White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1870-08-18
RIVER InPRoyEMENrs.
Operations to be at Oaee Commeuced
in the Channel OF the Missouri.

Operations to be at Oaee Commeuced
in the Channel OF the Missouri.
The St. Lonis Democrat says: "An
of ono hundred aud fifty
dollars. for the improvement
oi the,channels of the Missouri. the Mis-
sissippi and the Arkansas rivers. was
lately made BY the Government. Gen
Reynolds. in charge Of the Unitrd State
snsg. bost feet. is now in the citv. and
has opened his office st No. ll22 Pine
street. The iixturea Of the Office have
arrived from Cincinnati ('he former he.d-
quarters Of Gen Reynolds). and opera
lions will at once he commenced on the
channel of the "B g Muddy." and will
be cont iinuel until the low water forces
the feet into the Mississippi in the fall
The feet consists Of Eve boats. four Of
which ware built for the government, and
are used for raising sunken snags. They
are the r. E. De Russy. j. ] Albert.
s H. Long and s. Tbsyer. The fifth
boat is the Octavis. which wss purchased
shout two years ago. She is used for
dredging and deepening channels.
The feet. with the exception of the De
Rnssy. arrived here Sunday evening. and
will to-day start up the Missouri. The
De Rnssy is tnsesios between this point
and Cairo. snd will probably tiud wo, L
enough to detain her week or more
She will then Join the feet.
II was last winter intended to seni the
feet out Is soon ~ the river opened in
the spring. but rspsirs were found neces-
sary on oil the boats. aud they were in
Consequence delayed at Mound City
The average number Of men employed or
the five steamers IL twenty The ma.
chinery used on the boats in raising snsgs
is Of the most powerful and ponaeruus
kind, ns tremendous force is some;imss
necessary to drag the sonken monsters
from their beds. The chains used in
raising them are OF enormous ze. bot
are frequently broken. The links are
made Of ron two and one qnarter inches
in diameter. and the separate links weigh
twenty two pounds each.
o. each snsg boat record is kept oil
all the suags raised. Ths entries ore
numbered, and state the length of tree
Trunk, the circumference at the bntt and
top, whether or MT earth was found
clipging to the roots. the kind OF tree,
aad whence taken.
The officers Of 'hs boats are furnished
with tables showing the number Of pounds
to the square foot the various kinds Of
sunkeu trees weigh. By estimating the
number Of solid feet in the sDsgs ,heiI
weight is easily arrived at.
Some sunken trees of prodiaious weight
and size have been raised. Ga the regis
ter book It is SHOWN that tho DsRussy
in December last, raised a cotton wood
snag in the Mississippi river. at point
below Vicksbnre. known "a Gains Bend
that weighed $50 tons. The giant was
l60 feet 10 length. 80 feet in circumfer.
ance ct the butt. and 10 At the top.
It appears from the register that the
sunken cottonwood trees weight heavier
thsn any Others. The syc.mores are
hardest to raise, however. on account of
the number and s'z, Of the crooked limbs
on them.
Our informant tells us that small
branch IL sometimes seen above the w a.
ter. which cen by ore man be pulled up
until limb thicker than PERSONS wrist
is found. The hoisting tackle il then
fastened to il, and unless the limb breaks,
Q firm bold is soon got on the largest
part Of it BY the ponderous chains. Il
is then raised from its bel. In case no
limb or projection can be found on the
! snsg to fssten to. the enormous drag
chains sre dropped and pulled up CT
down stream. a. the case may be. until
they catch on the log and raise it end
first from the water.
That the feet is capable Of greatly i'm.
proving the channels of the rivers and
of bene6tting steamboat interests can
not be questioned. General Reynolds
among those who know him bears the
reputation Of a mos, efficient and nctive
officer. The appropriation made was
sadly needed. and will benrlit not onl
our steambost men here. but merchant
aud shippers throughout the entire West
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