New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1907-02-23

While one h1s been allowed tp innrut'
hv rpaauu Of the sinister lrH ieuer of rr
tain vested interests, the other not
worse fate nt the hands nf Army EHuil
pers who's + three adverse surveys vlrtt
in estimate from eight million dolIn
10 the first 10 one quarter million ~ III
last
Deep Water Mt the Mouth of the Aichi
fanvp was taken M iu enrupst by IN
people of South West Louisiana IittI
more than n year ago. On April l0tl
last, n large delegation made trip dow
TO Point An Fer Reef md such enthu
sinsm was manifested that the AteharnI
ayo Bay Ship Channel Co. a colporntio
with CAP tnl stock of $3.50. 900 600 vn
organzeu and 1880, 900 90 Of stock sub
scribed in m afternoon. Since fhat tim
no effort has been made te increase Tin
stock subscription but sufficient amoun
Of that already subscribed has been cnllei
in TO complete a survey of the noposct
Channel. A report of This survey ia to b,
| found herewith.
! The results Of this survey Is most graft
| fying aud reveals the fact tpaf Cbauuc
| 100 feet wide, II feed deep, / ! miles long
with double width through The Reef rnt
be made by the removal of 250 600 cubic
yards of material which is for the most
part soft clay containing no sti
Mr.. Clarkes bid, n copy Of which will he
forwarded herewith, states that bis com
pany will do the dredging for the sun of
$3.50, 000 90. He has stated further that
II can Le doue in I've months time
Whereas channel 100 feet wide aud
If fact Ibnh will In ma mann
the conghsted condition Of the commerce
of this section, the example Of It's easy
aeconpl shment at the cost Of SO small a
sum will, we are assured by tho members
Of the Rivers aud Ilarhors Committee.
force the United States Government to-
take up the work and make Of this mngui-
iicenl harbor the seaport which nntute
has designed it-wilh II minimum depth
of 30 10 30 feet
What bns been done by the progressive
people of Galveston, Houston. aud espoei
ally al Gulfport where putelg Artificial
hHrbor has been dug into n sand beach nj
the cost of millions is an example of what
can be done in Atehafalaya Bay at an in
significant cost Here we have The eur.
rent of a majestic river absolutely free of
all deposits a natural INLAND hnrhor hay
ing n depth of from so to 100 feet with
room,eDough for the Naves of the World
by perhaps the richest section
of the United States.
When the Government took charge of
The hnrbor ut Gnfport the promoters were
reimbursed for ali outlay
IL is just possible that this company
may be equally fortunate II we may
iudgs by what the Rivers aud Harbors
Comm, looked and said last summer
while on tour of INSPECTION down the
Atchafnlnya We may hope Tor much III
heir hands however. until we do demon.
'lrate what n simple matter il il to cross
Point Au Fer Reef with II TO 90 feet for
. nominal outlay we can expect nothing.
Tho reports Of the Army Engineers on
his project read about as follows:
"The River inside the Reef ia large and |
leep and ample for any commerce. We
'stimate That the necessary dredging in
he Bay can be done for approximately |
900. GOO 90. II is nevertheless the opin-
on of your commission that the outlay is
'ot justified by the commerce of the port
The influence of the Kali Roads in the
making OF these reports is 81 giaringly
vident that even the name of MIR. Coils
;. Huntington, one time President Of the
outhern Pacific, Is TO be found in one of
hem, and his evidence is taken IA Goa.
lusive.
Until Coastwise shipping called for
iore Than feet of water. the Atchnfa.
lya boastCd of outside eommeree, and
lat too, Mt n time when the wealth of
lis section was mere fraction of what
Is today.
This commerce WAS very largely aug.
tented by steamship line belonging to
re rail road aud had II not seemed ad.
antageous TO that corporation TO aban.
Oh this port for Galveston. the Atehafa-
va River would, beyond doubt, today
ave been a gulf port second ouly to
ew Orleans.
All Of these facts, in come tinn with
Ie old policy of the rail roads throttling
ater transportation, might have been
rgotten were there sufficient tracks and :
'rs to carry the country's produce. The !
iblic prints are each day full Of evi- y
'nces OF the hopeless inadequaey of our 8
'mmon carriers. Mr.. Hill. President of :
e Great Northern, wired Mr. Ransdell
recent Rivers and Harbors Congress :
at an additional 10000 miles of track q
'd the accompanying rolling stock !
ould be required to give shippers proper 9
comm ,datio The New York Central $
Is recently voted TO deepen the Erie
'nal to IL feet, along the banks OF
lich II operates four track system. :
These and many other equally signif
Mt facts too numerous to mention, we
ieve, Indicate that our rail roads are
,king up to a late realization uf the
ct that the country is big enough and
IRE thn1 productive enough TO gu to It's
most capacity every pos ible artery Of
There has already been tremendous
'akeniug along this line. Congress has
eady made provision fot AT least some
rt OF the intereoastal Canal. A Canal
injecting the Rio Gfande and the Mis-
sippi will call Tor maximum number
outlets 10 the sea.
Dur Gulf Coast, the richest section of
! States, which can boast of but typ
ap water ports is longer than twice the
tanee between Boston aud Baltimore
ere are to be found four of the largest
is la the world.
This lntetcoastal C4nnl will enable the
PIPER OF Snuth-W West Loul -snna 10 re.
We anu shtp In unbroken bulk. earpues
and from all points between the Mex.
n Border aud Chicago and New Yafk.
the deep water into the Atahafaiasa
give exporting facilities foi no small
OF the produce OF the gfeat valley of
Mississippi In The same way that. TO
te the River Commission, the Atehafa
besides draining its own basin dis
rges l.6 OF the volume of the Mississip.
he country at large has ontgrewn its
isportaiion facilities insomueh that
cry for ears by every shipper is fore
an ss5, 600, 600 Rivers and Harbor au- !.
priation. This community with its
'le track trunk line represents perhaps r
EXTREMIST case Of insufficient shipping
lities.
an need for an outlet TO the saa 1T this
as well as the opening of the PLAQUE.
g Locks, ffiis building OF the Locks at
aldsonyiIIe, the opening Of the re-