The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1913-09-13
TECHE- GRAND
LAKE CANAL.

an npeniD1 10 hr luHnsfTte&, pres
ent and futnrr. y; this r1ty, Nrff |
many years ago. ScE
eIal times III The past i lookrt! NJ
thongh definite steps were about
~ he taken ID secure fhr ends |
hut various things lnterp"SrG ~
sct il back
Early in October, 1906, tbs
awakening Of an interest III Al
Tech, Grand Lake Canal Nas not
ed by the local press. ] be Char
rnton canal was declared TO he y
dead issue In he early part Of
November. the same year, ht
Board Of Trade appointed com
mister 10 investigate he matter
Of proposed rontr fos canal be
tween The Ttchr and Honttr
The committee returned, enthn>i-
astir, and recommended A Iontt
through the i'on.te. into Petit ia
you BASIN and then INTO the
l+rhe below Belle Place
On November -, 1906. Con
gressman Il K. Hrons>a,d and
Mai. +. Nj. Kerr, together with
Mrssrs. T. X. Burke, K. ). Me
MahoD, II. u Shade, J. w. Eek
art and Y. Z. GuiIfoux spent the
day in examining into the physlc
Al features Of the proposed Techt-
Eouite Canal. The next forenoon
Il public meeting WAS held at til"
,l.y hall under the auspices Of the
Board of Trade. when Major kel
gave his views about the oropos
ed canal lie approved OF the
proposed Locations and indicated
that New iberia spuld have a
shorter wafer route 10 Plaque
mine by 80 miles, aEsd that The
waters Of the Tcche would be
much improved hy such cut.
lie thought the canal shsGia pt
100 trtt wide at the bottom and
should carry 4 feet Of water.
The right Of way, he recommended,
should DC between four and i've
hundred feet wide. Al this meet.
ing MIR. Euzebe Gonsoulln.
Though Congressman Eronsla'd
offered the right Of way and Mr..
Gu:lfouy was instructed TO make
the survey.
Mr.. Guilfanx's profile and map
Of the route were hled, bearln.
date OF December 18th, 1906.
ID May. 1907, the City Council
Police Jury and Board OF Trade ap
pointed delegates TO JOINT com,
mittee, which met anu advised
twoad dditioHaf surveys-one across
Hulton plantation, and the other
through, the basin Of Petit faJa"
In August following the P6li@t
Jury xad City Council each
adopted ordinances, approprlafihe
$50 total 5000 to ald IN making
further satv+ys.
In October. 1910, Mr.. II. =. Ge
nnng was e1lploy' q to maze
tMal survey ahd definitely locate
the route for dredge While en-
ployed upon this work. the one
of a right Of way by Mr., Aonso"
| lin was withdrawn.
In January, 1911. a. A mass a.eetln'
| held at the City Hall in the lnferes
Of proposed public improveme.7 lis. m
! ''Teche Grand Lake canal was 'tae"r
| porated in the adopted resolut1.7hs =
A feature worthy OF accomplish <iet's
! The following April another 1uas
meeting was neld, advocating a sens
of pxlhlic improvements, adopted reso
!nt:ons. and appointed committee %
ten. The canal to Grand Lake agai1
I appeared as desired feature o! pub
!! i1c Improvement in the resolutions
! In Nav a conference was held Will
Col. Beach here. when he indicated
his greatest confidence as resting Il
the work undertaken by the natio1A
government and that our greatest re
lief might be expected through th;'
chanlEs.
About month later Mai. +. n. ker
came here and in conference with tht
4 committee OF ~ and the City Council
out lined the policy Of the State Boar'
Of Engineers to dam the Courabiea'
hy an unbrOks an sevee line on th'
! west bank Of the Atchafalaya waters
/ which ,evee line would end abou
Jeanerette It was expected to bull
about two miles Of tisss levee year
This leyee line would cross our pro
posed canal route To get through tina
'eyee line wonld necessGtate locks.
/ Then the canal project went to slice
! for another period Of tws years.
Mr.. Guilfoux's levels. taken in De
cember 1906, indicated that the Wate
of the Teche and the water OF Gran
lake we're on the same level at tina
/ time.
New Iberia's necessity for such a
avenue as the canal to the lake woul
afford has prompted many to advt
cate the cutting Of the canal. even
j Il will have to be leveed along bot
its banks from the lake shore to In
highland Of the Teche ridge. cate
NAV also be declared necessary by tn
I national authorities, but even thl
SHOULD not deter the effort to get tn
anal. In obedience to this grown
sentiment the present city couDc
sadopted the following steps IN tn
m alter at its meeting held on Sepien
ber 18th: 0
.The MayOr announced the al
na;ntment of.a committee to sele,
The hest route and secure the necessi