The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-25

4eIns, New orleans Is unique among
cities OF the United States. IL has
been built In a vast crescent which
the Mississippi describes here. l07
miles from the South Pass cutie,
into the Gulf.
This crescent gives the city spe-
cial advantages. In that II affords
an almost unlimited river frontage
for shipping: but II also handI-
caps the metropolis Of the South In
way that only exceptional en-
gineering genius has been able TO
overcome.
Practically the entire city lies
below the mean level OF the Missls-
slppi. and In times OF occasional
extreme high water the river sur.
face Is as much as 80 feet above
some sections.
Such conditions not only rake
necessary the maintenance OF great
levees to keep the river water out
OF the city. but entail tremendous
problems In dlsposing OF rain and
seepage.
Drainage 10 a Problem.
To meet these natural handIcaps,
corps OF engineers has designed
unique drainage pumping system.
Experts come from all parts OF
the world TO study its operation
So heavy Is the burden which a
long. hard rain imposes on the vast
network OF pipes upon which New
Orleans sits. that the pumps must
have a capacity of seven billion
gallons a day TO lift the food wa
ters out OF the city into Bayou
Bienyenue and Lake Ponchartraln.
In comparison with the entirely sep
arate water supply system, the
drainage system could pump enough
water In three days to supply the
whole city for a year.
The sewage OF New Orleans. dis.
charged into the Mississippi below
the city. 20 feet below mean wa
ter level. requires still third and
independent system. whose modern
development has come since 1907.
And In the story OF It's installation
lies one OF those romances which
one encounters on every hand In
this city. to which a gifted local
historian has so aptly applied the
title. Fabulous New Orleans"
The sewage pumps originally de-
signed for the system developed
only 30 per cent efficiency. whereas
contracts specified 60 per cent eff
cheney. The contracting manufac-
turers, In defense. declared that no
pump could be built that would
meet the requirements.
Just when this impasse had been
reached, n young engineer, recently
graduated from Tulane university.
appeared on the scene with a set OF
drawings and specifications for a
revolutionary type Of pump. He
succeeded In convincing the author
tiles that II might do the work.
And the pump dId work. And
the best part Of the story is yet to
come: The young engineer. offered
many times his then modest salary
TO 90 with various manufactures
and municipalities, preferred to re-
Ia n N.
gineering problems for New Or
leans
Difficulties for Builders.
The geographical location OF New
Orleans presents difficulties to
architects no less than to water
works and sanitary engineers. The
land upon which IL rises Is the soft
alluvial soil brought down through
the centuries by the river. There
Is no bedrock upon which TO estab-
lIsh heavy structures. yet the city's
skyline Is serrated with lofty spires.
domes. and airy rectangles. When
big building Is projected In New
Orleans, instead OF steam shovels
and blasting drills. feet OF pile
drivers goes into action. Huge creo-
soted timbers are sunk side by side
on the site. In the case of founda.
tions for towering Office buildings,
hotels, and auditoriums. and apart
ments, these piles are often so
feet long. Each pile, after being
driven down to the ground level, Is
countersunk to depth Of 10 or
20 feet. Then the top soil IS
scraped off and the substructure
begun on its S0-foot-thick wood
foundation.
Few visitors who come under the
spell of New Orleans are inclined to
think of the city In terms of mer.
chandise and manufacture. Here
one finds so much that Is match
less In its mellowness that solid
statistics are as a dull appendix
to an absorbing volume OF 70
nance and adventure.
The very stones Of the pave
ments, many of them brought from
abroad. have their fascinating story
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