The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-11-27

/ the board OF state engineers, stated
that soundings made by his depart
ment indicated that safe and FEAST
BILE site would be between the old dam
and the highway bridge at Donald
sonville. Two other locations had
| been suggested, one a short distance
above the city, and the other between
the original dam and the new levee
recently constructed several hundred
feet in front of the first embankment.
| THEREAFTER site would lessen the cost
OF excavation for the lock and the
cost of maintenance of a channel
/ through the structure. There are no
serious engineering problems attach
1 ed to the location or construction of
the lock, and the project is consider
ed entirely practicable by the state
engineers.
Judge w. E. Howell, of Lafourche,
| testified that he had experienced
a great deal Of trouble in securing
cars from the railroad for the move
ment GY his sugar crop. .rs was told
! that there were no cars available. and
/ finally, as a last resort, he appealed
to Capt. M. F. Bradford, of the Bfsa-
ford Transportation Co., to make "a
trip up Bayou Lafourche with one of
| his boats as far as the Howell plan
1 tation, to take on load of sugar and
molasses Within twelve hours after
he had taken this action the railroad
1 placed ten cars on his siding, showing
that the treatened competition had
produced almost immediate results.
Capt. Bradford submitted figures
showing that the tonnage of general
merchandise, sugar, molasses, cotton
seed meal and coal in yearly transit
on Bayou Lafourche prior to the
building Of the dam aggregated 1885,
I 900 tons, as follows: Steamboats,
from and to New Orleans, 228,000
tons; steamboats, from and to St.
Louis, 500. tons; barge lines connect
4 ing with steamboats,, 10000 tons;
barges of western produce, 500 tons;
barges of coal, 100000 tons.
Capt. J. 7. McElroy, of New Or
leans, who was practical steamboat
man for more than thirty years,
stated that when Bayou Lafourche
was open to navigation the following
steamboats, made two round trips
weekly between New Orleans and
points on the bayou, carrying on each
/ trip the tonnage stated: Steamer
Assumption 800, Lafourche 800, Belle
of the Coast $50, St. John $50, to-
/ tai of 400 tons per week, or 248, 800
/ tons per year. Now one lone steam
! boat and three gasoline boats are in
operation on the bayou between Lock
lport and Raeeland, distance OF III r
miles.
Capt. Ditch, Of Morgan City az
| Gulfport, told of the substantial rel.
duction in freight rates that had fol-
lowed the creation of the ship channel
! from Morgan City to the Gulf, and
made a comparison Of the prices on
coal prevailing in the Lafourche
country with those quoted at Gulf
port. where rail and water routes are
in competition.
Francis T. Knobloch, editor Of the
| Thibodaux Commereial-Journal, as
serted that the people of his COM
munity are compelled to pay 6O to
| SIS cents per barrel for coal, whereas
before the closing of the bayou the
t-commodity sold for 40 to As cents per
| barrel He declared that the Thibo-
daux brick plants, which formerly
| did a thriving business, had been
i forced to close down because OF the
high rates demanded by the railroad
/ for Transporting their products. a
An important contribution to til
record was made by President Pays J
of the Thibodaux Chamber of Cog
meree, who exhibited a sample Of
water taken from the bayou at Thib-
odaux. The fluid was of a pronounced
| yellowish hue, gave off an unpleasant
aroma, and was absolutely unit tor
human consumption or use IN me-
chanical operations.
In response to the war depart
ment's request for information as
/ to the reasons and necessity on &C
count of which it is considered that
the United States should pay part
of the cost of construction Of the lock,
and what proportion, President J. /.
Wigginton of the Lafourche levee
board submitted statement setting
forth that the closure of Bayou La
fourche became an imperative duty
Iby reason of the ever-increaslng cost
of reconstructing and extending from
time to time, and at all times main
tanning without success some loO
fnlie e. oI lesees 'Jea ,.L+;t,,+;no +hara.
OF the bayou, anu suo Ssnaa4h 80 nj I've
Tor an lnsignfhe :, re.sI - raaa;l,,
tflat Wou l, a. an ali 1In aas+ : tho.
eonIroii l1;ls a. d sr.1 aonI5 not ha "a
10y y fnano fla T1n;tad States with
cured rom ene oa,seu +5 1ss4se tbo Oh
Out posielVe assu: n.y. s aa,.+;,, lin,
stfucelon Nv Mo ~, VIII loan The h,,;,d;ne
De Iepia.eu ~. ~. 4n,oxafa.a ,,ndar,
OF the laLIef was thefeioie uhu9