Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-05-15

/ tails, the boat hung and rub d fora lcng dis
lance, m water not more Il al from three to
four inches deep. and before We could pass the
| boatmen were under the necessity of gong into
the water, and clearing the channel by throw.
| ing cut the stones Good water for II miles
1 with some short Interruptions. Afterwards
came TO another long ripple, where the boat
| hung tor long time, notwithstanding all the
exertons of the men; the water is not more
than three inches deep.
1 TUESDAY, Adg. Is.
, Started from Meals. Commissioners boat
| supposed to draw about z inches water
| for short distance, then grounded on ledge
of rocks, running across the bed of the river },
! 200 yards lower down, lodges occur again, and
| from the bottom, tor several 100 yards on
| which we occasionally rubbed, without stop.
| ing; further on, grounded on small gravel:
| boatmen had to jump out aud drag for near 50
| yards. water varying in depth, from eight to
| ten and twelve inches among gravel; pushed
on Tor 81 yards further, water very little deep
er, when again we had to drag, water eight
| inches between and off the stones; had to
| clear the stone out of the course Of the boat
! little lower down, measured the depth of
water on both sides OF the boat, and found five
inches on one side & SIX on the other; shallow
| continued for ten or fifteen yards, then moved
on among scattered stone, almost continually
/ again !; water93 inches among the stones
course crooked and boat touched for 100
| yards further, then passed fish dam, firmly
| cemented with sand and gravel running across
| the river then good water for quarter of
| mile, then rubbed over ridge Of rock into
water interespersed with large stone, on
| which we could not avoid rubbing frequently
then good water tor some hundred yards, when
| we grounded on reef, again good water for
short distance; grounded again on a rect,
then passed small rapid l.; rubbing all the way,
about So yards.
p. NJ For 100 yards, good water, then fire.
quently rubbed, and twice stopped, on large
stone, Which covered the bed of the river
good water for or 800 yards, river filed with
scattered stone, rising II or Is inches above,
water good a short distance +; then our course
| was interrupted by fish dam, and broken
sluice, the boatmen obliged to throw stones out
OF the way further down, grounded on
stone, abounded here in the bed of the river.
Nearly abreast OF Mr. Sdhaii's house, reef
crosses the river, and caused atsmart fall, FIVE
or SIX inches, over which we passed without
difficulty reef, with a similar fail, lust
below the above, obliged the boatmen to shove
and lift the boat over; further down passed
another reef, on which we touched sltuce
made through it, misplaced and not used, then
reached gradual tall, on which grounded, and
passed WIN difficulty, having to clear pass.
age then few yards OF deep water; then
rubbed tor many yards again space of good
water then grounded on large gravel and
dragged for some distance then hoated little
then dragged again 20s ards, into a few yards
passaoie water; then dragged again into water
which continued good tor near half a mile
then rubbed again OH small gravel; hoated a
little, then rubbed on large gravel, and soon
| summed q ram ahnIlt 100 NarIa
Lan,z shouse and island; dragged over with
difficulty then good water to Lantz's, where
we stopped for the night
WEDNESDAY MoRsINs, Aug IL
! Moved from Lantz's on shoal water boats
rub frequently, and with difficulty pass the
small openings in lodges of rock across the
river these openings lying in zigzag line,
render them very difficult of access i; the
/ boats rub bad at most of the passes; these
cliffs and shoals extend apwards of mile a.
| round the heap OF Waseington's Bottom then
| good water halt mile, then hedges of rocks,
! rising TO the surface in three feet water, with
| narrow shoal passes, rendering the navigation
! difficult, extending upwards Of half a mile ::
/ then shoa water from shore to shore, about
/ three quarters OF mule, past Dmmit's Island !.
! al one place, boats could not pass until stones
| were removed TO make q small channel the
| impedlments through this shoai can only be
! overcome by swelling tue water by dam then
| good water, three quarters OF a mile, to o.
| Queens then shoal water, boats rub, and
| were dragged mile; then good water to the
| Burnt Mil Falls; here is wing.dam, 10 or
/ IL inches high, turning the water to the Mary.
land shore, working small grist mill, owned
by Thomas King tall AT the mill 81 feet;
| rapid shoal extends near 200 yards from the
upper end OF the WlRg dam, and ending nearly
/ opposite the mil then good water 200 yards,
to point opposite to MarshalPs house, on the
| Virginia shore, where the boats moor for the
night.
THURSDAY MORNING, Aug. Is.
Moved from MarshalPs; good water con-
tnues half a mile, to ripple, below the moul h
OF Is Mile Greek, at this ripple three quarters
OF the width of the river is bare, $50 yards dis
lance, leaving narrow, crooked, and shallow
| channel through which the boats rub then
| good water about 100 yards; then ripple
4 100 yards throug Ii which the boats rub nearly
the whoe way then the water deepens to
feet, with scattered rocks near the surface a
quarter mile ;then ripple, wing dam, and
shute, very shallow; then good water 100
| yards; then appear lodges OF rocks across the
| river, six ia number, about equal distance from
each other, and extending l5U yards down the
| river; boats rub through the narrow passes in
these lodges; then good water by the man
| OF war rock, opposite Matthew Engies' then a
| short reach OF good water to Willets Falls, or
long canal through these Pals the boats were
dragged with great difficulty after passing
them, enter with lodges OF rocks across the ri.
| yer, there, and below, where shoal water ex.
tends across the river a considerable distance
passing Siding Hill Creek, and to Ferree's, nc
loaded boat drawing eight inches water, could
. pass. The boat moUred opposite ferree's, for
the night.