The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-08
BIRMINGHAM WILL
SEND DELEGATION
To CANAL OPENING
New Orleans Project Shows
What State Aid Can Do
At Mobile

Birmingham will have a large
delegation of manufacturers and ex-
porters at the formal opening of the
Inner Harbor Navigation canal at
New Orleans, May s, and occasion
marking the completion of this $780,
100000 port project representing tho
elimination OF Louisiana state aid
in making New Orleans the second
port in the United States. The oc-
casion will also assemble shippers
exporters and manufacturers from all
Mississippi valley points to attend
the National Foreign Trade confer
ence to be held at the same tina.
President Farrell of the National
Foreign Trade council, will be guest
declares that the largest group of
war vessels ever assem- bled in gulf
harbor will be there for the water
pageant marking the opening of the
canal.
A powerful RADIO station at Tulane
University is to broadcast the ad-
dresses and proceedings of the dual
occasion.
Benefit To Alabama.
The new inlet to New Orleans will
allow Warrior river barges to go
direct 10 New orleans QOChS re-
ceive and deliver cargo instead of
transferring cargo at Violet which
is twelve miles from the city, and
will do away with the cost of lighter
ing. 1t will substantially shorten
the distance between New Orleans
and Birmingham via the Warrior
river as well as reduce cost of OPP
through the canal was the self-pro-
peller Tuscaloosa, which went
through six weeks ag on trial
trip and showed the operation of
the canal to be success.
Saves For Winter.
The canal is five and a half miles
long and provides eleven more miles
of river front at New Orleans. The
canal will link Lake Pantchatrain
and the Mississippi river by per-
manent waterway with fixed level
navigable to steamers up to 10000
tons and larger. and will save dis
lance of 100 miles in the travel of a
steamer from the gulf to the city
of New Orleans.
The lock. which will give entrance
and exit to the Mississippi river, will
have an over all length of LOO feet.
Inside Dimensions will be rs feet
wide by = ret long with a minimum
depth Of 80 feet of water over the
sill. Width OF the canal back of the
locks is 41O feet. This fairway will
have a bottom width sufficient to en-
able two vessels ORA wing 20 fest
of water to pass.
Industrial Development.
Banks of the canal ar offered for
development of private industrial
undertakings and already two large
shipbuilding plants, those of the
Foundation company and the Doullet
and Williams, are in operation.
The public belt railroad parallels
the canal the entire length and con-
meets with all the trunk line rail-
roads. With the rail and water IA
cilitics and the industrial sites IL
indefinite extension through lateral
for port and industrial development.
Always BE On Level.
ways be on level because they come
from Lake Pontchatrain which is in
land and level itself, while the locks
at the river end will prevent the
river tides from interfering with the
canal level.
Work was begun in the industrial
canal on october, 1918. 1t is re-
garded as the browning piece of state
aid in the building of the second port
in America. Alabamians are partic-
ularly Interested regarding New
orleans port development as proof OF
what will be done at Mobile with
Alabama state aid.