unwatering and safety devices. He was succeeded by
General Arsene Perrilliat, who supervised the final unwatering process.
Upon his death in October, 1920, he was succeeded by J. F. Coleman &
Company, in charge of the engineering department, and H. M. Gallagher,
chief engineer, under whom work is being brought to a conclusion.

From first to last, Tiley S. McChesney, assistant secretary and
treasurer of the Dock Board, rendered intelligent and invaluable
service, gathering together and holding the threads of the enterprise,
and attending promptly to the multitude of details connected with the
prosecution of the work.

The lock was formally dedicated May 2, 1921--a ceremony that was the
feature of the Mississippi Valley Association's convention in New
Orleans.

With the dredging of the channel between the river and the lock, a work
that should be finished before January, 1922, ships will be able to
pass from the Mississippi into Lake Pontchartrain. Then New Orleans can
plan its next great development.

[Illustration: CROSS SECTION OF LOCK]

[Illustration: CROSS SECTION OF SIPHON]

NEW CHANNEL TO THE GULF.

George M. Wells, George R. Goethals, son of the General, Colonel E. J.
Dent, U.S. district engineer at New Orleans, and other engineers who
have studied the problem, say that the dredging of a channel from the
Industrial Canal to the gulf through Lake Pontchartrain, or the
marshes, is feasible, comparatively cheap, and maintenance would be
simple. This would shorten the distance from New Orleans to the sea by
about 50 miles, and would be a vast saving for ships. It is one of the
objects towards which the Hudson Dock Board is working.

It is Uncle Sam's recognized duty to develop and maintain harbors and
channels to the sea. Distance is obviously an important factor;
furthermore, the proposed new outlet would be an important link in the
Intracoastal Canal, connecting with the Warrior River section of
Alabama, which the government is developing between the Atlantic and
Gulf Coasts. A bill was introduced in the Senate in 1920 by Senator
Ransdell of Louisiana, providing for the development of the proposed
channel; it was not pressed because the canal was far from completed.
However, every effort will be made by the Dock Board from now on to
have Uncle Sam take hold.

Colonel Dent has for a number of months been studying the feasible
routes. He, by the way, is thoroughly convinced of the value of the
In