Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-07-22


Montgomery county has every rea-
son for pride in claiming Mr.. Kille-
brew as one of her favored sons. His
many elaborate papers upon the unde-
veloped physical resources of Tennes-
see are accommodating a vast fund of
information, destined to be of inesti-
mable value hereafter when the time
comes for the development of those
resources, by the intelligence and in
dustry of her sons. Commissioner
Killebrew's name will yet be enrolled
among those of the great benefactors
of his native State
WATER POWER.
The water power of Tennessee is of
great Importance and must soon. as a
means of saving expense of fuel and
labor, become a source of wealth.
Before the days of railroads, when all
counties were on an equal footing in
regard to the means of transportation.
there were profitable manufactures
of Gotten and woollen goods in many
of the counties which possessed these
water-power facilities.
Since the establishment Of railways.
however, most of these counties have
been, as it were, out of the CONNER
cial world. In some of them railroads
are now In process of construction, and
soon there will be ample means of
transportation for their goods to the
commercial marts of the Union. They
demand the attention of manufactur-
ers, because, at this time the necessity
of cheapness requires the saving of
every cent in the cost of manufactur-
ing.
As general thing the water power
of Tennessee is very valuable In the
counties along the Cumberland table
land and in those along the Allegheny
range. These are the most important
counties, and their streams, flowing
from the mountains, where the rains
are frequent and the water supply reg
ular, are constant in their flow. In
East Tennessee the Powell, Clinch,
Holston, Watauga, Nolichucky,
French Broad, Big Pigeon, Little
Pigeon, Little Tennessee, Hiwassee,
Ocoe river, with their innumerable
tributaries from the peaks of the Blue
Ridge, flowing through the gorges and
canons among the lofty Unakas, form
water system unsurpassed in the
world. East Tennessee is a country
of rivulets, creeks and rivers, with
their many waters all flowing continu-
ously from the mountain peaks of the
Unakas to the point where the Ten
nessee flows into Alabama. In the
counties of Cartar, johnson, Wash
ington, Unicoi, Greene, Cooke, Sewer.
Polk, Blount, McMinn and Monroe,
the creeks are numerous and constant.
their fall sufficient, mill and manufac-
turing sites abundant, and these coun-
ties are either now or soon will be
connected with the markets of the
world by rail.
Coming to the Cumberland Table
land, we find the streams from even
the most eastern edge of that broad
plateau flowing westward down the
slopes of the Cumberland mountains,
foamlng and dashing in wild torrents
and leaping cascades, down the valleys
between the spurs and outliers of the
table-land, and pouring an unceasing
waterfall over the rim of the Central
Basin; their long white lines of mist
and creamy foam, like truce flags in
this centennial year, reckoning the
the pursuits OF peace and the indus
tries of a prospecting people who are
ready to bind up the rude gaping
wounds which war has left. A de-
scription of the water power of White
county will be fairly representative of
this region. The power of this county
is sufficient to work up all the cotton
raised in the United States. That on
Caney Fork, the principal stream if
not the best in the country, is at least
the most powerful. 1t is one of the
ISngas+ "i6Staries Of the unrn- G,,.,,
berland. Rising on the Cumberland
table-land twelve miles east of Sparta,
it descends through a narrow gorge
hemmed in by trowning cliffs for
twelve or fifteen miles, to a point
where 1t debouches into an undulating
valley plain. Passing on westward by
many winding way through this val
ley, it plunges at Rock Island, In
succession of falls and rapids extend
ing for - miles, over siliceous lime
stone formation.
At Rock Island, where the piers of
a railroad bridge have been partly
built, there is fall of five feet, which
might be increased by a dam so as to
furnish any required force. From the
island, continuing about two miles,
descent of five feet is made by the
stream. At this point is the principal
fall, where the water descends perpen-
dicularly twenty five feet.
Below the main fall there are rap
ids with descent of feet for dis
tance of 250 yards. Then there occur
three falls within 100 yards of each
other, each about 20 feet, and these
are followed by rapids for distance
of 80 yards, with fall of 6 feet Be-
low the rapids there is eddy water for
$50 yards. Beyond this, rapids, with
a fall of 6 feet, extend for 100 yards.
From this point back a quarter of
mile to the principal falls, the aggre-
gate descent OF the stream is SO feet.
Below the last mentioned rapid there
is succession of rapids to the Horse
shoe Falls, where there is fall of
feet The current from this point for
a distance of 2 miles is rapid. Four
miles below, at Franks FERRY, is the
head of steamboat navigation. At
many places the channel is only 20
yards from the bank, widening to 100
yards. The banks and bed of the
stream are formed Of hard siliceous
limestone, from Rock Island to the
foot of the rapids. Dams could easily
be constructed of cheap material lying
conVenient-so durahle nc IN SuStain
any pressure-beyond the danger of
undermining, or destruction by diver
sion of the stream around the ends,
and of capacity sufficient to secure
any force that might be desired.
Yet this is not the best nor most
available water power. Many streams
in White county have nearly equal
power and possess better sites fer
mills and factories. Falling Water is
one of these. At one point there is a
series of rapids, where the descent is
200 feet in distance of 200 yards, and
the volume of water large enough for
any manufacturing purpose. A log
pinned down to divert a part of the
stream is sufficient dam to furnish so
horse power for a mill The stream
is remarkably constant, never very
low and never too high. A record of
fifty years shows no stopping for fresh
cts.
Taylor's creek, tributary of Falling
Waters, supplies excellent power, with
a fall Of 50 feet in 300 yards, furnish
two mills with ample power within 200
yards. Below the lower dam there
ora IN pidS for n JicfaDoo oF 00n -