The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-14
sTATE MAY DIG TREASURE
FROM ATCHAFALAYA REEF
cas Inspect Valuable Deposits of Millions of Cubic Yards
Of Oyster Shells Which Have Been Accumuat
ing for Untold Centuries
From Times-Picayune)

4 sunken treasure, perhaps worth
-;t,;ons of dollars. definitely To-
led easily accessible. and deposit
1brt a few feet below the surface
4 tbe water, lies in Atchafalaya bay
..sr the mouth Of the Atchafalaya
.:.sr II is known as Point al Fer
peef and is built up Of billions Of
.vster shells accumulated there
through centuries. 1t is estimated
,A,t the reef contains from forty to
INV million cubic yards of shell,
/ rorth 81 per cubic yard at the dock
i \ Morgan City, the nearest shipping
pcint to the reef.
The reef is to be thoroughly in
snected accurately measured and af-
..rward. it is hoped. exploited to the
last oyster she'll A party composed
"a Commissioner M. L. Alexander of
AZ State Department Of Conserva-
tion; State Highway Engineer Dun
IN Buie; r. V. Glenn. senior high
I v.v engineer Of the federal Bureau
Il Public Highways; Alfred Mead,
lessee Of the reef from the Conserva-
lion Dbartment Harry Gamble, as
,istart attorney general; Thomas H.
Milling of the Board of State Af-
fairs; w. D. Hayden highway con-
tractor Of Galveston, Tex, and Allen
Buie left New Orleans on the Alex
ander flagship of the conservation
department, for the she'll reef Mon
day at D. m The party will be gone
until Sunday.
III this reef is developed" said
Commissioner Alexander just before
embarking, 1T will bring to life a
dead asset that has existed for hum
dreds Of years, constantly growing in
value. The oyster requires salt water
ID large quantity to survive. The
absence of this is the reason for the
great deposit of shell which has ac-
tumulated at Point All Fer.
4Freshets coming down the Atcha-
ialaya river flood the reef with fresh
sater and kill, the oyster just as it is
starting to develop. Here is SAM
ple Of these shells" continued the
commissioner, exhibiting large
dlunk Of them, "and you will note
that none of the shells is over an inch
aad half in length.
The shell is valuable for variety
of things, especially for building
scads, and the State Highway De-
1ertment is manifesting a lively in
terest in the deposit, which is the
feaeun Messrs. Buie and Glenn are
sping along to get information at
tint hand.
M. Mead, the lessee of the reef,
= co-operation with Mr.. Haden, who
~ She necessary barges and appara-
tof recovering the deposit, am
y will make this material avail
and develop a very valuable
furai resource. 1t should bring in
tAe state treasury, through the
n small charge made by the de-
ftment' on the removal of the she'll,
We neighborheed of $4,000.
ne she'll is uesd not alone for
siak road material, but $ also en-
80 N manufacturing lime, ce-
concrete and chicken food.
kacoenizing the great value of
eeposit, / determined to create
sfest in 1t, and am much graft
" - the hearty response with
fn these efforts have been met.
a Ia outlook for a new industry
als viii enrich the treasury, EN-
a. great number of men, assist
state in its roadbuilding program,
probably cheaper to some ex-
building material, is exception
bright and expect great things
~ out Of the present trip of
v@tieation."
14eF Inspecting the Point au Fer
;. Sne party on the Alexandria |
team to Sabine pass to inves-
Z prospect of similar character