The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1909-04-10
THE |NTERC0ASTAL
CANAL CONVENTION.
DELEGATES FROM THREE ~;
iSiEs MEET TO SECURE !
CHANGE OF EOlrE ~ NEU-
NJ LON AND TFt IlH


hat was n i'd il thu civ olIl4
Saturday an 10 \ hich lFEHIA !,
not invited:
The convention Of delegates Al.
L pres n'atiVc hu mess men fror
me n htO ing towns and y T.
iAhaS called TO m 'ct al Laf4y u
10 cons der measures for fu"ther
n = tn" p tp IsI ion OF III II in y III
route o. the IntercoastaI Cana
from the original line hy way O
FRANKLIN to cou s. ly WAY ofNc'
million river and the Techr, assem-
bed il the pariors OF the Centur,
Club last Saturday evening. De
Il gates were prescnt from st Nj =
tinville, Ireaux Fridge, AT y viii
Broussard, Milton AMI Lafayeft,
/ The convention was called 10 OF.
der by Mayor c. o. Monton VII,
welcomed the distinguished guest
ana predicted the success or any
project they mi ,ht uldprt K, VI
called Senator Henry L. Gucyda,
OF Ncrmi'ion TO act rs temporary
chairman and the house voiced it.
approval by generous applause
| ID. l.. Mcpherson of NcrmiIion wa,
chosen temporary secretary ano
ara fCn>cntlOn proceeded to nns
mess. Senator Gucydan nskcc
Senator Y. J. Liable OF st. Martin
to eXplain the Object AMI purposes
OF the convention, which he did i:
brief but forciE!c address. Th,
United States had practically a.
bandOncd the original route for
the canal by way Of Franklin aud
determined on a safer and more
inland ecu s. On acc mt o. tho o
pen water of Vcrmilion and Cotc
Blanche bays. The shortest and
most natural route is by the way
or NcrmlliOn river and tho Tech
and k was the object OF tha con
vention to present the Advantages
of this route to the authorities Nd
endeavOr if possible to secure it
adoption. The people or st Mar
tin had begun two Immense drain
age canals and one Woa'I 60 w
within three miles Of Verm.l.J.
river. II the route was adoptcd
the government could have the
canal leading from Cypress Island
into the Tccha, but whether this
course was accepted Or not, so inn
pressed were the people Or ST
these canals for drainage ana
transportation purposes that they
fully intended to carry out sys-
TEN Of their own, confident that
the future would prove the cor
rectness of their contention al e.
the locality of the Intcrcoastat
Canal. Bayou Tortuc, which ma
turally flowed south, had been III
verted by washings from the Cote
Gelce hills and now ran north over
a very shallow bed. A canai
would divert flood Watec from
the Vermiion and in dry seasons
the surplus from the AtehafaIay"
could be used for irrigating tho
rice fields along the proposed
route. The canal would open up p
direct line with the finest timhe,
section Of the state and to cheap
and easy communication with New
Orleans and the traffic of the Mis-
sissippi river. Danger from O.
verflOw could be safe guarded by
flood gates along the route. The
Senator impressed the great pos
sibilities Of irrigation naviga
tiOn, and drainage and the resul-
tant reclamation and development
of vast area OF the richest and
most productive section of the
state. The people OF st Martin
their neighbOrs in any plan for thu
common good and were willing to
allow the use of their drainage
to tho people of VermiIion
and Lafayette. Senator Liable
showed that railroads were noi
opposed to canal and waterway de-
and quoted Jas. D. Hill
to this effect. He appealed to
Supt. Shackford, who was present
for verification of this attitude by
the railroad companies.
Mr.. Charles ID. Caffery respond
ing to request, gave his views on
The proposition in hand assuring
he convention that the people OF |
Lafayette were heartily in favor
Of any scheme for the upbuilding |
IF this section and arguing strong
y in support of the proposed can
IL. The VermiliOn river was the |
ogical route for the Intercoastal |
Sanal and construction could be |
lone at much less cost by making |
lse of the channel or this and 9th |
n streams across st. Martin to the |
reche, thence across the ~Atchafal-
ava swamps, the Plaqueminc river
md locks into the Mississippi. The
scheme for this great waterway |
With the ultimate development Of
, system of lateral and interscct
ng canals was grand in conception
md it's full realization, depended
al
The general gov
had spent millions in i'm
the north and the east
md still further vast sums in de-
reloping and reclaiming the arid
,lain of the west, and it certainly
,ehooved the authorities to give
ome little attention to the most
critic country to be found in the
lnion. The enthusiasm of this
and unanimity mani
ested by all assured the success OF
he plan.
Senator Guaydan here an1ounced
hat he had received information
hat the great dredge now at work
IN the IntercOastal canal between
1ermiliOn bay and Mermentau, was
at the rate of 1000 feet
,er day. This intelligence caused
oud applause.
d. l. McPherson. Of Vermilion,
pOke of the magnificent, results Ger
ain to follow the completion Of the
anal and ple.ig. his parish to assist
, every way. He dweIt upon the
of development along in
ustrial and agricultural lines and as
erted the proposed canal would revo-
,tionize this entire section by its ir-