New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-03-03
THE PROPOSED INLAND CANAL.

takes live interest in the great
inland waterway from the MlsSis-
Sippi to the Sabine. has recently
addressed the following communi-
cation to the Abheville Meridioual ;
knowing that YOU take interest
in the water courses Of our parish
| inclose a circular giving iuforma-
ton about the Louisiana water
ways Association aud one solicit
ing membership to same.
You probably saw in the New
Orleans dailieS that Congressman
RrousSard had introduced a bill in
Congress. a few days ago. asking
for a $50. 900 appropriation ito
provide that an additional Surv, =
shall be made for an inland route.
surveyed under the act of Congress
of March 3, 1873, along the mar
gin of the Gulf Of Mexico from
Donaldsonville. La. to Rio Grande.
Texas, by cuts aud canals as a
means of military and naval de-
fense aud commercial purposes"
Later he introduced bill asking
for $3.50. 900 for the construction
of locks on the Lafourche at Don
aldsonville.
| have just returned from New
Orleans where | went to urge upon
the Waterways Association the ne
cessity of endorsing said inland
canal. and succeeded in having a
committee appointed, composed of
Engineers Richardson and Lewis,
and Mr.. Drown. to obtain all pos
sible data respecting the proposed
canal and the benefits to be derived
therefrom. Mr.. Broussard was kind
enough to send me a copy of the
report to the War Department of
the survey of 1878, and as the
route chosen passes through the
southern part of our parish from
east to west, l hereby give synop-
sis of that part of the survey con-
tanned in said report between Nor
gan City and Port Arthur includ-
ing estimates made at that time. |
have been told, however that to day,
owing to improved methods in
dredging, these estimates would be
lowered about one-third the origi-
nal figures.
The proposed canal was to be 60
feet wide at the base and 6 feet
deep at mean low tide. The esti-
mated cost from Morgan City to
Sabine, connecting the Vermilion,
Mermentau, Calcasieu and Sabine
Rivers and their tributaries with
the Mississippi was $1,9l5, ,141.97,
as follows:
l. From Morgan City to
Franklin, through Little At
chafalaya and Bayou Teche OOO, ,0O0.0 90
2. Excavating by men and
teams from Bayou Teche
at Franklin to Murphy's
canal, distance Of Il
100 miles -. -. 49,. 8 1ss,779.oo
3. Dredging from Murphy's
canal to Cote Blanche Bay,
by making use Of Bayous
Miller and Portage-9 23-
100 miles. -. =. 35,s94.00
4. Cleaning and grubbing 1,760.00
s. Dredging Schooner Bayou
from Vermilion Bay to
point 6 5O-Ioo miles. -. 3s,s22. 90
6. Dredging from the head
of Schooner Bayou to
Grand Lake, through marsh
White Lake, marsh Twin
Lake, marsh Alligator
Lake, marsh Lake Collicon
and Bayou Collicon, a dis
tance Of "a so 100 miles. 525,25l. .76
I. Dredging from Grand
Lake, through Willow Lake
to Calcasieu Lake, % %
1Oomiles ............... 555,127B5
8. Dredging from Calcasieu
Lake through Kelser bayou
to Sabine Lake, 20 miles. Ago, ,1S0. 50 |
D. Construction Of two jetties
at the mouth of Sabine Riv-
or in Sabine Lake. ....... 9O,S2s. .76
Total. ... -. -. $l,915, ,14l.97
This would give us cheaper trans
portation for our products to New
Orleans, Sabine and Port Arthur,
all deep water ports, having trans
facilities to northern