The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-02-27

amounting 10 rapids, and leaving but
listle room for the passage Of boeis .
low-wAser.
Ihad the advan'a age of seeing he nv
er Z, . very low Stage Of wa er sna IN
is wors condi ion. A, no lime during
he examination was there . rise OF
more han 6 inches, and ths, lasted Du'
few days. !.
The dis ance from Wichita 10 Fort
Smi h l estimate at 400 miles, divideo
= ''. ~''.'.. ;. .... e,.v Nile. &
From Arkansas City to the STATE line 80 -
From state line to Grand River. =
Prom Grand River 70 Fort smith ..-....-... ~
ro.., 40
The small amoun' of money available
rendered rapid work necessary, ana .
hurried reconnaissance was all 'ha'
could be made. On such information as
I could oh ain, respec fully submit. the
following approximate es ima'e OF me
cost Of improving the river for s. cam
boa naviga ion l0w-wa er.
The Ii lie Arkansas River emp'ies in
TO the Arkansas about three four rs OF
a mile above The bridge of Wichi a. The
bed of he main s,ream is from 6OO 10
800 feet wide from here to The bridge.
The slope Of the river from he mou h
of The Ii lie Arkansas 20 q poin' mile
below is sos fee. high-wa'er mark a.
Wichi from he best informa ion OBJ
ainable is 7.45 fee above low-wa'er.
The bridge a. Wichi has The lower
chord 10 fee above lOw-wa er, but as
The landing would probably be below it,
il need not be AIKEN in o cOnsidera ion.
From Wi.hi,a o Ell Paso, a dis ance
of some Is miles, he slope of he river is
abou, fee per mile, or As feet for he
whole dis ance. The bed Of he River
is generally wife, and 20 wi hin Q miles
of Ell PasO needs a con inued series OF
dikes and dams 20 con ract il 20 a
proper wild h, which would be abou
$50 feet. This would rake dixie of
600 feet every half mile for IL miles, or
1900 fee in all. About two miles above
Ii Paso he river narrOws down % about
the required wild h, wi h no. less than
three feet of water in tine channel. This
extends for nearly 2 miles.
About One-half mile above Ell PasO
there is rocky reef extending across
the river, running out from the left
where here is a rocky bank. The ex-
pense would be bu' slight to place it in
good boa ing Order-$2, 800 would be
sufficient.
From FL PasO to Oxford the distance
is 25 miles. The difference of level be-
tween the TWO places is abou 50 feet,
giving q slope of 275 feet per mile. This
piece of river is continued series of
comparatively short bends, and the
water being forced on he convex side
of them, forms good channel in most
places. 1t will require about $1,000 fee
of da0 for this distane, or 312 feet per
mile.
About one and one half miles above
Oxford here is a brush andrOck dam
which is built for he purpose of brow
inc in race or ditch. where i is used
for mill power. The dam is slight.
irregular-built affair, angling down
ream.
The difference Of level of the wa'er
above and below il az The lef bank is
1.37 fee The RICH bank here is abou
30 feet high and of talcose sla e.
A Oxford there is pom Don bridge.
A roadway built TO it is made of rock,
brush. and prairie hay, he larer pre-
dominating, and seems 10 make an ex-
ceIen dixie, closing he river in 20
about $50 fee and making a good chan
mel along the bluff for abou, a half
mile.
Some 4milcs above Oxford the Meme
Scah Creek empties in the river, adj
ding some hing to the volume of wa er.
I, Cor "a IN,
the river from Wichita % this place :;
bur there is bu' lille doubt that The
all, rank prairie grass, which is in
digenous % this region, and grows in
great abundance, could be used to adj
van age in The work by mixing il in
wi he brush, and in all probability
would be economical.
About hree four hs of mile below
Oxford the river widcns out and is full
of bars. At 5 miles from Oxford, the
banks on he right are high and contain
considerable loose slate. The river bot
tom is of rock, bur here is fair dep h
of wa er-from two and one half TO 6
feet. Abon, IA miles above Arkansas
Ci'y. he banks on he lef are abOu 80
feet high, of sand and clay. uadcrlaid
The slope of he river from Oxford to
Arkansas Ci'y, dis ance of % miles, is
65 feet, or &c feet per mile. There will
be necessary for his piece of river
abou' 1880 fee of dixie and dam-6O0
fee, per mile. The approximate amount
of water in The river AZ Arkansas CT y
is 675 cubic feet per second. AT this
place there is wagon-bridge about 600
feet in leng h, with he lower chord 20
feet above low-water. a draw would be
necessary to allow she passage of boats.
In the presen' STATE it is an obs ruction
to naviga ion.
From Arkansas City TO Kaw Agency
the dis ance is ~ miles. The fall of the
river, between these poin is 10 fee.
or 2.5 feet per mile.
1t will take about 1880 feet of work
TO improve this part of the river, or 375
feet per mile.
The river banks are becoming better
and the river improving.
Walnut Creek empties about miles be-
low Arkansas City and adds fair
amount to the volume of water in the
river.
Below the creek the river changes
in character. The banks and
bluffs arc higher and more rocky, the
bed of the river more narrow, and tim |
Der more plentiful. Oak, hickory. pecan. |
walnut, blackberry, and many other
are common. Cottonwood OF |
course. is always TO be found on the |
banks and low grounds. Below, and !
near the State line, and few miles |
further down. about the mouth of Cha |
loca Creek quantity of loose rock. APP
parently piled up during freshets, shows
itself in the river. Some of this rock |
should be removed and dam thrown
in 10 concentrate the water. About |
SO 900 would do it.
On this piece Of river, from kaw
Agency to Salt Creek. the distance is 81 |
miles. The slope ofthe river is 1876 fcei.
or about ID feet per mile. 1t will take
about $4,000 feet of dam to improve it.
Or l5l feet per mile. On this part OF
The river snags are becoming NOR,
plentiful. Between Kaw Agency and
sal: Geek the Salt Fork empties, il
throws in considerable water.
From Salt Greek 10 Black Bear Greek
a distance of Is miles, the river is wide
md bad, and viii take about $4,000 fees
Of dam to improve it. or 1913 fee: per
nile. The slope is about % feet per
nile, or 33 feet for the distance of Is
miles. Black Bear Creek comes in on the
right. and adds something TO the amount
Of water in the river, even when very
ow.
From Black Bear Creek to the Cimar-
ION River the distance is 81 miles. The
bed of the river is very wide and sandy.
getting as wide as 1900