The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-07-18
Albanv 8egister.
LOCAL MATTERS.

Nsa
DEMANpED.-The snagboat "Uncle
SAM" built at Oregon City, for the
purpose of clearing the Upper VIII
lamette of snags, stumps, ETC., for the
past month has been doing good SER
vice on the river between this city and
Corvallis, clearing the channeloftrees,
stumps and logs, that seriously i'm
petled navigation between the two
points. Having made clean sweep
of all distractions, she dropped down
TO this city on Monday morning. and
proceeded to take out an ugly fir that
hsd floated down. lodged and become
imbedded in the sands near the mouth
Of the Calipooia. directly in the chan
uel, making it impossible for boats to
ascend to the Magnolia Mills, just
above the mouth. Havinga desire to
observe the modus operandi Of ''snak-
ing' out Instructions of this charac-
ter, we, together with other citizens.
through the courtesy and by invitation
of the Captain, GeorgeG. Smith, were
taken on board, where we witnessed
the process. The vessel is one hun
dred feet in length by twenty-four in
breadth, and draws about twelve inches
Of water. She is one of the prettiest
models for light-tlraft low water boat
we ever saw. and steamers built after
her model would find no difficulty in
navigating the Upper Willamette, as
far at least as Corvallis. all the year
round. As it is. she makes a most eff
fective snag-bOat, the only drawback
being the lack Of propelling power.
As she has no engines, when ii is nee
eSSary to ascend a stream she must be
taken in tow by steamer, or cord
elled, which latter Is a slow aud labor
ious process, in which much valuable
time is consumed. The ''cordelling
process consists in carrying one end OF
line up the river and fastening it to
tree or some object on shore, making
the other end of the line fast to the
capstan, and then hauling in on the
line-and so on, until the desired point
is reached. The process by which
snags, &C., are drawn out of the river
by the snagboat is very simple, and al
probably many Of our readers have
witnessed the operation, we shall moi
attempt to describe it. Suffice it thai
a large fir stump that had become
deeply imbedded in the channel wat
taken ont and landed on the bank witt
little trouble and short space Of time
considering the power used. What WI
thought at the time was this; Why
were not engines placed in this boat
not only for the purpose Of moving
her from place TO place, but for hand
ling the machinery used in dragging
otlt the distractions in the river? By
the application Of steam power, OBJ
strnctions that, with present facilities
require the continued labor of one
two, and even greater number o
days, to remove, could be removed il
as many hours, thus accomplishing st
mach more work in a given time
Then, too, bars that are constantly
forming in the river could be dredged
and safe aud deep channel made in q
few hoWs' work while without the
aid Of steam the process Of dredging,
by hauling the boat, to which the
drAlger Is attached, up and down the
river with line attached to some OBJ
j4ct on the bank, Is so slow aud labor
iOus that very little II any good can be
accomplished by it. We venture the
assertion that If the snagbOat, Uncle
sam, was supplied with the necessary
steam power, sle would accomplish
more. and do better work, in one
J moAth than she can with her present
facilities In twelve. Right here We
deem it proper to say that the atten
tlon the importance Of the subject de
Tqaltds has never been given to TIN
navigation of the Upper Willamette
river BY Congress. While large sum
have been appropriated by Congress
for improving the lower Willamette
the Insignificant sum Of $1,000 only, /
seems, can be spared to improve TIN
upper Willamette --t!,e portion tha