The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-03-13
GEOKGE ". MCCRARY,
Secretary of War.
The Speaker Of the House Of Rcprcscn-
tativcs.
GEORGE W NIcCnAn
u. S. ENGINEERS OFFICE,
SAVANNAII. GA Feb & lS79


River above Augusta, Ga.," provided for
by the act of Congress, approved June
18th, 1873, and assignee. to me by the in
structons of the Chief Of Engineers,
dated July Sth, 1873, has been COM
plcted.
The examination was made with q
view TO asccrtaining the present .conli-
tion of the river from Augusta to the
head of polc-boat navigation distance
by river of about 154 miles, the practical
biliiy of improving it for craft proper to
those localities, the approximate cost of
such improvements, and the expcdiency
of making them, in regard to the impor-
tancc, present and prospective, of the
commercial interests involved.
The head of the Savannah River
proper is the junction of the Tugaloo
and Seneca Rivers, 1917 miles above
Augusta. These rivers combined form
the Savannah. From the point of Juno
ton to the head of polc-boai navigation
near Tallulah Falls, 154 miles above
Augusta, the Tugaloo forms the nayiga-
bic branch Of the Savannah River.
The examination was intrustcd to Mr.
j. T.. Carson, assistant engineer.
The field work was commenced ON No.
vcmber 9th, 1878, and completed Dccem.
Der 18th. Mr.. Carson secured the SER
vices Of an experienced pilot, with crew
of four men, and used one of the pole
boats employed in the trade of the river.
and well adapted to pass the rapids.
The examination was made during an
exceptionally low stage of the river.
favorable for observing the rocks and
other 0bsiTuciiona 10 inc fullest possible
extent
The obstacles to navigation on the
route explored were found to be hume
rous, extensive and not unirequenlly
quite dangerous. They consist chiefly of
rocky ledges running across the chan
and shoals of gravel. The aggregate
Il length Of river Of i5l miles.
The river is subject to considerable
frcshcts. The average rise on such occa-
sions is about IS feet, but it has reached
much greater heights. at Petersburg,
IN 1902, the river rose Al feet above the
common stage within As hours, and IS
feet within 36 hours in 1875. In the lat
ter year the streets of Augusta were /
feet under water, although they are 30
feet above the river ut ordinary stage.
hS"S 6iCaL dllCICICCS VI NulST leVcl
show the practical impossibility OF i'm
proving the river by locks, dams and
side-cuts for canals.
The height of number of points on
the river above the city Of Augusta,
which is 14S feet above the sea, was as
certained by baromcrtic observations.
An aneroid was employed for this rur,
pose, using the corresponding records of
Tho Cinnal nfIfrn or A
differences of altitude. The observations
were corrected fc- instrumental error,
reduced to 80 degrees Fair, and com
puted by Col. Il. S. Williamson's tables.
The head of pole boat navigation was
thus determined to be about 374 feet
above Augusta. AT Andcrsonville, $.
C., 1917 miles above Augusta, tho river
was 270 feet above the water level of the
latter place. The greatest locc' fall of
any Of the reaches of the river was OBJ
served at Hatton Shoal, 10 miles above
Augusta, amounting to 80 feet in II
miles. At Gregg's Shoal, SIS miles above
Augusta, it was 20 foct in one mile, and
at Cherokee Shoal, 9 feet in half n mile.
TO what degree Of accuracy these
available for the purpose, it is impossible
w cS ~ 10 DCtltNGt lIdt llIcS CUIlIlOL
be safely relied upon in preparing pro-
lect OF Improvement, and that n careful
instrumental survey of some parts of the
line will be neces Ary.
The country on both sides Of the river
from Augusta to Knox's Bridge, a dis.
tance OF i2i miles, is devoted to The pro.
duction Of tobacco grain, and indigo. MS
well as TO vine aud silk culture. The
country GHinIninu hath 10. <.c IL
upper 80 miles above Knox's Bridge is
generally used for raising corn. 1t is
well timbcrcd. Gold mining is carried
on to some extent, and there are also, in
places, extensive beds of good iron ore.
with abundance Of fuel and limestone.
The area of the cotton land, estimated
to depend to somc extent on the river for
tie transportation Of It's products and
needed supplies, is about 900 square
miles, with n population of $1,000, ac-
cording to The census of 1870. The total
annual production of cotton in these dis
tricts is estimated at 900 bales.
In 1876 and 1877, the freight of Au-
gusta up stream averaged from 1000 TO
2,5oc .0i.s pcr ::EiE:;::.. from tho iva,i oi
navigation down to Augusta about II, 900
bales OF cotton. The average annual re-
ceipts Of cotton from all sources ut Au-
gusta is stated TO be 100000 bales. The
amount of cotton shipped on the route
examined forms, ,n-. .t!ore, only IL rather
small proportion of the whole.
There can be little doubt that an i'm
provenert Of the river would aid the
further development of its trade. There
is an abundance of water, which, if prop
crly regulated, would deprive navigation
of most of its present inconvenieDces,
dangers and delays, allow the introduc-
ton, upon the lower portion of the route
at least, Of vessels propelled by steam,
and thus greatly cheaper the cost OF
transportation.
Two estimates are submitted by Mr..
Carson, rs follows:
The estimate is for opening n channel
for poe-boat navigation, 3 feet deep and
80 feet wide, from Augusta to Anderson
vile, at the mouth of the Tugaloo, 1O75
miles, and from Andersonviile up the
Tugaloo River 43l miles to Browns, a
total distance by river from Augusta OF
1905 miles.
The estimated cost of the improve
ment for the entire distance is $l73. GIG
Add 10 per cent. for contingent ex-
1I30l
1oCl... $l0O, 81.
The second estimate is for a steam
boat chanuel, = feet deep and 80
| feet wide, Augusta to Trotter's