St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-04-02
DNORCING The RIVERS
NOT FAVORABLY
REGARDED.
New Orleans Board Of Trade
Committee Considers Plan
Would Injure Property
and Canal System.
Saws Tuesdays PicaYnne:


That the building of a dam shut
ting Off the A~tchafalaya and the Red
Rivers from the Mississippi, is not a
thing to be desired, was the conclu-
sion reached by the committee on
rivers, harbors and canals Of the
Board Of Trade, last night, and the
decision comes as the result of re-
peated hearings on the important
subject, and a close and careful in
vestigation BY the members Of the
committee themselves.
The committee on rivers, harbors
and canals held a two hours session
before the step was taken, pledging
the Board of Trade as being opposed
to the project. M. j. Sanders, the
chairman, presided; Henry s. Herring,
secretary Of the Board of Trade, kept
the record, and among others the
following were present: G. H. Ellis,
president Of the Board Of Trade; Rob
ert Ewing, j. Harry Lafaye, W. r.
Braggins, Henry Schneider, s. Locke
Breaux, Milton W.. Boylan, Fritz
Jahncke, Chas. Godctaux, Jules G.
Koenig, president of the Orleans
LeVae Board; r. F. Clerc, W.P. Ross,
George A. Hero and John E. Bryant.
The committee had held several
public hearings, at which those for
and against the plan were invited to
attend and express their views. AT
the first meeting Colonel Beach Of
the United States Engineer Corps,
and Major B. NJ. Haired. the we'll
known civil engineer, formerly q
member Of the Panama Canal Com
mission, pointed out some of the dis
astrous results that might follow the
enforcement Of the rivers. Il would
require. IN the first place. the raising
Of the high water level, it was CON
tended, and then, too, it would des-
troy the value Of the lands for a mile
beyond the leyees. It was also point
ed out that the levees would hardly
be strong enough to hold the great
volume Of water that would be thrown
into the Mississippi, and while it was
not so stated, the inference was to
be drawn that there would be seli-
GUS danger Of overfoWs. Another
thing to be considered was the rem
dering useless of that chain of water
ways connecting Atchafalaya Bay al
Morgan City, with the Mississippi
River at Plaquemine. The govern
ment spent d vast sum in building ex-
pensive locks at Plaquemine, and with
the proposed enforcement plan car
ried out. the chain of lakes and bay.
Gus would be rendered useless for
commercial purposes.
At the second meeting held the
state engineers favored the plan and
others were heard who were of a like
opinion. The matter on a whole was
thoroughly threshed out, and the
committee, which was acting On the
suggestion Of Mayor Behrman, who
wanted TO see q report based on the
consensus Of opinion ready TO Be pre-
sented to the Mississippi River Com
mission when the body holds d hear
ing in this city during April. spared
no efforts in the endeavor to reach
she conclusion which would be the
most popular one.
At the meeting last night a number
of reports and opinions were read BY
Mr.. Herring, and some general dis
~cussions followed, participated IN BY
members Of the committee only, the
meeting icing strictly an executive
one.
AT the adjournment Of the session,
MIR. Sanders, the chairman, gave out
the statements that the committee had
gone on record as opposing the dam,
and that a committee Of five would
be appointed TO draw up the reasons
to lay before The directors Of the
Board of Trade ii i fufl report Of the
deliberations held on the matter,
While the reasons were net given
Iit is generally understood that the
committee felt that damming the
river would injure much valuable
plantation property and paralyze q
system of canals from which much il
expected. commercially.