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

Written tor The Tribune
tHYEW ORLEANS is unlike any other
IN American city. NO city in Amer
~ lea has remained for such Il long
period GOO years., SO distinctively for
cicn as New Orleans. Nowhere else in
america will such varied and novel
sights he found. In order 10 sec and
appreciate New Orleans. TIL" stranger
must know something of the history Of
this quaint old Franco-Spanish town.
that, with all the evidence Of the Amer
lean spirit of prosperity ana progress
around it, still retains with singular
charm the characteristics of its earliest
days. and clings with wonderful ten
acity to the traditions and customs of
Two centuries ago.
1t is said that Paris is France, ANA
It may also he said that New Orleans is
Louisiana, for the history Of The city is
the history of the state.
The first mention Of Louisiana and
Of the Mississippi river being tr;lversed
by white men. is in 1886, by the Span
, iartls under Narvaea in the vain at
tempt Ia conquer Florida and again in
1893 by DE Soto. Il native of Spain, who
died at The mouth OF the Red river in
1912, and according to tradition was
buried in the waters Of The Mississippi
river.
The remnant Of the expedition do
Scended the Mississippi to the Gulf in
July. 1913, after enduring great hard
ehps and privations. Thus does the
discovery of the Father of Waters he-
onG to the Spaniurds. ana no record
IF other white men visiting il for one
hundred and thirty years is in exist
ence.
In 1913 Father Marquette. Il mission
:try monk. entered the upper Mississ-
jppi and descended to Il point below the
7nouth of the Arkansas and returned
1ut in 1852 La Sale descended the
great river, to the passes, erected n
cross. and took solemn possession of
the country in the name of his SOW
creign. Louis XIV, king of France. aud
named it after him-I-ouiSana. In 1899
d an expedition composed of three hun
,hed men was sent ont 10 colonze
F.. Louisiana.
, FOUNDATION or NEW ORLEANS.
Sailing along the shores, of Lake
1'ontchartrain. in 111S Bicnvillc dis
covered the small stream now called
bayou ST. John" Ascending it he
cncamped for the night on the Melairie
Jiidge. The tract of country lying be-
tween the headquarters of the Bayou
aud the mississippi river was selected
as the site of the future city, The city
nf New Orleans is called the Crescent
city" from the crescent-shape curve of
its river front.
The total area of the city is about
md f,-. mil
with a front of over twelve miles on
the east bank OF the river. This vast
urea is not densely populated, except,
along the river bank aud the portion
built up extends generally to about one
miles back from the river. The city
has 30 miles OF streets, of which
twenty-five are paved with square
blocks Of stone,
The center portion of the city is built
of brick and stone, hut outside OF cer-
tain prescribed limits, wooden build
ings are erected, confined mostly to
dwellings, and some of the finest quar-
ters are built Of wood entirely. The
climate being damp. wooden structures
are generally preferred as they are
considered drier than those of brick,
DRAINAGE.
The streets of the city are scvcra,
eeet below the level of the river ana
the stranger is at once struck by the
novel sight of the surface water rum
ming from the river Owing to the
lnarshy soil of the city, underground
sewage is not in use ana surface drain
age carries Off all the sewerage except
that of the house sinks, the contents
of which have to be carted of and
dumped into the river The land SLOPES
gradually towards the rear ana mid
way is a ridge of land called the Me
tairie Ridge, some feet high, created in
forne, times by the waters OF the lake
and river meeting together. Beyond
the AIetuiric Ridge a great marsh eX-
tends which the storms of the lake
annually inundate. The cutters of the
city gradually slope towards the Gem
ter of tn" basin formed by the high
land on the river bank and the ridge,
At this ,cuter-poiat the cutters empty
their contents int the large canals nj
the end of which powerful drainage
wheels pump tn" contents into canals
discharging into the lake. This sys-
TEN of drainage does very well except
when the east winds blow the waters
OF The iuli into the lake and cause
the lake 10 rise and the canals TO fill up,
while the northwest winds drive the