New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-26
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The survey cost $lS,36l IL.

nv ouA Wy Socu $iStcoi -
SURVEY OF RED RIVER, AT ALEXANDRIA,
LOUISIANA.
The river, from deep water above the
falls to point below the city, was surveyed,
during the season of extreme low water in
the most accurate manner, with two objects
in view:
l. The improvement of navigation over
the falls.
9. The protection of the river front of
Alexandria from erosion caused by the dam
built by General Bailey, in 1864, to release
the gunboat fleet of Admiral Porter.
For the first various plans are suggested
and discussed at length. A low water lock
and dam, the latter having sluice to be
opened for high water navigation, were re-
commended. and the cost of the work eeti-
mated at $97, ,652 SO.
In view of anticipated future improve.
ment of Red river, above and below the
falls, the lock was designed TO afford depth
of five feet over the falls when the stage of
the river may afford less depth through
the sluice.
For the second, revetment of the river
bank, with concrete blocks, is recommended
at an estimated cost of $lS,40O.
The survey cost $2027 %.
SURVEY OF THE BRAzos RIVER, IN TEXAS,
FROM WACO TO ITS MOUTH, INCLUDING
THE BAR.
In 1857 and 1858, the State of Texas under
took the improvement of the river from
Washington to its mouth, a distance of 255
miles, $6O0OO being appropriated for the
purpose.
The work effected some improvement in
the rock shoals below Washington, while
some snags were removed from the lower
river. The amount of improvement could
not be ascertained, but there was general
complaint of its insuticiency.
As early as 1882, the river sustained
very considerable commerce, which, until
1858, grew in Importance.
About 1858 inland navigation was secured
between the river and Galveston harbor by
q canal, which promised to increase the
commerce of the river by giving it better
harbor than it before had. Shortly after
ward, however, the city of Houston began
to tap the trade of the upper Brazos cOun-
try, and has now entirely drawn it away
from the river above Columbia. Two small
steamboats, yet run as high as the latter
place, which now represent the entire com
merce of the river. 1t is claimed that these
boats would yet run to Washington for
about eight months of each year were it not
for the bridges across the river above Co.
lumbia. These bridges are without draws,
and consequently pan not be passed by
steamboats, when the river is at navigable
stage.
owning the bridges should be obliged, under
the laws governing the bridging of naviga-
BILE streams, to provide them with suitable
draws.
After this is done, making navigation pos.
sible from Richmond to Washington, the
removal of snags from the river channel
would no doubt be desirable, and it is
thought that an appropriation of $4,000
should cover the expense of removal; but
for such work no exact estimate can be
made.
MOUTH OF THE BRAZOs.
The Sulina Pass of the Danube debouches
into the Black Sea at nearly right angles to
the cOast line. 1t maintains nearly uni
form width from the main stem of tie
Danube to the sea; it's current varies from
one to three knots per hour; it's discharge is
only about two twenty sevenths of the
whole discharge OF the Danube; it's ordinary
current is only about one and half knots
per hour; the tides of the Black Sea have
snch slight rise and fall that they may be
disregarded the bar deposit at the Sulina
mouth is principally sand; q littoral cur
rent, governed by the winds, skirts the sea
coast.
All the conditions stated are similar to
those observed at the mouth of the Brazos,
except as to the tides, which are in favor of
the latter.
1t is now certain that the go called littoral
current at the Sulina mouth owes its effec-
tiveness, If not its existence, entirely to the
winds. lis, therefore, strictly speaking,
Q wind current to which the name littOral
has been loosely applied.
We sre now assured that at the mouth of
the Brazos there 10 NO ittoral current, such
- was expected, within . useful distance
from the shorc, and that such wind cur