Topographical Sketch of the City of New Orleans.
The city of New Orleans occupies an oblong area, extending 3960 feet
along the eastern bank of Mississippi, embracing six squares, 319 feet
in length, and of equal breadth. Above and below this parallelogram are
the suburbs. Higher up is the suburb of St. Mary, still belonging to
the city corporation; farther up, the suburbs Duplantier, Soulel, La
Course, L'Annunciation, and Religieuses; below, the suburbs of Marigny,
Daunois, and Clouet; in the rear, St. Claude and Johnsburgh. The seven
streets, named Levee, Chartres-street, Royal-street, Bourbon, Burgundy,
Toulouse, and Rampart, run parallel with the river, and are intersected
at right angles by twelve others, running from the banks of the
Mississippi, called the Levee, in the direction of the swamps, the
Custom-house-street, Brenville, Conti, St. Louis, and Toulouse. The
city, with the exception of Levee and Rampart-streets, is paved, an
improvement which occasions great expense to the corporation, as the
stones are imported; flags, however, are not wanting even in the most
distant suburbs. The ground on which New Orleans is built, is a plain,
descending about seven feet from the banks of the river, towards the
swamps; and it is lower than the level of the Mississippi. It is secured
by a levee, which would afford very little resistance 400 miles higher
up; but here, where numerous bayons and natural channels have carried
off part of the waters to the gulf of Mexico, it answers every purpose.
About the city, the breadth of this plain is half a mile, and above it
three-quarters of a mile, terminating in the back-ground in impenetrable
swamps. The city and suburbs are lighted with reflecting lamps,
suspended in the middle of the streets. Between the pavement and the
road, gutters are made for the purpose of carrying off the filth into
the swamps, of refreshing the air with the water of the Mississippi,
with which these gutters communicate, and of allaying the dust during
the hot season. There are now about 6000 buildings, large and small, in
New Orleans. In the first mentioned three streets, and the greater part
of the upper suburb, the houses are throughout of brick; some are
plastered over to preserve them from the influence of the sultry
climate. Though building materials of every kind are imported, and
consequently very dear, yet the houses are rapidly changing from the
uncouth Spanish style, to more elegant forms. The new houses are mostly
three stories high, with balconies, and a summer-room with blinds. In
the lower suburbs, frame houses, with Spanish roofs, are still
prevalent. Two-thirds of the private buildings may at present be said
to rival those of northern cities, of an equal population. The public
edifices, however, are far inferior to those of the former, both in
style and execution. The most prominent is the cathedral, in the
middle of the town, separated from the bank of the Mississippi,
by the parade ground. It is of Spanish architecture, with a façade of
seventy feet, and a depth of 120, having on each side a steeple, and a
small cupola in the centre, which gives an air of dignity to a heavy and
ill-proportioned structure. All illusion, however, is dispelled on
entering the church. The Catholics had the strange notion of painting
the interior, taking for this purpose the most glaring colours that can
be found--green and purple. The church is painted over in fresco, with
these colours, and presents at one view a curious taste of the creoles.
The interior is not overloaded with decorations, as Catholic churches
generally are. The high altar, and two side ones, are, with an organ,
its only ornaments. Two tombs contain the remains of Baron Carondolet
and Mr. Marigny. On one side of the cathedral is the city-hall, and on
the other, the Presbytire. The former, erected in 1795, presents a
façade of 108 feet, in which the meetings of the city council are held.
The Presbytire, 114 in front, was built in 1813, and is the seat of
the supreme District Court, and of the Criminal Court of New Orleans.
These two edifices, and the cathedral between them, form together a
dignified whole. The government-house, at the corner of Toulouse and
Levee-streets, is an old and decaying edifice, where the legislature of
the state holds its meetings. In point of situation, (among grog shops),
and of style, it may be considered the poorest state-house in the Union.
The Protestants have three churches. The Episcopalian, at the corner of
Bourbon and Canal-streets, is an octagon edifice, with a cupola, in bad
taste. Out of gratitude to the late governor Clayborne, the inhabitants
have erected in the church-yard, a monument to his memory, with the
following inscription:
THE
CITIZENS OF NEW ORLEANS,
TO
TESTIFY THEIR RESPECT FOR THE VIRTUES
OF
W. C. C. CLAYBORNE,
LATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA,
HAVE
ERECTED THIS MONUMENT.
The Presbyterian church, in the suburb of St. Mary, is a simple, but
chaste building, the expense of which amounted to 55,000 dollars. The
congregation being unwilling to defray the cost of its erection, it was
sold by the sheriff, and is now the property of Mr. Levy, an Israelite,
who leases it out to the congregation for 1500 dollars. The Methodist
church is a frame building, erected in 1826.
The public hospital, in Canal-street, consists of two square buildings,
with wards for fever maladies; for dysentery; one for chronic diseases;
another for females; a third for convalescents; a bathing-room, an
apothecary's-room, and a room for the physicians and assistants. Out of
1842 patients who were received into this hospital in the year 1824, 500
died, and the rest were discharged; out of 1700 received in 1825, 271
died, the others recovered. The accommodations in this house seem to be
respectable; it has one thing, however, in common with all hospitals,
that no one is tempted to return to it a second time.
There are now four banks in New Orleans; the United States Bank, with a
capital of one million of dollars; the Bank of the State, the Louisiana
Bank, and the Bank of New Orleans, each having likewise a capital of one
million of dollars. The insurance offices are five in number: the
Louisiana State Insurance Company, with a capital of 400,000 dollars;
the Fire Insurance Company, with 300,000; the Mississippi and Marine
Insurance Company, with 200,000; and the London Phoenix Insurance
Company. New Orleans has no less than six masonic lodges, including the
grand lodge of Louisiana; a French and an American theatre. The latter
was built by a Mr. Caldwell, from Nashville, in Tennessee, who has also
the management of it. It has the advantage in point of architecture, and
the French theatre in the selectness of its audience. Close to the
latter are the ball-rooms, where are given the only masked balls in the
United States. Among the public buildings may be reckoned the three
market halls, for the sale of provisions of every kind; one of them is
in the city, the two others on the upper and lower suburbs, on the
Levee.
The nuns have removed two miles below the town, and this convent is now
the residence of the Roman Catholic bishop. In the chapel divine
service is performed; this chapel, and the cathedral, are the places of
worship belonging to the Catholics.
The cotton-pressing establishments deserve to be mentioned. These are
now nine in number; the most important is that of Mr. Rilieux, at the
corner of Poydras-street. It has three presses; one worked by steam,
another by an hydraulic machine, and the third by horsepower. For the
security of cotton bales, eight wells, a fire-engine, &c., are within
the range of buildings; the expenses of which amounted to 150,000
dollars. The cotton press formerly belonged to a German commission
merchant, who failed in consequence of his extravagant cotton
speculations; it is simple, but of solid construction. It can receive
10,000 bales. The expenses of the building amounted to 90,000 dollars.
Besides these are the presses of Shiff, a Jew from Germany, Debays,
Lorger, &c. A steam saw-mill on the bank of the Mississippi, in the
upper suburb, with a few iron foundries, are the only manufacturies in
New Orleans; every thing being imported from the north.
Carondolots canal is in the rear of the town, towards the marshes. The
entrance is a basin, containing from thirty to fifty small vessels, and
opening into a canal, or rather a ditch, which has been cut through the
swamps, in order to join the Bayon St. John with New Orleans.
Small vessels drawing no more than six feet of water, arrive from Mobile
and Pensacola[H], through lake Pont Chartrain, Bayon St. John, and the
above-mentioned canal at New Orleans, performing only a third of the way
they would otherwise have to make by going up the Mississippi. They are
in general freighted with wood, planks, bricks, cotton, &c.; and take in
goods in return. This canal, which is of great importance for the part
of the city lying contiguous to the swamps, was commenced by Baron
Carondolet, but given up at a subsequent time, and resumed in the year
1815. Its cost was trifling compared with the advantages resulting to
this city, and the salutary effects it must have in draining off part of
the swamps.
[H] Pensacola has been established as a port for the United States navy:
1825-1826.
The president of the city council is a mayor, or Maire, a creole. His
police regulations deserve every praise, and New Orleans, which less
than fifteen years ago was the lurking hole of every assassin, is now in
point of security not inferior to any other city. The revenues of the
city corporation amount to 150,000 dollars, which are, however, found to
be insufficient, and loans are resorted to in order to cover the
expenses.
When the United States took possession of New Orleans, this town
consisted of 1000 houses, and 8000 inhabitants, black and white. In the
year 1820, it amounted to near 27,000; namely, 8000 white males, 5314
white females, 1500 foreigners, 2500 men, and 400 women of colour, 3000
male, and 4,500 female slaves; the population of the parish being then
14,000. In the year 1821, the population was 29,000; in 1822 it had
risen to 32,000; in the present year 1826, it amounts to upwards of
40,000; to be distinguished as follows: 14,500 white males, and 7500
white females, 1300 foreigners, 3690 free men, and 800 free women of
colour, 5500 male, and 6300 female slaves. The population of the parish
is 15,000.
As New Orleans, notwithstanding its being 109 miles distant from the
sea, is considered as a seaport, all the officers necessarily connected
with a place of that description reside there, as well as consuls from
every nation, having commercial intercourse with it;--from England,
Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Hamburgh, the Netherlands, France,
Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, with others from the Southern Republics.