The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-06-12
The Red River Rnft--OVer One-HaIf Of Il
Already Removed.

The Red River Rnft--OVer One-EHaIf OF Il
Already Removed.
The Shreveport La.) Times publishes a
very full and interesting account of the
great raft in Red River, the EXPERIMENTS of
its removal in former times, and the success
that is now attending the efforts of Lieuten-
ant E. A. Woodruff, The following ex-
tract shows the work thus far accomplished.
how it is done, and the benefits to result
The most of the fleet is now at work at
Towhead No. 25, seventeen miles from the
foot of the raft, having cut through twenty
four tow-heads. TO reach this point has
required vast amount of work, and the
heaviest part Of the undertaking. The
channel cut in the narrowest part is seventy
feet wide, and this only occurs in few in
stances. In nearly every cut place the
channel is as wide as the river Just above
Twelve Mile Bayou. The remaining patch
of raft No. &c about one-eighth of mile
long, is the last solid one left, and that will
be open by the fourteenth Of this month,
when boats will be able to go from Shreve-
port to the head of Red Bayou, eighteen
and one-fOurth miles from the foot of the
raft, and avoid Twelve Mile Bayou. the
lakes, and Black Bayou-something that
has not been done in thirty years before a
boat reaching Red Bayou by this route can
get above the floating raft by going down
Red Bayou three miles to Stump Dam.
thence by the Sale and Murphy route to
BargetoWn or, it can take Poster BAYOU,
Just above the Red Bayou outlet, and follow
the Alban route around the remaining float
ing raft. Thus VIC have already, from the
work done, a decided improvement in our
communication with the upper country. 4
good deal of work has already been done BY
a shore party above Rcd Bayou, which win
be made more apparent when the fleet
reaches there. This is tho work thus far
accomplished
The removal Of the raft is being accom-
plished by simple but powerful means. It
is done by the steamer Aid, with her steam
capstans. and immense purchase power.
which movcs to the attack followed at inter
walls of one hundred yards by one ctanc
boat aud two fats armed with glitiering
saws. An old log, perhaps ono hundred
feet long, first attracts the attention Of the
commanding officer, who AZ once orders the
skiff men to advance to hitch onto him. .
This is done quickly, and soon the steam
eapstan is Juggling away. II he provo re-
factory and wont yield, another capstan Is
called in, when he generally succumbs and
Is dragged from his sandy bed with many
more hanging to him, forming quite mass
.of logs, dirt roots, and growing cotton
woods This mass Is pulled 10 pieces. and
the legs turned loose, to he picked up by
steam saw boats IN the rear, and cut 60 into
small pieces, which arc allowed to float Off
and eventually find a resting place in the
lakes supplied By Dooicy Bayou outlet
Sometimes two or three logs arc hitched at
one time, and the fun purchase power Of the
Aid supplied and then the mass moved is
very large. Some times the Aid moves up
and bitches on to three or four different
parts of the raft, rs she is able to do, having
a front Of 40 or 80 feet, and then backs out
with all her weight and force Sometimes
she makes three or four efforts before the
mass moves. Once moved, the water soaks
through, the dirt crumbles. and the mass
is easily pulled to pieces, and the logs
allowed TO float of As yet explosive ma
terials have not been called into requisition
to any great extent.
The benefits likely TO accrue from the
opening Of the raft are beyond conjecture.
i viii reclaim hundreds Of thousands Of
acres Of the finest cotton lands in the world.
how utterly useless, and prevent the fur
ther destruction Of many valuable farms.
seriously threatened BY the elongation offhe
raft, besides opening up t. navigation an
immense area Of country now almost desii-
tatc 0f such facilities.