The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-12-25
Tue Savannah River.
THE CONTE INFLATED REMOV-
Ar. OF DISTRACTIONS.
Preliminary Survey Of the Stream
Return OF ISr. Carson from HIS Ex-
pcd;,ion-TEe Expense of Making
the River able Smaller Than
any Estimate Yet !fade.

Preliminary Survey Of the Stream
Return OF ISr. Carson from His Ex-
pcd;,ion-Tte Expense of Making
the River Navisabie Smaller Than
any Estimate Vel !hade.
(Augustu Ch,vnic'e.)
On the 5th OF November M. James pettigru
Carson who had been sent by GSA. Gllinore,
Chief Of the United States ENgiiler" corps, 70
make a preliminary survey OF the >;ttalnhn
River above Augusta, arrived In thecity. lie
was instructed after making the survey 10 re
port In regard to the existing distractions 30
navigation, OF whatever kind, such as shIa!S,
snags, RATS of logs, rapids, sharp curves aLd
the best meads and prOlabic cost of removing
them so as 10 secure such moderate depths at
low stages of the river. rs will Accommodate
the commerce that will naturally seek that
line OF transit. He was also directed To- as
certain Tie depth, velocity. width and gcncr-
nj behavior OF the river during the various
seasons OF the year and statistics showing
what area of country and amount OF pOpula-
tion will be benefited by improving the
stream. On the 9Th of November Mr.. Carson
STARTED Up THE RIVER
In q pole boat with Mr.. Stonica. an expert
enced river man, as pilot, often camping out
in the woods at night. lie arrived on the Both
at thejGnction of the Tallulaha and Cnattooga,
four miles from the falls, OH hcTngalO branch
of the savannah. He found 4 number Of
shoals, but the majority are small AID easily
removed. The principal are Long shoals,
1--WE miles long, about thirty miles from Au
.u$ta Truiter shoals, about SiXty-lrc miles
kce Shoals, Mcdaniel Shoals, Gregg Shoalr,
Middleton Shoals, Ilatton Shoals and Guest
Shoals. In the seven miles constituting rrOt-
ter Shoals the fall is - feet orr Inches To 1913
feet. The twenty-five miles of the stream
rom Little River TO TrOttcr shoals
Is COOL,
And from II to 10 feet deep. From Petersburg
eto Anderson IL Is very bad. In this stretch
are the Cherokee Shoals, with n fall Of Ii feet
to the mile, Mcdaniel. Gregg and Middleton
Shoals. Above Anderson aic the llat.on and
Guest Shoals, with a iHll OF ten iCot to the
mile. Above Anderson the stream is @cncr-
ally clear with only q few insignificant shoals.
and a small steamboat drawing two feet OF
water could ply from Anderson TO within
TWO miles OF Panther Creek. a distance OF
thirty-iive miles or twelve miles aboCe where
the Air Lin Railroad crosses the stream.
The point reached by Mr.. Carson is one hun-
dred and fifty miles from Augusta. He walk
cd the last two miles auda hall, and at Fan
thCr Creek
TURNED HIS FACE DOWN STREAM
and commenced hIs journey back, reaching
Augusta yesterday morning. Mr.. Carson Is
satisfied that the river can be made nariga-
BILE to Anderson. s. G., for II much less sum
than any estimate previously made. His re-
port to General Gilmore will contain full sta
t~istics, showing the number and extent OF the
shoa,sk the probable cost OF removing these,
the cUdntry TO be benefited by the improve
nient, and many others. of interest. lie Is
now collecting points about the commerce
and manufactures of the city. We trust that
he will receive every assistance from those Of
our citizens who can
X HIM IMPORTATION
In reference to he desired points. Mr.. Car
son is not In flSOr Of constructing canals or
locks at any OF the shoals, but thinks the OBJ
strucuonS themselves can be removed at a
much'lcss cost. We arc satisfied that If the
stream was made naviGablc for a considcra-
BILE distance above Augusta, 1t would prove Of
very great benefit toa fertile section OF coun-
try ut least fifty miles wide on each side, and
that thousands Of bales OF cotton that now
have to be hauled by wagons or brought down
on pole boats at great labor, expense and loss
of time would naturally coine down the
stream to Augusta. The cost OF improving
the river Will be small. compared to the BEN
efits 1t VIII confer. Not only will thousands
tof bales Of cotton that now come by wagon
find an easy transit, but thousands of others
that nowgo In other directions, will be turn
ed hitherward. We trust that the result of
the preliminary survey will DC tho carly I'M
provcment Of tho river. -.