The Republican journal., 1907-04-18
THE NEW SOUTH.

The New South is certainly develop
ing wonderfully and setting pace that
will be hard to follow. To one who
recalls the streets of Galveston in the
sos, in which the sand was ankle deep
the transformation wrought there since
a great portion of the city was destroy
ed by tidal wave seems wonderful;
yes, almost incredible. The manner in
which the work was done is quite as
remarkable as the work itself. A COM
mission composed of citizens expended
millions in safeguarding the city from
similar floods and in other needed in
provements without the slightest sus-
picion of jobbery or graft. 1t is to be
feared that this could be recorded of
few other cities, judging from the dis
closures in recent years of corruption
in st. Louis, Cincinnati Chicago and
elsewhere. And now New Orleans is
surprising the world with its sewer and
water systems. This city was built on
marshy ground at the rivers edge, two
feet below the level, at high water, of
the Mississippi, with marshes in the
rear extending to Lake Ponchitrain
the marshes indented with many
streams and bayous. There were no
cellars and piles were driven to get a
foundation for large buildings. There
was only surface drainage which was
10 q q
leading to the lake shore, where pump
ing stations discharged the water into
the lake. In many places the water
remained in the cutters until green and
stagnant In heavy rains the flow was
not sufficient to carry the water oil and
many of the streets would be flooded
for hours. The drinking water was de-
rived from cisterns filled by the rain,
of which there were some $4,000. These
were breeding places for mosquitoes
and it seems to be conclusively settled
now that mosquitoes disseminate vel
low fever. Some houses had also water
from the Mississippi, in color and con-
was filtered in earthen jars. This was
the condition only three years ago. OF
the conditions now writer in the New
England Magazine for April says:
Today, the administrators of the city's
public business have gone far in laying
permanently the foundations for city
of million inhabitants; a city to possess
a complete system Of underground sew
ers, ample and scientific drainage, and
a water supply to be taken from the
Mississippi river Today, New Orleans
presents the unique spectacle of a great
modern city that is to be plumbed pTac-
ticalIy all at once. Seventy miles of
underground sewers were opened some
months ago; two hundred miles more
are almost ready to be opened as this is
written; and other hundreds of miles
will follow speedily. The first connec-
ticns of business and private houses
with the mains were made in October,
1906 The drainage system was then
completed, and work was soon to begin
Oh the water works system.
AS the city is on dead level the
sewer is built in sections, with lifting
pumps to take the drainage from one
section to another 1t is now practi-
cable to have cellars, while before this
drainage the slightest excavation would
fill with water. Well may the writer
i'll the New England say of New Or
leans: a wonderful old city: a mar,
yeious new city. Her past romance
in hues most vivid: her present starred
with portents of industrial and com
mercIal greatness