Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-12
Departures.
Steamer Ned Tracey, st. Louis. s.
q" Natoma, st. FIR. river. ~.
Big Horn, st. Louis.
Beats fn Port.
Dan Able, Des Are, Guidon, J. s. Nc.
MISCELLANEOUS

dan AOlei Des arc OuiuOhi :. M
Cune.
The Luminary, Capt. Ealer, Ia the A.
& NJ. s. packet for New Orleans to-day
at 10 I'm.
The J. S. MeCune, Capt. Du1er, Is in
port and will leave for Columbus, Cairo
and way points at noon to-day. The
MCCune Is regular packet q her office
is presided over by Mr.. Duff.
The great City Of Cairo leaves at 8 pm
this day for Cairo and st. Louis. She is
swift and not exeeiied in her passenger
accommodations. Bob. Riley Is master,
and McCreight, clerk.
The Dan Able being in complete and
superb condition, leaves this evening for
ali points to Vicksburg. Capt. jim Lee,
her master, has reason to be proud OF his
handsome and swift packet, which
" walks the water ike a thing Of life"
Billy Fields, assisted by Stack Lee, Off
ciates at the desk.
The Des Arc lays over until Tuesday
next, when she leaves for V~icksburg.
The Big Horn arrived with freight for
the Julis, and departed again for St.
Louis yesterday morning.
The Ned Tracey cane in yesterday on
her first trip in her new trade. She had
a good freight.
The Pilgrim, with Capt. Tom. Berry IN
command, will leave to-day at ) pm,
for Pine Bluff and way points. She ear
ries the United States mail. J. Lee
Finney and Andy Granger are clerks.
The swift and beautiful ROwena, the
lady who first introduced the fashion OF
drinking toasts to friends, will back out
| to-day st her usual hour, for all points on
! NNThHgn Efvvar Oh. 1lnmRnfa mil - tho N~uHn
for Little Rock. Capt. John b. Davis Is
master, and Kidder, Harry and Robin
son are clerks.
The Henry Ames, Capt. Hicks, will be
here TO leave for New Orleans on
Wednesday. See our local columns.
The Rubic0n, Capt. Blake wil pass
down for Vicksburg to-day at 10 am.
Alf. GriersOn is clerk.
The Louisville, Capt. a. Q. Ross, will
be In port and leave for New Orleans at
5 pm. to-day. She is a No. ! packet
and well Differed.
Ia view of the commencement OF the
present survey of the Tennessee river,
the Chattanooga Union gives q history OF
the previous attempts at the improve
ment Of navigation on that river, made
by the state and national authority.
The attention ofthe United States gov
eminent had been previously called to
the great distinctions in the Tennessee,
known as the Muscle and Colbert shoals,
and in 1927 q survey was made of that
section Of the river by a board OF United
atates engineers. They recommended
the construction of q canal around the
shoals.
In 1928 a survey was made OF the upper
portion Of the river by a board of engin-
eeYs, who recommended the construction
Of wing dams, etc, in various parts OF
the river.
There was at that time q prejudice
against the appropriation Of public money
for internal improvements, the party in
power being strict constructi0nists Of the
constitution, but between 1928 and 1881
this difficulty was got around by donating
to the state Of Alabama the school lands
within her territory, the proceeds Of
which were to he used in improving the
Muscle shoals. In 1881 these shoals were
surveyed and a canal constructed around
them by Tom Williams, Of Florence,
Ala, under the authority Of that state.
The canal was msde twelve miles long,
fifty feet wide and FIVE feet deep, and is
still in existence, though much diiapida-
ted, and for a long time unused. 1t can,
however, be rebuilt at q cost Si1ing in
comparison with the great benefits which
would result therefrOm.
In 1885 Col. Long, Of the United States
corps of engineers, who was afterward
the engineer Of the Western and Atlantic
railroad, made q thorough survey Of the
Tennessee river, from lis head waters to
its mouth, noting every obstruction and
recommending plans for removing or Oh
WAITING them. He reported in favor Of q
canal around Muscle shoals, and Of 9
system Of wing dams fer the distractions
near Chattanooga. In 1898 Col KsarneY,
also Of the engineers, made g survey Of
the entire river, his suggestions CORES
pOndiug with those made by Col. Long.
IN 1854 Col. Mcclellan, OF the topO-
graphical engineers, surveyed the river
about Chattanooga. SsEe wing dams
we're erected at various points under his
survey. He recommended deepening
the channel for a mile ard a half ABOVE
the Suck, to a depth Of four feet and six
inches additional, being the amount Of
fall at the Suck. In 1854 this report was
revised by 8 board Of engineers, who re-
jected his plan for improving the Suck,
believing that the same difficulty would
exist as before, and that the only result
OF deepening the channel as he proposed,
would be to remove the Suck a mile and
q half Up the stream, All of these sur
veys, except Tom Williams, were con
Quoted by the war department Of the
United States, under sc5s o. congress.
In 1888 and 1884, the state Of Tennessee
expended SIS 1000 upon improving the
river, which was used in building canal
at the Suck, with stone sides, through
which boats could be lowed by ropes
affixed to the shore; aud in building
stone entertainments at the Pot, Skillet,
etc, TO assist In towing boats up the river.
About the same time $1,000 were expended
under the direction OF Capt. Sam Viii
liams, upon a wing dam at Ross tow
head, a hreakwateF CT the Fumbling
shoals, and some minor Improvements at
other points. These appropriations were
made under the survey Of Col. Long,
which is the most thorough that has ever
yet been made.
In reference to the burning OF the Live
Oak ut New Orleans, on Saturday last,
which we published q few days ago, the
New Orleans Crescent gives the follow
ing particulars:
Saturday morning the Live Oak took
FIRE and burned at her wharf, neal Bulls
Head. The fire originated in the after
part Of the cabin, and is reported as the
work Of an inceudiary. The steamer is
Of 800 tuns BURDEN, was lately engaged
in the Red river trade, aud Is Eartly
owned by Capt. Richard England. she
was insured in the Union company. The
boat had been laid up, and was, when
the accident happened, lying at the foot
OF Celeste street, tied to ship-whsrf IS OF
the upper landing. Carpenters were en-
pl0yed in patchwork fiXins, and the en-
gInes and the chimneys had but recently
been touched up By these operators. A
roofing firm were employed to cover the
hurricane deck, and their material had
been stored in a room near the wheel
house. All the hands left the steamer in
charge Of the boat watehUlan, who kept
a lookout " fOrrsrd.n A lamp was left
burning at the extreme aft OF the cabin,
a table near TO the door leading out TO
the rear Of the ladies' cabin, in the 4
treme aft of the boat. The flames burst
out about I o'clock in the morning, andR
high wind blowing at the time, soon
them forward, until the whole
upper works and cabin was destroyed.
The frem5n were speedily on hand, and
their efforts prevented further destruc-
ton than that which ensued. 1t is con-
that the high wind must have
blown open the door in the after part Of
the boat, tipped over the lamp, and in
this manner set the whole on ire. 1t
could not have been the work of an in
cendiary, as at first supposed, for how
could he get on board when the boat was
watched d? 1t is understood the steamer
belonged to one Fagin, who is partly COW
cred in his loss by insurance. The Live
Oak was built at Paducah."
The steamer Only Chance arrived at st.
Joseph q lew days age, direct from Fort
Benton, this being her second trip this
to that point. She took all her
through freight to Benton, being sixty
tons, W. sixteen inches of water, and
;temmed the current at Drowned Mans
-apids without warp or liue, . feat ac-
by no other boat SAVE one.
She brings down 5000, 900 in treasure
and about two hundred passengers.
Some Of the latter are from Gallatin,