Washington telegraph., 1854-01-25
fmmen.iiy OF Rea River I.af..

Our falefs will be somewhat asionislea
al the following extraordinary description Of
the Raj of Rcd river. which We clip from
iht editorial columns nf the journal. a
newspaper in the 7iih year Of iis existence
published in the sillage Of EliEabeihiawn.
under tie broad seal Of the State Of New
Jersey. We are thus precise a 10 tic age
Of Tie iaaraal. from which we copy. 10 shew
that the eliiar must belong 10 that elias dc.
nominated in politics, 'old fogics, aud tha,
be CLEANED this interesting noeouut from one
- '''- s=-...--. ..uv :. ~, lilo Ran N.x
WISELr, has Just walked up nom long
nap aud suploscs the world las stood still
ever since be went toslccp.
II Is matter Of amusement to those who
know better, to read the many ,upremely Ia.
dicrous accounts Of this barrier to our nayiga.
tion. The tFulh is bad enough. ba, some
Of the pretended descriptions, cap the eli.
max Of Misrepresentation. The extract
from tho journal" Is the richest We have
seen. and entities the editor To some consid.
GRAFTON as a graphic dclinonior Of lhi.,o.
ry. III, knowledge Of the Ra!t. taking into
consideration the distance Of bis locality
from it, eviuccs a profound research, as we'll
as wildly fertile immagiuaiion. Unless
cur New Jersey contemporary has been fast
asleep Cor number of years We cannot ae.
count, Cor genius such as his, being confined
10 tho corporate limits Of Elinbcthiown--
that be Is not in Congress Is certainly a
source Of regret 10 his patrons. We would
here remark that the Jersey man mikes the
Rah 90 miles longer than il is, --three.ouar.
tcrs Of a mile wider, and how much deeper
we cannot say. |, is nevertheless a foimi.
dable barrier, but not as permanent as Nj.
agara, for We verify believe that IL the Rail
was in the vicinity Of Lynn, Massachusetts.
it would be sai mp into shoo.pcg' in a re.
narkaDly short time. But to the extract
The Red River Raf is on American in.
s,iiuion, Niagara Of white oak timber
such az the whole world might be challenr.
ed for a comparison. How long the rall has
existed no one knows-trobably for ccniu.
rlea. Il keeps up its continuity as the
GlaEiora. What floats away IN the summer
is made up again in the frcshets Of Noycm.
Der. The raft is l02 miles long. the whole
made up Of logs trees and flood wood. In
all imaginable shapes and conditions There
is timber in roots, timber in branches. tim.
Der in It's head. timber on It's side and ON IL,
knees, timber for plank, for boards, Cor spars.
ior iire-wood and for shillalnh fights timber
Of oak, timber Of hemlock, timber Of cedar
timber Of chestnut and timber of locust.-
The river is covered with wood, filed with
wood sided and damned up with wood
We have already said that tho raft is
100 miles long. II is also in places a mile
wide, while its depth Huetuatcs from ) to Is
feet
People who have given this subject atten.
tive examination, estimate that there is fuel
enough in the Red River Rah to keep tho
whole State Of New York in frcwood for a
century For twenty years, Congress has
been eudeayoring 10 remove this monstrous
obstruction but with very little success
Since 1880 dozen dredging machines and
a score of tug.boats, have only made an ad.
vance of some ten miles. From what has
been done. we have come to the conclusion
hat very little will ever bc done. The Red !
River Raft is Gxturo-.a matter to bo remov. |