Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1868-06-02
Red River Raft.

4 1t is now, if memory serves us, twenty
three years since steamboatsran through
the old channel of the river now filled
with ''the raft to Fulton. The Buffa
10 and Revenue were the last boats that
came through, we think, in the winter
of 1916. Since then, the raft has filed
up from Carolina bluffs, sixty miles by
the river above this place, to the head
of KounS' canal, a distance of twenty
eight miles. Twenty miles of this is
solid raft, but in the other eight miles
there are openings Or breaks in it ioi
different lengths, the longest of which
is two miles,, though from Dooley's
bayou up many of them are only from
Two to three and four hundred yards in
| length. In the mean time boats have
been able to get above the raft by means
of adjacent bayous, lakes and canals,
which had been cleared of distractions
for the purpose, until the outlets on the
right bank have effectually closed with
the drift. Red Bayou, which was the
| outlet for number of years, closed up
in 1850, since which time four new ones
have been opened, at different times,
higher up the river, two on each side.
The first one to close up was Hervy's
canal. on the right hand side, about FIVE
miles above Red bayou, which it did be-
fore it was used much. The next one
to close up was the POsten bayou route,
on the left hand side of the river, seven
and half miles above Red bayou,
which happened about two years ago
This route was above Red bayou, and
crossed the main river through an open
ing in the raft, cut by Capts. Moore and
Alban, into slough leading into Pcsten
bayou; thence through a chain of lakes
and bayOus to the point mentioned.
The next and last outlet to close up was
the Kouns canal, on the right bank, ten
miles above Red bayou. This route
closed up during last month, and leaves
but one route open, and that is through
the partially cut canal, called the Alban
cut, at Boom bend, on the left bank of
the river, about twenty miles above the
mouth of Red bayou. 1t is merely an
extension aof the Poster bayou route
higher mp. tits said to be the best route
yet opened since the closing of Red
bayou, with the exception of the cut
which is not yet;finished. 1t will only
require little labor to put it in good
navigable condition, and that will be
done this summer. There is some talk
of opening another outlet on the right
bank, some five miles below Spring
Bank, and following the lakes, bayous
and swamps, which extend to the KOuns
route. The plan is feasible, and should
an emergency require it, the Kouns
brothers will no doubt open it. AS the
raft fills up, the water is forced back
over the banks into the low swamp coun-
try bordering on the river to the suffi-
cient depth for navigable purposes, and
it only requires canal Immediately on
the bank of the river to open a route |
The hills coming into the river at Spring
Bank, will prevent this method of ex-
tending navigation any higher up on
that side of the river, but on the other
side, should occasion require, it could |
be extended to the head of Long Prairie,
a distance of upwards of sixty miles
from the crossing at the head of Red |
bayou. -
Since 1916, two attempts have been
made by the Government to remove the |
raft; one in 1916, with the snag-boat, |
and the other in 1S54-5, with |
the Gopher, under the superintendent |
of Capt. Fuller. Nothing was accom- |
plished by either o. these attempts but |
to squander the money appropriated, |
and the raft has gone on filing up at an
increasing rate every year. Capt. Full !
Ter commenced on the raft at point |
where DoOley's bayou leaves the river,
and dug out about two miles of logs,
which he floated into n large lake run
mug hhJO A(OOICg OdyOu. ODJeCO
was to open the raft above this bayou,
and let the water out that way, leaving
the lower part of the raft as he found it,
but the appropriation gave out before |
he fairly got to work. Another attempt |
was made to open the raft in 1851 or 80,
by fire. After long dry spell, when
the river was very low, it was thought
that the logs could be burned out.
Accordingly, in one of the years spoken /
of, a party was made up in this city for
the purpose. 1t was set on fire in a |
thousand different places, but without
any good results. 1t burned until the
fire reached the logs imbedded in the
sand, when it went out. Nothing was |
accomplished by this further than to
kill good deal of timber on the banks. /
Since Capt, Fuller's failure the raft has
been left alone in its glory, while every |
effort has been made to improve naviga-
ton by heading it off and turning the /
water around it. a large growth of
trees has sprung mp on the lower part |
of the raft, and people on foot can cross |
it dry shOd. Probably the last attempt |
to open the raft has been made, as other
and more feasible routes can be found |
Our friends above the raft can rest as
4