luuisianan, somewhat piqued,
continued in substantiation.
You may not know" said he, that
the city of New Orleans lies in a hollow
somewhat similar in form to that of an
ordinary soup plate. It is about fifteen feet
below the level of the sea and you may
imagine that the drainage problem with Us
Is one Of serious character. When there
is heavy rainfall the water must neces-
sarily collect in the depressions because
there is no way for it to pass OFF quickly,
as in cities where there is sufficient eleva-
ton to provide for gravity:
Even the surface of the Mississippi
River is much higher than the highest
point of land Mn the city and if 1t were
not for the protection OF the levees New
Orleans would undoubtedly become the
American Venice, or be swept from the
face OF the earth.
at is believed by engineers that the
floods in the Mississippi have annually
brought down vast quantities Of silt
which. being deposited in the various pass
es az the entrance into the Gulf OF Mexico.
have gradually raised the bed OF the
stream and. consequently. its surface. Thus
it has become necessary from time to time
to increase the height of the leyees to keep
the river from flooding the city. The
construction of the jetties at the mouth OF
the river has helped to keep the bed OF
the stream from rising as fast as formerly.
but the most important factor in protect
ing the city is unquestionably Pass Mans
hac.
many years ago a flood made an enor-
NOUS crevice in the eastern levee about
thirty miles north of the city. The i'm
mense body of water. sweeping with ter
rife force toward the interior. had the ef-
feet Of scooping out from the soft soil
kind CT channel or canal. This led in a
line to Lake Foncharrain. on the
opposite side of the city. into which vast
body OF water the flood discharged itself.
ut was this that had saved the city from
destruction, no doubt, but at first oven
the best engineers did not realize that fact.
When the question of closing the crevice
came up, however. the great expense OF
the undertaking set even the engineers to
thinking. Then ii was that somebody dis
covered that the crevice permitted SUI
ficiert amount of food of water to pass
from the river to the lake materially to
reduce the pressure on the levees below.
thus greatly lessening the danger OF in
undation Had the crevice been conceived
and executed by any man. the achieve
nent would have been regarded as anengin-
eering feat OF the first magnitude. When
its value as safety valve. as 1t were. be-
came understood, it was wisely resolved to
let 1t remuin and it is now permanent
pass.
Lake Ponchartrain was formerly salt
body of water. The Gulf of Mexico is con-
nected with the lake by the Rigolets
Straits A great transformation in the
character of the Ponchartrain water was
effected by the Mississippi influx. The
AXE formerly was as prettily and delicate
" blue as is the water of Como. Now, it
s the color OF custard pie. The prepond-
france of Mississippi muddy water is SO
great that the tide from the Gulf cannot
1egin to overcome it,
do you know" the man from Louisi-
ina went on. that the soil in New Or
cans is so shallow that we have to en-
omb our dead above ground? 1t is fact
hat if you dig a foot or two in the earth
lou will strike brackish water, which will
It once fill the excavation. 1t is believed
" many that the soil of practically the
ntire southern portion of the State is
II a naturally artificial formation, II so
apparently paradoxicai an expression can
he understood / mean that during unre-
orded centuries the Miss ssippi has been
ringing drift and silt down to its mouth,
nd finding a lodging place it has gradu
lily increased by the additions of years
ntil 1t has formed a vast area. That the
rater of the Gulf of Mexico actually flows
nGer very large portion of the State is |
generally believed. Much proof of this the |
ry was furnished when the railway from |
Jew Orleans to Mobile was being built. |
he road for many miles runs through |
or marshy land, and the bed is
together of made ground. When the
lie drivers were put TO work the work.
zen were astounded to see the great |
ieces of timber sink out of sight. Many
f the piles poked their ends up through
he marsh some hundreds of feet distant |
rom the point at which they had en-
cred. In no other way than by floating
Ould they have been conveyed from one
oint to another. and If they 1oated it
,ust have been in water. Now. that part
( the road is forty miles from the Gulf
+ Mexico. so it is reasonable to suppose
lat the Gulf water flows beneath the soil.
This question of water is n serious one
our city. We have no wells and no els
rms in the ground and the Mississippi |
alter is unfit to drink. Behind or by the
de of every house is built wooden els
IN shaped very like brewery vat, wide
the base and somewhat smaller at the
,p. 1t is generally almost as high as
10 house and is covered by more or less
name ntal cap, to keep out dirt, vermin
i'd other impurities. The roof of the
ouse is equipped with an elaborate sys-
IN of leaders or cutters which catch the
lin water and carry it TO q main pipe
hich discharges it into the cistern
trough an aperture just under the cap.
hesa cisterns furnish the water for all