Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-05-25
CLEARANCE.
MrDDLEBURY, May 8, 1865 A. M.

Cleared port Mddlebury, the good
| barque Addison" Capt. W. T. Law
renee, for Sutherland Falls and coast
wise ports, having on board complete
voyage outfit except provisions, her
object being to explore the channel as
suited to steamboat navigation,
Below will be found Commander
TicknOrs report, dated on board the Ad-
Olson, May 10th. He says:
| take great pleasure in reporting to
"Otter Greek Steamboat Company" and
others who may be interested as fol-
lows
The object of our expedition being
the measurement OF water, depth and
space above to certain bridges, and the
character of shOal beds and obstruc-
tiOns, as also to measure distance from
Middlebury to head water at Sutherland
+ lis.
| had provided the necessary appara-
tus and means, and sailed as per clear
ance above on board the Addison, now
under my command.
The first and chief obstruction above
or below water, in entire distance, is
found three miles above Middebury,
known as the Three Mile Bridge,
which is ten inches lower or nearer the
water than any other on the stream.
This difference would indeed be valuable
in space between decks Of steamer or
above her water line. | have occasion,
therefore, to recommend this to your
special notice concerning space above
water and | am gratifed to add only
this one bridge among eighteen, being
the number crossing this entire channel.
will injure in any degree the proposed
enterprise.
OF the distractions IN bottom and on
surface of the channel, | am led to say,
from the evidence obtained, there are
but few Of either; of surface say eight,
consisting of fallen and lodged trees,
with the usual accumulation of food
matter; and Of the hidden kind in
shoals, say ten, being mostly foreign in
character to the natural formation, &C
emulation of water, settled timber,
sand or rubbish common in such cases,
one exception being a cObble shoal,
description Of which you will find in
my special report To be conclusive l
believe with light expenditure, all OBJ
structions can be readily disposed Of to
float in safety the craft as per draft I
have in my possession, giving her fire.
quent opportunity to change her course
with or against the tide, and a stretch
in distance between Middlebury and
Sutherland Falls Of AZ 10 nautical
miles, in or throughout the entire open
season.
1t seems hardly in place to tax you
with description in any degree of the
very many pleasant features in making
the trip, yet / cannot refrain from no.
ticing some important items and first
will notice the popularity in the banks
or shores of the stream, so perfectly reg
ular in height, and 50 smoothly graded
and even trIied to the waters edge
as to seem the work of art the value
Of which in establishing regular chan
mel would be very great.
Now to the pleasure seeker | would
say word, and even many, could |
measure to him in justice the satsfac-
ton which is certainly to be obtained in
making through trip on this beauti-
ful stream in the promised steamer.
Under the head of points Of interest
must of course be noticed first Suther-
land Falls. 1t is grand but picturesque
and deserving better place in descrip-
ton than | can give it; assuring you
modestly that it pays to visit. We will
run our craft far up in that little shOal
so near the Falls that when we look
up through O cloud of spray; all the
beauties Of rainbow are portrayed in
the clear sunlight. Having run clear we
climb over the rocks and through ce-
dars up to the level of this other region
1t being perhaps hazardous to move
without clearance papers, l must look
up the surveyor of the port, most to the
top, and hear the numberless saws in
the new marble mills owned by the S.
Falls Co., and | find acting in control
the very gentlemanly J. B. Reynolds
who | was pleased to address as "POrt
Surveyor" Learning of our mission
and its nature he soon prepared our
clearance which l hand you with the
vessels papers. Taking a choice speci-
men of COlOred marble upon which is to
be inscribed the day and date of so
much interest, we descended to the craft,
Joined by the surveyor, when taking a
taste of the odor from the rock where
the first bottle of wine was broken an
hour since and bidding our friends
goodbye" till the days of steam, we
looked with wonder and admiration
once more at this great feature of inter
est, the Falls. We then gave three
hearty cheers for the success of the en-
terprise and head waters, also to the
surveyor who responded in q suitable
manner when we turned the PROV of the
Addison with the tide, spread little
canvass to a gentle breeze from S. E.,
and placing two men at the oars,
smoothly and not slowly glided home
ward through chanel with not less
than six feet of water at any point in
the stream, having as you see, water to
float the largest of the Hudson River
steamers.
Making few graceful curves and
bends in the stream, surrounded in close
proximity with hill and mountain scene .
ry, we gained a landing opposite the
pretty town of Pittsford, where yester
day at P. NJ. we snugged up aud went