Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-04-10
Navigation Of Dan R yer.
U. S. ENeINEERs' OFFICE,
1907 PENNSYLVANIA Avenne.
lInaL iaallfl.a. u ~

U. s. ENGINEERs' OFFICE, J
1907 PENNSYLVANIA Avenne, :
Washington, ID. q.
Hon. A. M. SCALES, NJ. c.,
House of Representatives
SIR: ln compliance with your
request, | have written short ac-
count of the delays which have
prevented my report on the Dar
River from being completed in
time TO be laid before the Commit
tee Oh Commerce. and l will also
add a statemeu; of The progress ot
tue Office work, and of difficulties
and probable character OF the i'm
prnvement.
The amount allotted for the sur.
veys of the Yadkin, Dau and
Slaunton rivers was $500. In
order to economize this sum, I en-
deavored to procure the notes OF
the surveys and the maps which
mad been made of those rivers un
der the authority of the States OF
Virginia and North Carolina. Some
| old reports were found, but no
trace Of the original notes, mars
or pT"files, could be discovered. 1t
was therefore necessary that the
levels, topography and soundings
should be taken again. The funds
at my command did not permit the
organization Of more than one sur
vey party, which took the field
with orders TO survey each Of the
rivers in succession. The field
work of the Yadkin and the Dan
was finished Jan 23d the proper
~ was stored at Danville, and the
parry are DOW engaged in the OF
ice III plotting the notes.
With the view of hustening my
report upon the Dan river, | di-
rected the party to commence at
Madison, and to leave that part OF
the river above Madison and below
Danbury to be completed in the
spring. Before the completion of
this work of plotting the topogra-
ply, prohles and soundings is done,
1t will not be practicable to deter
nine the exact plan or cost of the
improvement.
The difficulty of improving the
Dan and tie Yadkin does nat arise
from deficiency la water, but iu
the descent or faH which must be
reduced IN order to fit the channel
for steam navigation.
The provement of the Yadkin
Is further complicated by mill dams
which reach entirely across the
river and which can only be ntil'
lzed by their partial removal. The
improvement of this river would
be simpler if no dams existed.
Congress has heretofore opposed
such improvements as involved the
use of locks AM! dams except on
works of national Importance as
that on the Ohio at Louisville, on
the Mississippi at Keokuk and be
tween Lake Superior and Lake
Michigan ut the SauIt St. Marie
Canal. 1t has also opposed i'm
pfovements when the cost has ap-
pea ed to be disproportionate to
trade. | mention these facts which
are well known to you as a justi6-
cation of the time which should he
given to a careful study aud al
juStmeEt OF the work proposed to
secure the desired end That end
is navigation by light daft stern-
wheel steamers at low wa'et; or
some stage near If
L regret exceedingly that you or
any OF your constituents should be
disappointed by the delay in the
preparation of my report, but | am
satisfied that the time given to the
careful consideration of the sub
jrct-is more likely to inal success
than any hastY II eatment would be.
Your ohedient servant,
J T. ALBERT,
o. S. Civil Engineer.