Year: 1870

That branch of the Department Of Pub
lie improvements relating to wharves and
levees is particularly active at the present
moment, as may be seen by an inspection of
what is going on at the various landings.


We learn that the city administration is
making thorough repairs all along the river
front wherever it is necessary. in some in
stances entirely renewing the wharves.


A large amount Of repairs is needed, and
q great deal of heavy work is to be done.
For instance there is full two hundred and
fifty feet of the ship landing, in the neigh
borhood of Hontegut street, sunk down
some fifteen feet below its proper level, the
sinking being caused by the falling in of the
river bank. To repair this properly, and in
time for the winter business, will involve
no small portion of labor; but the energy of
the Administrator Of Public improvements,
Surveyor Mr.. Bell. is pushing forward the
work with commensurate rapidity.


The necessity for repairs Of the wharves
above the Third District does not arise
from the caving in of the river banks, but is
caused by wear and tear. These wharves
have not been repaired for several years,
and the necessity OF renovation in many
places is imminent.


From Canal street downward about
eleven hundred feet Of wharf have been
made entirely new, except some of the in
side piles This newly constructed wharf is
-.
strength and resistance Of wear and tear
that altogether surpasses any wharves
ever before constructed in New
Orleans. The platform at this land
ing is about ninety feet wide, and
that part which slopes toward the river, or
apron" is thirty feet wide. making to cal
width of one hundred and twenty feet.
This wharf is raised some inches above its
former level, and the snace behind is filed
up with batture dirt. When this has had
sufficient time to pack" or settle, it will
be covered with shells, OF which there are
already twenty thousand barrels On the
ground ready for use, and more are arriving
daily. It is the intention of Mr.. Bell as
soon as the present length of wharf is fin
ished 50 as to give a landing to the Red
River steamers. to carry the improvements
downward to the lower city limits.


The up river steamboat landing above
Canal street is so far finished that boats are
lying in front of part of it, receiving or
discharging g.freight This wharf, like the
wharf belowCanal street. has front facing
of four heavy gunnels, instead of having the
front piles exposed, in uring the guards of
steamers in low water. These wharves have
also the improvement of cap, consisting of
a heavy gunnel fastened on the edge of the
wharf, and rendering both wharf and boats
less liable to injury at the season of high
water. None of our wharves have ever had
"a cap before The whole construction does
great credit to the skill of the City Surveyor
When the system of wharves is completed
with the proper filing up and covering of
shells. thus making good dry levee, there
will be left little to desire in regard to the
completeness of the river landings Among
other Improvements in the new wharves.
we notice double mooring posts, instead Of
the single posts heretofore used.


In that portion of the renovated landings
fronting Poydras street, a number of hands
are emp ,,7ed wheeling dirt to fill up be-
hind the wharves. which are raised two feet
above their former height, and this raising
and filling up will put these wharves in "a
condition never before equaled. These
wharves are now rapidly approaching com
pletion.


Opposite Notre Dame street and in that
vicinity. the landing has been almost en-
tirely renewed aud much improved. About
three hundred feet of the landing here is
appropriated to barges OF the Mississippi
Transportation Company. The landing for
Texas steamships. some five hundred and
fifty feet in length. by a width Of one hun
dred and twenty-five feet. was finished
about sixty days ago.


The progressive prosperity Of the city and
its constantly increasing commerce will ne
cessitate more attention to the condition of
the landings running upward from Notre
Dame street toward the Fourth District.
Accordingly the City Surveyor is about to
have filed the numerous small ponds at
present existing there. These ponds render
the locality by no means safe on a dark
night, and several instances of drowning in
them have occurred The exigencies of
commerce require that they should be filed
up. and in a short time the landing places
IN the upper part of the First District will
he as efficient for landings as the central
landings have been for so many years.