The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-05-28
Improvement Of Broad Riv,r.


General Gilmore's report touching the i'm
proyement Of Broad. River.
This report is predicated, of course, upon
an extensive report of Major Carson, the
assistant engineer, who made q thorough
survey of the river last winter.
We Gull the following items of interest
from the report: q
The present head of navigation of Broad
River is in North Carolina, 141 miles by
river from Columbia. The craft used foy
transporting freight on the river are Fat.
bottomcd pole-boats that can carry from 80
70 40 bales of cotton when loaded TO q
draught of 20 inches. 80
A yer low stage of the river prevailed,
which greatly fase "a The sxsbinatipa y
The obstacles to navigation, even by small
craft like those above mentioned, are nu.
merous, and in some places extensive. They
consist of ledges of partially submerged
rock, isolated rocks and powders, shoals of
gravel, and the eddies and rapids produced
thereby.
These distractions render the navigable
channel very tortuous in many places, and
1t is estimated that about one. fourth of
the whole length of the river is more or
less obstructed by shoals of rocks, with an
average depth of only one foot over them at
low river.
During freshets the river rises to consid.
erable heights above the common stlge.-
at Columbia it has been known to rise as
high n 80 feet, and at points above as high
as 20 to ~ feet.
At the most important shoals and rapids
lines of levels were run to obtain the rivers
slope. The steepest of the water surface
was found at Lockhart Shoals, 50 miles
above Columbia, where it amounted to near
ly "a feet per mile. Broad River receives
several tributaries on that part of its course
that was examined. Some of them are
navigable for pole-boats for several miles
from their mouths, namely: Enoree River,
39a miles above Columbia, with 10 miles
navigation ; Tiger River, 443 miles above
Columbia, navigable for 80 miles Pacolet
River reported to be navigable for 10 miles.
The river is spauned by three railroad
bridges-one ut Aston, rs miles from Co.
lumbia another at Shelton, 45 miles from
Columbia, for the Spartanburg and Union
Railroad and third 1044 miles above
Columbia, the crossing Of the Charlotte and
At two points small marginal canals ex-
ist, which were formerly used by pole boats
to cross the rapids.
The upper canal commences little below
the head Of Lockhart's Shoals, 60 miles
obJve Columbia, ON the West bank of the
river. Its length is about II miles; total
fall, 45.79 feet. It has one food.gate and
three double locks. The canal has not been
in use for many years, but
the lock, with the exception Of the gates,
are still in good condition. The head of
the lower canal is about 2a miles above
Gervais street, Columbia. It was built in
1920, and extended to CRANKY, its whole
length being about 5 miles. Only the up
per reach Of about 2 miles is still open for
pole boats. = y The lower DOR.
tions Of the canal are filed up.
The land adjoining the Broad IL rather
poor up as far as Aston; from that place
higher up it gradually improves, and the
region from Lockhart's Shoals to Ninety
nine Islands, 94a miles above Columbia, is
fertile, yielding rich crops of cotton and
wheat.
That portion adjacent to the river in
North Carolina is billy and we'll wooded,
producing chiefly grain, tobacco and wool.
Valuable mineral lands oocur in some
sections on the upper part of the river
About 80 miles above Columbia there are
veins Of gold-bearing quartzose and talcose
slate, which have been worked in crude
manner, and paid well until the water level
was reached. In the vicinity of Cherokee
Ford, 1O1 miles above Columbia, there are
large deposits of hematite and magnetic
iron ore, with manganese baryte, graphite
and corundum. Several iron smelling
works were established here forty years ago.
Near the head Of navigation valuable mica
mine is located.
The river is undoubtedly in q poor con.
dition for navigation, in consequence Of
which the railroads of the vicinity have q
much larger proportion of the carriage.
From information collected by Mr.. Car.
son, it seems that, before the railroads were
built, 16O, 900 bales OF cotton we're annually
received and sold in Columbia, Of wbich
$4,000 bales came by pole boats. Lately
the annual receipts have not exceeded 26,
900 bales, Of which 1900 came by pole
boats, about 5000 by country wagons, and
the balance by railroad. The present re.
ceipts are, therefore, but IL per cent. Of
greet as they were some thirty years ago
The river transportation Of cotton amounts
70 only sbout 2 per cent. Of what was in
former years.
The present annual cotton crop In the
Counties bordering on Broad River il said
to be ls7 GOO bales Of $50 pounds, accord
ing 70 statements received from the besl
Informed citizens In that section Of country