Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-09-29
WILLOW WORK.
Sinking OF a Mattress Over a Thousand
Feet Long to Protect the
Bank Above
Hopefeld-The Work Well Done-The
Process OF Making and Sinking
Mattresses Explained.

Process Of Making and Sinking
Mattresses Explained.
A representative OF the APPEAL yester-
day, accompanied Maj. A. M. Miller,
United States engineer in charge of this
district, on a visit to the government works
above Hopefield, to witness the sinking of
the largest mattress yet constructed on
the river. The trip was made on the
steam launch Daphne, and as it steamed
up the river the result of work done On
the levee above the elevator could be seen
to advantage. The bank there,
INSTEAD OF CRACKING,
and sloughing off, rs it has been
doing until the elevator stood in the
greatest danger, was firm and compact,
and in many places young willows had
up thickly from the sunken mat
tresses which were covered with a thick
of earth. From the mouth of
Wolf, a distance of -three-quarters of a
mile, the bank has caved in considerably
of late and several deep pockets have been
formed. Nothing has yet been done on
this portion as the appropriation allowed
was insufficient.
THE DAPHNE
steamed thence across the river, passed
the Little Rock railroad landing, and
standing in closer to shore above Hope
field, reached the point where an immense
willow mattress was spread out upon The
water. At first it seemed a mere mass OF
floating vegetation, following the curves of
the bank, but upon closer inspection
proved to be a double layer of willow
poles woven together, dotted all over with
blocks OF stone. Its length by actual
measurement was 1892 feet with a uniform
width of 145 feet. Heretofore only straight
mattresses were made. At first Maj. Miller
did not venture to make the largest over
200 feet, but finding that
THERE WAS SOMETIMES TROUBLE
in breaking joints began weaving each one
a little larger than the last until he reached
the unprecedented length already men,
toned. The mattress in question differed
in another respect from those formerly
sunk. 1t was not straight like the others,
butscurved, as stated, 50 as to fit around a
point of the shore. No mantua-maker
could have cut out a pattern more accu-
rately. At either end OF the mattress a
mattress-b boat was moored. They are 100
feet long and sharply sloping ways are con-
structed eight feet apart, crosswise above
the decks. On these mattresses 145 feet
wide can be constructed. The manner of
making them is very simple. In the first
place
THE M~ATTRESS-BOAT
is set with one end against the bank, and
the other standing out at right angles into
the stream. By means OF iron bolts the
ways are extended down from the side of
the barge to the surface OF the water.
Across these willow poles about four
inches in diameter are laid at intervals of
eight feet, and smaller poles are waited in
and out, first above and then below. When
a section is finished, the barge is showed
from under, allowing it to slide down and
rest upon the surface of the water. This
is the mattress proper but it is not yet
completed. Rows of stout willow poles ere
laid lengthwise and crosswise at intervals
OF eight feet,
SPIKED AND TIED
with wire at the points of intersection.
BY this means the mattress is stiffened
and strengthened, and racks are formed
by which the rock used in sinking is held
in position and kept ron sliding off into
the water. The whole process is a very
interesting one. The Daphne anchored
at the upper mattress-boat, which has been
dismantled and is used simply for the pur-
pose OF holding the mattress in position.
This is lone by means of stout ropes, one
end attached at intervals of of sixteen
teen feet to the mattress, h other being
fastened to the barge. Several piles OF
stone had been placed upon the edge Of
the barge, and at a
sIGNAL FROM TIE FoREMAN
4 laborer stationed at each pile began
pitching the rocks rapidly upon the mat,
which had already been weighted with
about go square yards of stone. The
mooring ropes were gradually slackened
| as that end of the mattress sank under the
weight of the stone which was being
pitched upon it, and when it finally dis
appeared beneath the surface of the
water two long barges filed with stone
were drawn over it, and as they floated
dow toward the lower end the rocks were
rapidly thrown out, the mattress gradually
disappearing, until at the end of two nour
all the moorings except those which held
it to the shore were lOosed, and it
SETTLED TO TIE BOTTOM.
The bank slopes at a sharp angle,
making the depth of the water from the
outer edge of the mattress to the surface
of the water about fifty or sixty feet. In
some places the depth is not more than
thirty-five feet, though in high water they
have been sunk sixty-ive or seventy feet.
The work at the present stage is very
satisfactory, but in high water the OBJ
stacles in the way of good n rapid work
are many and sometimes almost insur-
mountable. Then it is extremely difficult
to keep h mats from drifting into
shore. The object is to sink them out at
some distance so as to protect the founda-
ton, for when this is done, the bluff is
safe, otherwise it would be undermined
by the action of the water and the mats
would be OF no benefit.
THE HIGH WATER
of last year interfered to a considerable
extent with the work-so much so that
only two mats were sunk from November
to January LIST. Altogether 500 feet of
mattress has been sunk, at a cost of Sl3 to
the foot, including the upper bank revet-
ment. This differs from the other work
i'll that it is all done above water, and can
not be done except at a very low stage.
Slabs are driven on the slant of the bank
about two feet apart II way and eight
feet the other. Between these willow
poles are laid lengthwise and
HELD IN POSITION
by No. 0 iron wire passed over the surface
and fastened to the stakes. The whole is
weighted down by stone, all of which is
brought out of the Ohio river, adding con-
siderably to the expense of the work.
'iui 1iS hOiCC HON at NOTh lTOiH lUU W
l25 feet of mattress is made a day. The
necessity for the work and its value cannot
be overestimated, and when understood
must be appreciated. The silt or sediment
which form over the mats is nothing more
than a new bank. The shore from Mound
City to Hopefield has been caving for
years and that it would have sloughed
off to
A STILL GREATER EXTENT
i'll the past year is shown by its appear
ance Immediately above the beginning of
the mattress work where a huge pocket
has formed in the past year. The distance
across the point from the government
| works TO the bend below the city is about
two and t~hree-quarters miles, as Four-mile
bayou runs. This country is low and fun
of lagoons, and the fear of a cutoff, which
would leave Memphis in the lurch, seems
to be well founded, though there NAV be
no immediate danger. As it is. however,
it is very plain that such a catastrophe can
be averted Mt less expense now than at
any time in the future.
THE ORIGINAL APPROPRIATION
was $500, 1000, but ut Mai. Miller's earnest
solicitation it was increased TO 1928 900 by
the River Commission in order that he
might enabled to save the elevator. Out
OF this appropriation the entire plant,
which cost $4,000, was paid for. There
are twenty-seven barges, one machine
boat, two mattress ways, one grader-boat,
four screen-boats, five quarter-boats
twelve willow-cars and six bile-drivers.
| There is also used by Mai. Miller n steam