The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-03-10
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eH The Ia.prsres senf V

During the last Congress procured an /
Appropriation for survey 81 Smiths
shnals, in the Cumberland river. in the
State Of Kentucky. ',ha, survey was made |
In the latter part Of 1874, by Mr.. X. {.
Mctalla, assistant engineer, and his report /
will be found in the annual report OF the |
chief oi cnginrecs for 1875, In appendix X,
on pages l6, IL. Is, 10, 20 and 81. At this
session have intro luccd hill authorizing |
the secretary of war to improve said snoal- |
according to the plans and specifications OF |
said report, and a-king an appropriation OF
S7O,OO0 to enable him to make said I'M
provement. The committee will indulge
me for short time while give some adj
diiionsl reasons, not in said report, for the
improvement Of said shoals.
You are well apprised Of the importance
of cheap transportation, and where there
are natural highways 81 a national charac-
ter they should be 81 improved as TO give
an outlet To the products Of the country
through which they run, provided said inn
provements are practicable. However
much VT may differ Ne To the proprie,y OF
giving aid to the great artificial channels 81
commerce, no one, dare say, now doubts
the power Of Congress to improve rivers
running through more than one State, to
improve rivers and haroors where the same
is necessary tofustrr and protect commerce
on the sealoard and to develop the rescurc-
~ 81 the country. The more you impure
these arteries aud make them navigabe for
all classes OF vessel. which can traverse
them, the more you develop the RESOURCES
Of the country; and the cheaper you carry
these products To their respective markets,
the cheaper they can be had by the consul
l.. LII
Of them to his own comfort, taste and plea
sure. need not stop to argue that water
transportation il the cheapest Of all the
kinds in use in this country. This arises
from the fact that il il a natural highway;
no daily wear and tear Of this road bed; no
great outlay in constructing the same Ii
can be utilized in hundred different ways.
from the magnificent steamer, freightd
with the lives and property of men, down
to the coal barge and the rough log-rait. |
will dwell no longer ON these self-evident
propositions.
Now the grand question is this: IL this
such an in, proyement as should be made
BY the Government? l. il in the interest
al trade and commerce, and will it bring
material wealth To any considerable pOr-
tion of the country? 1t is known to you
all the Cumberland il one Of the main
ranches Of the Ohio river. Rising in the
mountains OF Kentucky, II runs tor more
than hundred miles in Kentucky. then
through u considerable portion Of Tennes-
see, then back into Kentucky, then emptie-
into the Ohio river. Its whole length is
about 600 miles and in winter and spring,
il navigable for 200 miles for large first
class boats. and dnrins the sumner for
small boats up to the foot " the shoals ]
am seeking to have improved. Ii il such
>tream Us Congress should orier.improved,
il there il wealth to be developed BY 80 do
ing. There is then 1900 miles u coast on
this river. Winding as il does through
mountains and plains, il bear- upon its bo-
som To the Ohio aud Mississippi rivers, the
rich products Of this large extent OF coun-
try. II il estimated that the commerce Of
this river above Nashyille. now amounts to
$4,000, 600 annually, and with some i'm
provcments, not costing half As much as j.
thrown away on one po-toiiice building, the
commerce would reach double that amount.
These shoals obstruct the passage Of
coal boat, rafts, &c, at all times Of the
year. except when there is high rise in the
river, and this does not often occur; 50 tina.
most Of the time there il not sufficient tide
to carry TO market the inexhausiible sup
plies Of coal and lumber above, and ada
cent to said shoals. There is over one mil
lion Of acres and about twenty THOUSAND
square miles in extent OF the country in
whose bosom is inlbedded millions Of dol
lars worth Of coal, and on the surface Of
which, ia un inexhaustible supply Of p'p-
lar aud oak timber, which lies shove and
on either side 81 those shoals, and j. acces-
sible, il there was any Convenient way Of
getting 10 market, those vast products. This
country il rough, il spar-ely inhabited; but
il these inexh usiible products could be
made available by means 81 transpofta-
ton, then the population would double and
treble in short time. New mines would
be opened, towns spring up, and great
wealth would cume to those who are now
cut OF from a market for these products;
and those who now look to these mines for
their supply OF coal and lumber, would
purchase the same for nearly one-half Of
the price they now pay.
Mr.. Speaker, the number Of fat boat
tides over these shoals will not average
over three annually, and the number Of
boats H. about eighty each season, carrying
about six hundred and forty thousand bush
es Of coal; this is generally sold in the
Nashville market at l64 cents per bushel.
thus yieldinv in gross about SlOO, 700.
B0atmen living on the river, say the are
On an average, annually, "a boat tides from
the foot Of the shoals down the river. Now,
il the improvement proposed would quad
ripple the number II tide. ON the shoals,
then you would hare over two and half
milliOIs Of bushels OF coal sent to market
mn ally, and a r. turn OF $40J, 900 therefor.
But il Is reasonable g. suppose. As the ia
ciIities Tor getting these products to market
are increased, new mines would be opened,
a much larger number Of boats would be
sent down each tide, AMI do not regard II
an extravagant estimate when | say there
would he sent from these mines annually,
five or six millions Of bushels of coal,
yielding Ia the operatives and to the coun-
try, at least $4,000. Nor ia this all. There
are now, when there 10 u high tide, large
RATS Of a- fine timber and lumber as can be
fund anywhere, hoated down this stream.
These would also be largely increased in
number aud value. SO that, with this i'm
provenient made, the return to these hard
working, honest but destitute in many re-
gar lsl people would be at least 81 600, 900
annually from coal and lumber. This Is !
not all. There lies in these mountain |
ranges. and near To his river, above these
shoals, quantities OF iron ore, the extent /
not known; but should this approach in
exten, and quantity the coal found here. /
then this s'urce Of wealth will far exceed
that Of both coal and lumber. l venture
the assertion that there is scarcely any.
where, any section OF county Of the same
extent, 80 rich in it, natural resources; and
here, permit me 10 give AN extract from the
report Of the engineer. lie says;
I deem Il unnecessary 10 expitiale more fully
i.s>on the character and quantity II the s~ouT-
Gee, mineral maiullacturihg aud asrcnlurAl Of this
section OF the Cumberland river aud the COUNTRIES
tnhutary thereto. suffice Il In ay that there Il
Ierhaps no section NJ similar cNtent la the rnited
states that suTpaks IL In undessaIel coal. iTOn,
lumber, agricultural and manufacturing rosyurces
Mr., Speaker, am not asking for an ap-
preparation simply to give some p rson a
lat contract 90 do a piece Of work, which.
when done, will yield no relurn to the PEG.
pie in the country; bur, sir, | ask the sum