Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-23
RIVER News.

KIVER NEWS.
The river remains about stationary at
this poin., with IT inches on the Shoals.
The weather has moderated considerably,
and last evening It was cloudy with indica-
tons of rain.
No intelligence from the Burksville up to
dark last evening. If she had passed
GAINESVILLE, it was not so mentioned by tele-
graph.
Among the river notables at marine
headquarters yesterday was Capt. w. j.
Harmon, Superintendent of the Nashville
and Cairo Packet Company, who has just
returned from Paducah after an absence OF
over two months. During that time he has
been engaged In experimenting the repairs
on the steamer Tyrone, which craft has
come out just as good as the day she was
built. The hull is entirely new, and the
repairs in every respect have been thorough.
The Tyrone has been chartered TO take the
place OF tie Idlewild for the present, but as
soon as navigation opens, she viii resume
her regular trips in this trade.
Yesterday a year ago there were five feet
of water on Harpeth Shoals. A very differ
ent state of affairs just now, but our river
men are still hopeful and looking for rise
between this and new year.
The Mississippi at Cairo is full Of floating
| ice.
The Leclaire, John Lumsden, Falls City,
West Wind, and Camelia are snugly out Of
harms way in the mouth of Green river,
and the Belle Vernon is probably in the
same place.
The Pink Yarble is off the Evansville
docks, and has hunted harbor.
A little boat called the Flora, twenty-five
feet long and eight feet wide, with party
Of surveyors on board, is now engaged in
surveying Current river, from Poplar Bluff
to Pscahontas, Ark, on Black river. The
Poplar Bluff Neaos says:
"The clearing the obstruction from the
river will greatly lessen the amount of over
flow that occurs every spring, thereby re-
claiming thousands Of acres Of the finest
farming land in the State. The removing
the logs and other Instructions will render
the stream navigable at all seasons of the
year for boats of considerable size. The
clearing out of the river will be of great i'm
portance to us as people, by giving us a
chance to float our ship timbers and lum-
Der, which we have in such profuse abund-
ance. There are two companies of Cana
dams at work few miles below town, get
ting out ship timbers of the largest size,
which are to be taken out next spring.
When the government shall have completed
the clearing of the river the timber trade of
our country will be one of the largest
sources Of revenue to our commercial
wealth."
The Louisville Ledger of yesterday says
the harbor is full of ice, and wears as bleak
and as wintry an aspect as an Esquimau
could desire. There are no steamers at the
city wharf. The ferryboats continue to
make trips, but the ice makes it difficult for
them to navigate, and is hourly becoming
more formidable.
The St. Louis Democrat of Thursday
says:
River matters were very uncertain yester-
day. The cold was very great. The river
fell fast, at least one foot in twenty-four
hours. Ice half an inch thick formed in the
middle Of the harbor, and there is scarcely
any current. Captain of the Jacobs thinks
gorge would form last night at Widow
Waters. Steamers which left our landing
yesterday will probably lie up far this side
of Cairo. There was four feet large of wa
ter to Cairo on Monday, but less now. The
Capitol City was drawing four feet two
inches. Had we six feet water to Cairo,
and not much ice, boating would be brisk.
Orde rs are held here in abundance for goods
to be sent to all Southern points. The gorge
above the piers holds firm, although but a
narrow affair.
The Louisville LIE dyer of yesterday thus
refers to the death of Capt. l.. B. Durham
The numerous friends and acquaintances
of Capt. L. B. Durham were startled this
morning by the announcement of his death,
which occurred at II O'Clock last night.
Capt. Durham came to this city from Vir-
GINA about forty years ago, and was engaged
for few years in mercantile pursuits, but
for the last thirty-five years the deceased
has been engaged in steamboating, and has
been prominently identified with steamers
plying between this city and New Orleans,
except few years during the war, when he
was on shore. About the year 1887 Capt.
Durham was with Capt. II. NJ. Shreve, on
the government snag- boat Archimides. La
ter, he commanded the steamers Glencoe,
Kate Flemming, Lady Franklin, Fanny
Bullitt, Autocrat, and lastly the Mary Hous-
ton. While on the steamer Kate Flemming
the boilers exploded, and Capt. Durham
received serious bodily injuries, having a
leg and several ribs broken.
In his boating career Capt. Durham en-
joyed, to very large degree, the confidence
of travellers and shippers, and the boats
which he commanded were carefully and
successfully managed. He was widely
known and universally esteemed through
out the West and South as a commander
of great experience, and gentlemanof the
most courteous bearing toward all with
whom he had business or social relations.
by Telegraph
CAIBo, H., Dec. 22.-No arrivals. De-
parted, the Matte Moore, Belmont, 4 P. NJ.
The Columbus packet failed to make a trip
this morning and evening, on account of
heavy ice. The river has fallen one inch
tonight. Rain with south wind, and warm.
Thermometer 50 deg.
PITTsBURG, Dec. 22.-Another change
able, showing and DRILLING rain. Rivers all
closed.
LITTLE ROCK, Dec. 22.-Weather cloudy
and rainy. River still declining.
MEMPHIS, Dec. 22.-Weather cloudy and
cold. River falling, is gorged above Column
bus.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 22.-The river is fall
ing to-day, indicating that the gorge has
been giving way at point below. Several
inches Of snow fell last night, but turned
early in the day to-day to rain, which con-
tinued until about two O'Clock. Tonight
is partially clear, with the temperature much
moderated. The river is closed, but the ice
has weakened. River men tonight are
hopeful for good river soon.
EVANSVILLE, Dec. 22.-The weather is
cloudy, but milder; heavy snow last night,
and rain to-day. River unchanged.
VICKsBURG, Dec. 22.-The R. z. Lee
passed down at 7 P. NJ. Weather cool and
clear. River fourteen inches above low
water mark and falling.
LOUISVILLE, Dec. 22.-Weather mode
rated. River raising slowly nearly all day.
Weather is cloudy and damp, with a pros
pect Of continued rain tonight. Work on
Nitro Sile's new canal locks was resumed |
.o-day and will be finished in two or three
more days, if mild weather prevails.