Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-23
CUMBERLAND RIVER;
Its RaIs, Shoals and Distractions
from its Source to its Mouth.
The Dams Required for it's Hm-
prOVement.g

It may be interesting to many of our
our readers to know something about the
Cumberland river, and its distractions,
and the country through which it plows.
z. NJ Radford, who formerly devoted his
attention to the duties of civil engineer,
and now q clerk in the pension Office, has
given Us some details which will be found
interesting. The Cumberland commences
IL Pulaski county, Kentucky, at the juno
ton of the Laurel and Rock Castle rivers,
400 miles above Nashville, as the head of
navigation, except in high water freshets,
when the Laurel is navigable for some
distance further up.
The first obstruction in descending is at
Smiths Shoals, not far from the mouth of
the laurel At this point the General Gov
eminent did some work, since which time
the State Ct K -ntucky has several times
made improvements. A high rock still
remains 10 be blown out, and wing dam
is required to turn The water. Rock for
the construction Of dams is already found
at hand wherever needed in any part Of
the river. Descending the river IS miles
We come to Lover Smiths Shoals, where
a wing dam IL required about 100 yards
long. The object of the dam being to
turn the water. it must be properly placed
for that purpose. Twenty miles lower is
FaEbush Shoals, where another wing dam
is required. 100 yards long. Nine miles
below is Cans Island, where a similar dam
so yards long is wanted. At Harmon 8
Shoals, eight miles below the latter, two
wing dams are required, one at the head
of the Shoals end another at the mouth of
a creek, so yards long At the mouth of
Noh Greek, $40 mics above Nashville,
three dams are required, one 100 yards
long, and each of the others 50 yards long
Ten miles below, at Wild Goose Shoals,
two wing dams, each IS yards long, are
required. WGiio0's Shoals, three miles
further down, two wing dams, 100 yards
each; and a short distance below, at
ChamIs' Shoals, two wing dams Of 80
yards each are required. -Four miles below,
at Mil5uIn's Shoals, one small dam is
wanted, to shut the water off to one side.
At Mud Camp, 250 miles above Nashville,
one of the channels requires % be blocked
up. Kettle Greek comes in at the Ken
tucky and Tennessee State line, $50 miles
above Nashville, and at this point two
small wing dams are required of 80 yards
Dong eseh.
Eight miles below, comes in Turkey
creek, where two dams are required to d.
vert the water from the two islands. At
Scan,lands Island, six miles below, one
dam 100 yards long to block up one chan
rel Ten miles down we come to Simp-
sons Island, dam required as before with
one Of same size at the foot of Big Island,
At Cub Creek Shoals, two miles further
II, Nm 1o 11yr, a. 10,
land, and one OF 90 yards at mouth Of
creek, to Greek Bar. At Tagget Island, six
miles below, two wing dams required, OF
50 yards each. One hundred and
fifty miles above Nashville, at Salt
Lick Island, one Of the channels
blocked up would make q desired improve
ment. At Lower HRlderman, six miles be-
low, one wing can IS required 200 yards
long to block up one channel. Two miles
below is Niagara Bar, where it is necessary
to block NJ one channel. 133 miles above
Nashville are the Sand Shoals, enc dam 100
yards long required to block up one chan
mel. From this point to Nashville, the
river is probably clear of distractions.
The principal distractions above Nash
vile are Sand Shoals Niagara Bar, Lower
Haldermsn's. Simpsons ScantIand's, Wal
tons, Wild Goose, Wolf Greek, Harmon's
a Fawbush, quite formidable list.
Below Nashville, = miles at the Island,
about 600 yards long, rocks must be blown
out Ct the chute in order TO make per-
manent Improvement, and one mile below
this, about six hundred yards in length,
rocks should also be blown out.
T1irty~five miles below Nashville is the
head-of Harpeth Shoals.
The shoals ere eight miles in length.
Three o. the old dams should be restored.
At the foot of the lower dam,
and about miles above the mouth of the
Hsrpe;h River, some reefs of rock require
TO be removed, and q small wing dam to
be made at the mouth of Sycamore Greek.
At the mouth of Harpeth River small
wing dam is required, aud for the next
mile reefs of rock must be removed. II is
intended that e thirty thousand dollars
appropriated by the last Congress for this
river, shall be expended between Nashville
and this point, and for which contracts
have been awarded.
The different points below Harpett
Shoals are ss follows, distances given from
Nashville:
Davis Rifle, 46 miles. An Old dam t.
be renewed.
Martins Shoals, Il miles. A Sinai
wing dam required and the timber to bC
cut off from shore.
Palmyra Island, about one-hah q mile
long, rs miles. A small wing dam re
quired TO shut eff water from one chute.
Elk Shoals. 90 miles. No rock here.
wing dam required.
Bald Island, SO miles. Cut timber ou
of the chute.
Dover, lO7 miles. Two old wing dam
to be renewed
Gatlin Shoals, 113 miles. Three small
wiug dams required.
Line Island, 125 miles. Three old dam!
to be renewed. At this point the rive
crosses the State line.
Near Canton, 1876 miles, at foot of Devil
Elbow. The point of rocks on left shor
should be blown Of, and about 100 yard
below smsn dem is required, and on
mile further the loose rocks should b
removed from the chute.
At Little river is conglomerate obsiruc
ton for nearly two miles, which, to &c
comphsh any good, must be dredged out
Iugrahsm's Shoals, $50 miles. A win
dam required 10 cut of one chute.
At Big Horse Ford Shoals, l63 miles
About 200 yards in length Of boulders re
quirs to be removed.
Camp Rowdy Shoals, 172 miles. Tw