The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-09

being the natural drain of the site, its
rHmitcationS can be seen OH each side
of the canal street shell road and the
engineers have followed out these lines,
traced hy nature. by digging. IN all
low places canals leading to the lake.
All drainage goes by these under
ground arclled canals into Pontchar-
train which is from twenty To twenty
five feet below city level
The sewerage IL pumped into the
Mississippi river from pumping sta
tionS. Here are the largest drainage
machines in the WOrld. The fifteen
drainage canals of the city carry FIVE
footpipes underground. while the gut
ter pipes ar" three feet in diameter.
The canal CEayou st. John,. extending
from center of the city to Lake Pom
char,ran. is eight miles long. 100 feet
wide. and eight feet deep. Small Hat
bottom packets and steamers can sail
on it. On one side is the electric rail-
road ana on the opposite side is Il fine
shell carriage road~-a charming drive.
QUEER FEATURES.
New orleans is ono of tn. most
unique Of American cities. the names
OF it's streets and position of its ave-
nues recalling its French paren;agc
and subsequent Spanish ownership.
The city is regularly laid out in
squares. ana With narrow streets and
very wide avenues, the streets We're
made narrow. as in all hot climates. to
secure shade. and Wore named in hon
or of the royal family of France.
The original city. comprising that
part lying between Canal street Is
planlde. Rampant streets. aud the
river. was surrounded by n wall and
fortified by the Spanish governor.
Baron DE Carondelet. in 11!h. New
Orleans was we'll defended then. and
can boast of once having Il fortress.
second only to Metz and Strasburg. \
century ago, no one had ever stormed
its virgin walls. no one had ever
climbed them. or been near enough to
get a glance Of them. When the Amer
leans took possession i'll 1903. the for
titications were leveled ana tn" town
commenced to spread out. The little
suburbs We're gradually annexed until
the city has attained it's present great
area Of iS7 square miles. the populated
section embracing about fifty square
miles. All nationalitieS are represent
ed among her population. but the two
most distinct classes are the CreoleS
and Americans--the former living be-
low Canal street. the latter above.
Canal street seems to be the dividing
line, and we are told there are many
CreoleS who have never crossed that
line. The change from the American
portion to that of the Creole is very
sudden, and in penetrating into this
French quarter, the stranger goes, as
it were. into another city. The signs
are in French. also the names OF the
streets, while French is heard on all
sides by the better class. The lower
classes and negroes have a mixture Of
French and Spanish language Of their
own, difficult even for natives to un-
derStand.
ODD ARCHITECTURE.
New Orleans, having changed its
ownership no less than five times. hay
ing passed under as many masters.
having witnessed such vicisSitudes Of
fortune, naturally has history full of
incidertS and romance. In the old
"Quartier," the stately old homes so
quaint, SO rcign-looking, Sti!l stand
today as they came from the hands of
the Spanish and French architect. A
tour through any of these streets will
bring before the visitor sights to be
found nowhere else in the world.
Chartres street is one of the picturesque
streets to visit, not merely to walk
along on, keeping ycur gaze at a level.
but TO halt and look up the street and
down at the oddly furnished balconies
and galleries, just out from the tail.
dingy, wrnkled houses that look as if
the rooms had come out to see what
tho neighborS were after. peering into
each others faces as il in eternal con-
fab. Here, too. queer little shops are
found, apothecaries and musty stores.
where old furniture, braSses. brOnZes
and books are sold. bird stores, in
Vulnerable. where alligators are pul-
chased as well--all these lying in Il sort
of half-doze. one must halt and peer
into the doorways, even slyly pene-
udting n yard or so into some OF the
long. dark tunnel entrances in search
of paved coiTt-yards, with arched
piazzas, porticoS and So forth. too
numerous to relate.
a pleasant feature Is that the lnhab-
ltants Of these grim houses are very
KIND TO the peering stranger In his
curious admiration, and smile gracious
~ for you 10 look about to your fiji, In
most OF these yards you viii hnd huge
plants. in huge pots. pomesranate
ireeS, Towering shrubs. Sometimes YOU
Viii see u battered bronze statue, ~! n
marbic figure grown as gray as an old
Sreol" darkeS, that smiles at you from
the "banque'tte," Here YOU see great
yellow and earthen water. iars--tho
ones in which the Forty Thieves"
We're hid on memorable occasion
These huge jars add much to the charln
OF the soegy court-yards. ON this street
is the old Cathedral of st. Louis" in
which numerous people of note are
buried; the Archepiscopal palace. for
merly the Trsuline convent for CEN
Jury and st. Marys chapel,
JACKSON SQUARE.
Undoubtedly the most historic spot in
New Orleans is Jackson square. Around
Jackson square gather all tr' mem-
ories OF French, Spanish ana American
occupancy. The quairt shops With
their mixture OF French, Spanish and