Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-01-15
rmE cUmBERLAND RIvER.
Congress 10 be Ekeanoriaiixed an
tsgara 10 sls IssIproveIneMt.
NAshville AMERICAN

10 The following memorial will =
Is circulated for signatures nf persni
p living along the Cumberland rive
y in Kentucky and this state. afte
= which il will be presented To tn,
Y general assembly for adoption, ant
+ then sent Ia congress:
y "TO the honorable senate and
y house Of representatives in congress
e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS emorialistS, cit.
liens OF the states OF Tennessee and
= Kentucky, would respectfully state
u that the Cumberland river, a navi-
!, gable stream flowing through the
same, has, at point known as
: Smiths shoals or falls, an obstruc-
! ton perilOus to navigation at certain
stages of water.
''YOur memOrialists would fur
) Interstate thatcertain improvements
, have been made by the government
ut that point, which, by actual and
practical use, have proven TO render
the navigation OF said shoals or falls
. entirely unsafe, and has caused
heavy and disastrous losses to par
ties attempting to navigate the
same, and has for time being entire
~ suspended large and valuable
business of transl orting great guam
titles of coal and other products of a
territory situated above said shoals
or falls.
4 "Your memorialists, therefore,
respectfully pray that an appropTla-
ton be made to lock and dam said
shoals or falls safe for navigation.
"And your memorialists will ever
pray" etc.
In order to learn the extent of the
improvements necessary and other
data in reference to the upper Cum
berland river, Capt. l.. G. Overman,
U. s. corps of engineers, formerly
in charge of this work, was inter
viewed and the following interest
ing information obtained i'm relation
| thereto:
Smiths shoals consist of four sets
of shoals, with total length OF
eight miles, and an aggregate fall
of tifty-five feet. They form bar
rier to upstream navigation at all
| times and stages of water in the
river. The river and harbOr bill of
1874 ordered survey, and an ex-
animation was made in the winter |
of 1S74-75. An improvement was |
recommended with Il view to i'm /
crease the depth of the water in the
natural channel of the river for
downstream navigation. The cost
was estimate at so, 900, but after
ward increased TO 100000. Any
other plan of improvement was con-
sidered too expensive for the needs
of commerce then.
The first appropriation was made
in August, 1876, but was not avail
able until February, 1877. This
amount was S25, 600, aud the work
was begun in April, 1877. The
amount expended to Sept. 80, 1877,
was 1000.
The second appropriation was
made in June, 1878, and available
in July. 1878. This amount was
$50, 900. The work was resumed
July 20, 1878. The amount ex-
pended during the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1879, was 81, 800.
The third appropriation was made
in March, 1879, and made available
July 10, 1879. This amounted to
$4,000. The amount expended for ,
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880,
was $2l, $50.
The fourth appropriation was /
made in June, 1880, for the eXpend- {
iture during the fiscal year ending !
June 30, 1881, and amounted to $780, {
900.
1t will thus be seen that for the s
survey made i'm 1915 the cost was |
estimated to be 100000, and that S
four appropriations have been made q
between that time and June 80, 1880, I
to 500, 900, of which $685. c
800 has been expended in three sea- s
sons at work.
The loss of sixteen coal boats q
occurred i'm May, 1878, when the '
work was only one-fourth accOmp- O
lished. The circumstances attend
ing the disaster were peculiar in n
every respect, and opinions differed Z
as to the effect of the unfinished y
work of the improvement. The u
estimated value OF coal lost was 81 t
900. d
Since this loss very little coal has K
been mined above the shoals, and /
not much profit is derived from it, y
as it is mined in the crude method, y
and those employed cannot COM u
pete in price with coal brought to h
Nashville by the railroads. V
Some boats passed through the Il
shoals in the fall of 1873, and in the Il
spring and fall Of 1879, and no diff h
,ulties were encountered. AS many
Is forty boats were lost i'm these
shoals on one occasion many years
lgo-long before the work was
lone.
The mprOvements,s so far as made, b
nave certainly increased the depth ST
If water in the natural channel and v
hereby enabled boats to come out oil
IN less rise, and, consequently, to HI
'ome more frequently, and this was d.
What was most desired by coal and pi
lumber men. Lumber RATS and II
,oats have passed through in safety q
nd with more ease than heretofore. Il
A system of locks and dams would W
be the best plan for inn
rowing not only these shoals but re
he entire Cumberland river, and
specially above Nashville. IL con- N
ress can be induced to appropriate al
he money necessary for such an III
it would be of great
enefit not only to Nashville, to W
to Kentucky and the ~
djoining states, but to the whole Fl
Ountry, tributary TO the Ohio and EN-
rivers. ST.
The main difficulty since 1870, in yC
he work for the Improvement of an
he Cumberland, has been the small IA
granted by congress til
'Om year to year, and for designat-
4 localities to accomplish big inn Of
and with no guaranty ca
hat they would be increased IL tn
lore radical Improvement were I'M
ertaken.
The total amount appropriated in
IN years for the improvement of vi
he Cumberland river, below Nash hi
lille. is $2O0, 900; above Nashville, 90
l00,000; Smiths shoals, $4,000 m
Co.. hi
uN
Young Lndy's Heart Misplaced.
A curious case of malpOsition Of al'
he heart was recently discovered ne
y a physician in a patient who or