Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-12
improvement Of the tennessee River,

improvement Of the Tennessee River.
The survey of the Tennessee River from
Chattanooga to its mouth, which was con-
Quoted by authority Of an act of Congress,
has been completed, and the engineers have
returned to Chattanooga, and are now en-
gagged in making up their report for the
War Department, which will be submitted
to the present Congress. The survey has
been made with great thoroughness and
ability, at the most important points on the
river, the Tumbling Shoals and Suck near
Chattanooga, and the Elk River, Muscle,
Little Muscle and Colbert Shoals, between
| Decatur and Florence, Ala. At these points,
maps Of the river have been constructed
and the necessary data have been secured
TO enable working plans and specifications
to be made preparatory to letting the work
| of improvement to contract. In addition
to this, every obstruction between Chatta-
nooga and Paducah, has been noted, and q
| plan for its improvement, with an estimate
| Of the cost made. These other Obstruc-
tions, like those between. Knoxville and
Chattanooga, are only important when the
river is very low, and present no obstacles
to navigation during the greater part of the
year.
The Importance OF the proposed improve
ments to the people Of East Teennessee, and
more especially to the welfare Of Knoxville,
which as the principal point in East Ten
nessee and at the head of navigation, will
be the grand distributing and receiving
centre, cannot be over estimated.
With the opening Of river communica-
ton the coal Of Anderson county, which
] hoe OILS 1v-
into notice and which is every where recog-
nized as equal, if not superior, to the best
quality of Pittsburg COAL viii become as
common an article of commerce along the
Mississippi as Pittslourg now is. The iron
and the zinc Of East Tennessee and the man
ufactured articles which will soon be madein
Knoxville, will find an outlet, at greatly re-
duced prices, through this river; while the
products Of the extreme South, the West
Indies and the tropics will be brought to us
direct instead Of by way Of New York.
The people Of Chattanooga are so fully
aware of the great Importance Of this pro-
posed measure ofinternal improvement that
a public meeting has been called for Friday,
at which it is proposed to take steps for call
ing a convention of representatives from
every county and city in the entire Tennes-
see valley, from the head waters of the Hol-
!, ston to Paducah, in order to secure such q
strong expression Of popular opinion in its
favor as to induce Congress to make the ne
cessary appropriations at once.
Chattanooga has been selected as the
point for the assembling of the Convention,
because it was the initial point of the sur
vey and is nearly the central point Of the
country most deeply Interested in the i'm
provement Of the river, since the people Of
North Alabama have nearly as much to gain
as those Of East Tennessee from the open
ing of navigation. We trustthat Knoxville
and Knox county will not fail to be repre-
scented in this Convention, as well as the adj
joining counties.
1t would be also of great assistance to the
movement, and would have great weight
with Congress, if Governor Brownlow and
the Legislature would lend their influence to
it. 1t IS not in any sense political move
ment, neither can it, by and possibility, be
diverted to individual gain, but it is for the
whole people Of Fast Tennessee. Governor
Brownlow has always had q deep interest in
the success of the railroads of Tennessee and
has used his personal influence to induce the
Legislature to provide for their necessities
The opening Of the Tennessee river to navi-
cation would be Of greater benefit to the
State than any two lines Of railroad, and
may we not hope that in this most important
enterprise the Governor will show himself
2 no less the friend Of internal Improvements
than he has heretofore done in other re-
spects.
We may say that the best and most inhu-
entail citizens Of Chattanooga without re
gard to politics, are working most earnestly
in this matter, and that the interests o.
, Knoxville are as intimately, if not more
intimately, connected with the success o.
! the enterprise, as arc those of Chattanooga
Let us have a united and harmonious ac
ton upon it, throughout the valley of the
> Tennessee-in Alabama-as well as in this
I State-Kn0ruiUe Press and Herald