The Washington herald., 1909-06-27
BIG THINGS DOING
In CRESCENT CITY
1t Is the Southern Gateway
of the United States.
TRAFFIC LINES CENTER THERE
Municipality Fills a Parish and
Covers Territory of 196 square
SIiIes-Ocean and Land TranspOrta-
tion Meet on Thirty Miles OF
Wharves-Picture of New Orleans.

New Orleans. June 26.-By building upon
its natural advantages New Orleans will
eventually become a city Of primary
world Importance. Four cities IN the
United States stand out conspicuOUsly at
its cardinal points-New York on the
East Atlantic. Chicago on the Northern
Lakes. New Orleans on the Mississippi
River and the Gulf Of Mexico, and San
Francisco on the Pacific
New Orleans lies 10 miles from the
EaOuth OF the Mississippi and comprises
the entire parish OF Orleans. with an area
CT 1861 square miles. 1t has a harbOr
ranging IN depth from 200 to S5 feet; thir-
y miles Of wharves, q part OF which are
covered by municipality owned modern
steel sheds. and a public belt railroad
which. free of charge. transfers com
mcdities TO and from railroads.
7 IS the largest coffee, banana, sugar,
cotton. and rice market in the United
States, and by reason OF It's geographical
location enjoys unusual rail and ocean
transportation facilities. It's population
IS principally American, with a large
number OF Prench-speakfng inhabitants
the Creoles Of louisiana, who live for the
most part IN that section lying below
Canal street known as the French or
Creole quarter.
Big Railways Center There.
There are 5000 miles Of railways with
terminals az New orleans. with other
lines under construction. and one OF the
largest ear-repair plants IN the United
States IS located here. The grain eleva-
tors at New Orleans are among the larg-
est at any seaport. and the second largest
sugar refinery in the world. costing
A00O0O. has just been completed It's
street railway system IS one OF the best
IN the United States and practically uni
versaI transfers are given. Its hotels are
modem and ample, and some 100000
has recently been spent on two new ones.
now opened.
The proximity OF New orleans 10 nu-
merOUs great natural products adds TO its
prestige as a port and manufacturing
center. The largest sulphur and salt
mines IN the world are less than 200 miles
distant IN Louisiana, and in the same sec
tion are located the imm. nse sugar and
rice plantations and the great oil fields
a.
ana. are the greatest lOng-leaf yellow
pine forests now remaining IN America
while cotton IS grown practically through
out the state.
Natural Gas an Advantage.
The recent discovery OF natural gas in
Northwest Louisiana, near Shreveport.
credited by government experts 70 be the
largest proven field in America. gives
additional potency for wealth and manu-
featuring development This gas will be
brought by pipe line 70 New Orleans. a
distance OF 352 miles. other gas fields
only q few miles distant, but as yet un-
developed, give promise of future great
supplies. There are immense stores OF
Ignite in Louisiana. while iron. coal
marble. and building stone are being de-
velOped and Will ultimately be produced
IN commercial quantities
Louisiana does not tax foreign capital
for investment purposes. and within the
past few months millions of dollars have
been brought into New Orleans and the
State 10 develop its resources and manu-
factuTing.
The Panama Canal is COO miles nearer
New Orleans than 10 any other large sea-
port. and an ever-growing trade Is being
developed with Cuba. Mexico, and Cen
tral America New Orleans is the head.
quarters Of the new Twelfth United States
railway mail division and the home OF
other important governmental depart
ments. One OF the two greatest steel
floating dry docks IN the world is Iocat-
ed here. and the United States naval sta
tion and repair shops al New Orleans are
the most modern OF any city I'm the Unit
ed States.
The assistant r,ftrcH q sing ae,a,,c,y - 4fo
Isthmian Canal Commission IS located
here
Sanitary Conditions Good.
From health standpoint New Orleans
compares favorably with any large city
OF the United States. the resident white
death rate averaging less than fifteen per
thousand Three great municipal i'm
provements are IN a measure responsible
for this excellent showing drainage, sew
erage. and pure water.
The first has been in operation seven
years, and dry excavations 10 the depth
OF nfteenrtO twenty feet are now possible.
whereas until the installation OF the
drainage system such was out Of the
question. The sewerage is conveyed into
the river far below the city. The water
sar domestic consumption is taken from
the Mississippi al the upper end OF the
city, passed over filtration beds. chemi-
caliy treated. and distributed to the
mains. This water is soft and said to be
OF unusual purity. II addition 70 the
health feature, the inauguration OF this
new water system VIII result in dinin-
ishing insurance rate. due to the high
pressure available for fire protection.
Owns It's Public Utilities.
The public utilities are owned and Oper-
ated by the city OF New Orleans. and. IN
addition. the city owns and operates its
own Sta leet-repair plant.
The waterwOrks plant, one OF the best
In the United States. and the largest OF its
type In the world, Is naturally OF special
Interest. It Is a system Of sedimentation,
coaguletion, and filtration through the
American rapid filtration system. There
ere two pumping stations OF 5000, 90 gal
Ions capacity per diem. with an average
pressure OF 3 pounds maximum OF 100
pounds. while across the river Is a 4,oo0,-