Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-08-12

| end Of the next forty years.
That the navigation of the river Shout,
be rendered more safe, and that the pre-
sent heavy loss, and the still heavier which
may be anticipated hereafter, with the in
crease of ITS commerce, be lessened BY the
removal of the cause of danger, it il be
practicable, will be readily admitted by all
That the principle causes--snags, logs
] and rocks--can be removed in part, OF
whole, and that their removal would great.
" diminish the hazard Of its navigation
and facilitate its commerce, is unquestion.
able. Much, indeed, has been done alrea.
dy, and with highly beneficial results, in
removing the greatest, by far, of all the
causes of danger-snags--as the follow
ing extract from the Cincinnati report
will show:
"This branch of the subject" (remoyal
of snags) "has already received the at.
tention of the government, and the results
of the experiments Instituted have been
entirely satisfactory. The snag- boat con
structed under the direction of The govern.
ment has been successful in removing
these obstacles at very trinng expense,
and with great facility. The boat is of
simple construction, yet has such power
that the largest tree, however firmly fixed,
is removed in few minutes. A number
of these ingenius vessels were employed
for several years with such success that
thousands Of snags we're removed from
the Ohio and Mississippi, the most dan.
gerous places were rendered perfectly
safe, and the whole navigation made com.
peteIy free from this formidable evil. Ia
the year ending in September, 1898, | :.
$50 snags we're taken up from the Missis-
sipp, and the chances of danger diminish.
ed by at least that number. The
crews of the boats we're employed within
the same year, when The water was too
high to permit their working on the bed
of the river, in telling the oyerhanging
trees which stood on banks liable to be IN
dermined, and 10000 trees, which must
soon have been precipilated into the cur.
rent
"From 1929 10 1927, the loss of pro.
perry on the Mississippi and Ohio, by
snags alone, including steam and natboals,
and their cargoes, amounted TO IS 1861, |
800. The losses on the same items from
1927 TO 1882 were reduced to 1891 900, |
in consequence of the beneficial action of
the snagboats; and those losses were still
further reduced in the years Immediately
succeeding by the dlligent prosecution of
the same service.
"We are not aware of the causes which
have induced the discontinuance of this
valuable service, but we know that the
have been most disastrous
For several years past the appropriations
for the snagbOats have been so small as to
render that service wholly inefficient; and
the snags have accumulated with fearful
rapldlty in the western rivers, while the
increasing amount of commerce and mum
Der OF boats have sweIled the danger and
losses to an appalling extent. The most
fruitful causes of these losses are the
Inags, a species of obstruction which we
ave shown TO DO completely within the
control Of the government; and we there
ore respectfully urge the propriety Of an {
and energetic action by the GO
'ernment, in reference to this subject, by I
he construction Of as many snagboats as
nay be necessary, and an annual appro. /
'ratlon for keeping these boats in the re- Q
5ular service of the nation from year to ,
ear i" ,
Your committee regard the facts stated &
y the abstract conclusive as to the prac- s
lcabiiIy and great benefit Of freeing the t
avigaion of the Mississippi, including its !
tributaries, of snags, Ii limited appro. 1
r,ations for few years could so greatly .
essen the danger, and do so much for the a
afety Of its commerce, by their removal, C
cannot be doubted that larger appropria- Il
ons, continually, systematically, and ju- n
iciously applied, could free il altogether, p
r nearly so, from all danger of the kind. c
Tor can it be doubted that the same power v
,hich could free it Of danger from snags Il
ould also from that Of logs. Nor would II
seem lmpraGticable to tree its channel by e
lasting, or some other way, Of occasional d
ocks, which in places endanger It's navi- p
alton. The joint effect OF the whole a
ouId diminish the hazard of its naviga- it
on rs per cent, according to the ST. r,
Iouls estimate, while il would, at the same d.
me, add greatly 10 its facility and speed, le
nd thereby, MS we'll as from its greater n
lfety, lessen greatly the cost Of freight ii
nd passage. p
Having now shown the vast and rapidly ie
lcreasing value Of the commerce of the n
lississippi, including ITS tributaries, the tt
cry great losses to which it is subject, the r.
OF removing the principal tc
luses Of them, and thereby greatly in il
-ease the safety and facility Of its nayi- Il
alton, your committee are brought to the Q
nportant question, BY whom are they TO "
Q removed or, to express it moro broad q
nnl MN. WIN L. lhn .a.nar anL :.