Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-04

Above the falls there will be forty miles
of barge navigation if the mill-dams are
removed.
The falls of the Cumberland have a YER
teal descent of GO feet.
The name Smiths Shoals has been ap-
piled to series of rocky rapids formed by
horizontal lodges of shay limestone, and
designated severally Shadowens, White
Cliff Ripple, Long and Smiths Shoals.
The entire length is nine miles, and the
aggregate fall fifty-four feet, or the average
of six feet per mile. At Smiths Shoals
and Long Shoals, however, there is a YER
| teal fall of from two to three feet. The
fall per mile at Long Shoals is thirteen
feet. At Shadowen Shoals q canoe draw
| ing three inches cannot pass even when the
river IS one foot above low water.
The State of Kentucky and the United
| States have constructed nine dams at the
| shoals which have increased the depth and
| turbulence of the water. Coal boats are
swamI ed by the waves, or strike on the
| rocks if the water is not sufficiently deep.
The object of an improvement at this
point is to enable barges to run the shoals
| at intermediate tides, instead of waiting
| for higher water, ard in this way losing
much time, or perhaps the only opportuni-
ty during the season.
The shoals might be improved by locks
| and dams, or by canal around them, but
the expense would be considerable
haps a million and a half of dollars.
From the South Fork to Creelsburg is
sixty-one (61) miles, descent As feet; from
Creelsburg to Burkesville is &c miles, de-
scent 10 feet; from Burkesville to Tennes-
see State line is forty (40) miles, descent
% feet.
Between the State liue and Nashville the
improvements will consist in removing
rocks from the channel, in contracting the
water way, closing up useless channels, and
in removing logs and hanging trees. The
distance from the State line to Nashville
is about go miles.
Below Nashville improvements have been
executed by the Government lin 1880 at
Hsrpeth Shoals, Davis Ripple, Dover Line
Island, and Devils Chute.
All of these works have been damaged,
and require repair. Pilots and steamboat
men all affirm the beneficial effects of these
works, The Harpeth Shoals include Flax
Patch, Harpeth Island, Sycamore, Harpeth
river and Reeds Reef The entire length
is miles; descent III feet; average slope
per mile 2.55 feet; maximum slope per
mile Z so feet.
Flax Patch dam raises the water Z inches;
Harpeth Island dam raises the water foot
8 inches, the river being p feet above low
WATER
From the dam at the head of Dover
Island to the landing at Dover is 5 4-10
miles. The average slope per mile is 1.SO
feet; the maximum slope is $50 feet
Dover dam, in its present condition, raises
the water half foot.
At the race track the average slope per
mile is 90 feet; the maximum slope is
80 feet
length. The channel is INSTRUCTED by
wrecks. The average slope per mile is
2. 81 feet. The maximum slope is 40 feet
The removal of the foundation of the old
pier of Nashville, the removal of rocks at
Nashville Island, Harpeth Bluff and other
points, the removal of portions Of wrecks
at Covers Island, Line Island and Ingram
Shoals, the extension and repairs of the
old dams, and the erection of several new
dams, and a certain amount of dredging,
will cover the character of the work re-
quired to raise the navigatian of the river
to better and uniform standard.
For all this work estimates will be sub
mitted.
The distance to the mouth of the river
from Nashville is about 1872 miles. From
PIT. Isabelle, or Pr Burnside, where the
South Fork enters the Cumberland, to the
mouth OF the river, is $40 miles. Of this
distance, 129 miles of the upper portion of
the river, and IS miles of the lower, or 204
miles lies within the State of Kentucky,
leaving 33G miles within the State of Ten
nessee. The entire descent is about 500
feet between Point Isabelle and the mouth,
the height above mean tide at the mouth
of the river being about go feet,
nrnrcnnr Z Cox