Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-23

Ie Navigation ana Resources.
Oonsre..lonal AoslOn In she matter

We have several times during the past
few months alluded to the prolific aud al
most boundIess resources OF the Cumber-l
land river, and the large stretch of coun-
try tributary to it. The immensely of tim
Der on the upper Cumberlsnd,i with the
vast mineral and coal deposits, as well IS
the varied agricultural productions of the
country bordering the entire stream, taken
in connection with the action of the iLe-
eislature last winter, looking to the turn
ING of the same into sources Of greater
nrofit and diversified channels of ussfnl
ness. attaches to the subject deeper sig
nifcance. The value of the navigation OF
the Cumberland, and the products OF the
tributary country is at last attracting wide
spread attention, and receiving that degree
Of consideration 10 which il is 30 eminent
ly entitled. Not only is the subject becom-
ing one of deep and general concern in
the limits Of the State but is becoming
subject of grave national legislation to-day
as the authorities at Washington have
been disposed in granting appropriations
for the Improvement of Southern rivers
and harbors and commercial highways.
On the 18th inst, in the national Con-
gress, the bill making appropriations for
the improvement of rivers and harbors
and for other purposes was being discussed.
Pending the discussion Mr.. Prosser, the
Representative in Congress from this
district, moved to amend the section pro-
vidiDg for the surveys of streams, etc.,
by inserting ''the Cumberland River from
its mouth to its source" The discussion
to sustain and have adopted this amend
ment as part of the bill drew out many
important facts concerning the navigation
of the river which can but be of great
local and general interest to the
people, from the arguments adduced
in advocacy of the amendment
we learn that the Cumberland is navigable
for more than five hundred miles, one hun
dred and seventy in the State of Tennes-
see, and over three hundred and thirty in
the State of Kentucky. 1t drains q terri
tory eighteen thousand square miles in ex-
tent. rich in agricultural and mineral re-
sources, with delicious climate, fertile
soil, and supplied with almost everything
needed by the human family. Running
| through q limestone region for the most
part, with deep, narrow channel resem-
bling canal, a comparatively small ex-
| penditure would make it an excellent
stream for the purposes Of navigation.
The trade upon this river was much
larger before the war than it is now, but
the following is a statement Of its present
amount between Nashville and the msuth
Of the river, a distance of two hundred
| miles:
Steamboats, averaging two hundred and
fifty tons each, carry out annually to all
| points 80, 600 bales of cotton, 25, 000 hogs
heads of tobacco, 100000 of lumber,
| 1000, 900 tons of iron, 5000. 900 pounds Of
bacon, 625, 900 bushels of corn, 260, DOC
bushels of oats, 800, 900 bushels Of coal;
and of salt an immense quantity.
In the absence of exact data the speaker
said truthfully Of the trade and shipping
| on the river above Nashville, that it was
| very considerably, and would be largely
increased with improved navigation He
showed that large quantities of coal, lun1.
Der, grain, and other products are LOST
every year on their way down the river in
| consequence of distractions that might
easily be removed.
/ 1t was further shown that not dollal
had been appropriated upon the Cumber'
land since 1888, and that beginning viii
| 1882, there had been all told, but S155, 0Ot
| expended on the river from its mouth to
| its source. Reference is made to the report
of Stansbury in 1884, which speaks of the
immense coal fields Of the upper Cumber
land, coal of the best quality extending fol
| miles along the river, In exhaustless guam
titles, and not inferior to the Pittsbure
| article. which it strongly resembles. AL
of this would be cheaply transported tc
markets, where it would be in ready de.
nand, if the navigation were improved
Among the natural products Of this exu
berant country are iron, coal, salt, alum
inter, copperas, gypsum, lead and glaubel
salts among its items of mineral wealth
while from its fertile soil large crops O
corn, tobacco and cotton, and from its for
ests an ample supply of timber, tar ant
cedar, which await but an avenue to mar
ket to remunerate by the most liberal re-
turns the efforts of industry and enter
| prise. For want of this, however, al
these sources of emolument and social
prosperity are comparatively locked up,
and their proprietors in great degrees
| precluded from advantages which they
well understand and would eagerly en-
| brace.
| The improvement of the navigation O
| the Cumberland river would develop rap
idly one of the most prolific regions o.
| country known to commerce. The amend
ment was timely, and conceived in the
proper spirit, and we are glad to see that il
| passed.