The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-11-27
DEMAND OPEN WATERWAY.
Strong Claim Presented For Federal Aid Construction
of Bayou Lafourche Lock-Loss Resulting from
IRE of Water Route Pointed Out to Government
Engineer at Hearing Here.

and populous section of country ira
versed by Bayou Lafourche have been
dealt a serious blow financially and
their natural development material
ly retarded by the closure of the ba-
/ you to navigation through the con
/ struction of a dam across the head of
the stream at DonaldsonviIle, was
conclusively demonstrated at the
Edward III. Schulz, United States en-
glneer. 1he object of the hearing
was to gather information as to the
necessity for lock for the naviga-
ton ofethe bayou, and as to what
part, if any, of the cost of such a
lock should be borne by the United
States. This statement was designed
to cover "an accurate and complete
statement of the present tonnage of
the stream, giving its character and
value, and between what points on
the bayou; what part of the present
and prospective commerce would
move through the lock and between
what points; and also a statement of
the commerce from the bayou to the
river before the dam was placed. .
A mass of facts and figures bear
ing on these questions were intro
duced, both in the form Of written
| and verbal statements, and the show
ing made was one that demonstrated
Individually that the restoration of
Bayou Lafoufche to its former Havi-
gable status is demanded by every
consideration of equity, justice and
sound business judgment, and that
| it is clearly incumbent upon the fed
eral government to come to the as
sistance of the overburdened local
authorities by contributing at least
one-half of the cost of the locks con-
Estruction.
Representative planters, merchants,
manufacturers. business men, farm
ers and other citizens of the La
fourche valley to the number of sew
eral hundred attended the hearing,
which was held in the district court
room, the office of the Lafourche le-
wee board being inadequate to ac-
commodate the large assemblage.
The parishes bordering the bayou
Ascension, Assumption and La
fourche-Were represented by big
delegations, making it plain that all
sections Of the territory interested
are of one opinion as. to the vital
necessity for the construction of the
lock and the inestimable benefits to
accrue from the accomplishment of
the long desired Improvement.
Mayor Walter Lemann of Dom
aldsonville. opened the proceedings
with an exhaustive and comprehens-
i've presentation of the claims e
different localities concerned ifSAe
rehabilitation of the bayou, his Ddis-
cussion of the subject embracing not
only a forcible argumeSt as to the
moral obligation resting upon the fed
eral goverr sss'ahe aasis connection,
but strong 10 u, u the practical
need for theseasopening of the bayou
to commerce He pointed out that
Bayou LafoufShe has always been a
navigable stream, treated as such by
both nation and state, and therefore
could not be permanently closed. The
cost Of maintaining the levee lines
along the waterway became SO bur
densome upq the levee boards that
the federal ogineers recommended
the construsfh of-aRck to regulate
the the importsKERahee na ataa value Of the
waterway for navigation purposes.
When congress gave permission for
the temporary closure of the stream,
it at once assumed an obligatieg to
see that locks were ultimately "a
structed, since it could under nos-
cumstances authorize the permanent
Il a,npoinr of tho channel
AS locks could not be built in a
running stream, the erection of a
temporary obstruction became nee
essary, and authority was given the
levee boards to dam the bayou, with
the distinct understanding that the
earthern barrier would in due course
Of time be replaced by lock.
Looking at the question from the
standpoint Of tonnage, Mr.. Lemann
showed that the commerce handled
on the stream had always been of
large dimensions, and that the volume
Of traffic that formerly moved
through the waterway is still in ex-
istence. It's extent is best shown by
the fact that railways now parallel
the bayou on both sides, and the
statement has been made that the
branch lines built by the Texas &
Pacific in THIS territory are the best
paving investment the company has
ever made. Freight rates have been
materially increased since the closure
Of the bayou, and the facilities pro-
vided by the railroads for the carri-
age of passengers and the transporta-
tion of products are Inadequate and
Some 100000 people live along
Bayou Lafourche, the locality being
the most thickly populated rural sec
ton in the United States, and, III
fact, in the whole world, excepting
the valley Of the Rhine. The major
ity of this population is resident on
the banks of the stream, and most OF
the sugar factories and other IN
dustrial enterprises are located near
the bayou, and not III the interior.
Health conditions are therefore OF
paramount importance, and these
have become so alarming since the
closing Of the bayou as to demand
immediate attention. The water in
the stream is stagnant, dirty, and UNI
fit for consumption by man or beast
indeed, not even being available
for household uses.
That Bayou Lafourche was and
still is an. important waterway IS
by its adoption original.
ly as a link of the intercoastal canal,
extending from Brownsville, Texas,
to the Mississippi river. It takes a
boat twenty-four hours to make the
trip from Thibodaux to New Orleans
via Harvey's canal, whereas the trip
can be completed in twelve hours by