Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-09
DREDGES IN THE RIVERS.
MAJOR KING TELLS WHAT HAS
BEEN DONE UNDER HIS EYE.


! BEEN DONE UNDER HIS EYE.
! Many distractions Removed Above
! Chattanooga, but the Financial Part of
the Programme Very viIey-Import-
ance of the Muscle Shoals Canal
/ Work in the Cumberland.
WASHINGTON, August S.-The report
OF Major W. R. King, the engineer in
charge OF the river and harbor improve
ments in the Chattanooga district, was
received at the War Department to-day.
In the Improvement of the Tennessee
river above Chattanooga the object of the
| plan was to remove Instructions and TO
deepen the channel atits shoal places so as
10 secure depth of at least three feet at
| low water. The distractions to nayiga-
/ ton consisted chiefly of reefs and rocks.
/ with occasional shoals of sand and gravel
! Nearly all of these have been lessened
Many OF them have been entirely
removed and others reduced to secondary
Importance as distractions. The enpi-
neer reports that the improvements thus
far made appear to be permanent but
says: 1.-The annual appropriations for sew
eral years past have been so small that
but little work could be done. and the cost
OF what was done has for theASanle reason
been greater than it should have been''
he also says that he hopes that a suffi-
clent appropriation will be made to eX-
tend the improvement to Knoxville and
still further lessen some of the obstruc-
| tlons already partially removed The es-
| timated cost OF improving this upper sec
ton OF the river as made in 1877 was $225,-
| OOO. The amount appropriated to date is
$2l5,O5O, and the uneXpended balance july
/, 1888, was $2S7 1t is estimated that
$9, 800 will be required for the completion
OF the work and that that amount can be
protitably expended during the next year.
On the river below Chattanooga, the
work done during the past year was prin-
clpally at Mnscle Shoals, an obstruction
which forms great barrier to naviga-
tion in this river. All the other Obstruc-
tlOnS are of minor Importance, and their
improvement can only be fully utilized
when the Muscle Shoals canal is nayiga-
bic. The entire chain of distractions
from deep water at Florence, to deep wat
er near Browns ferry, is thirty-siX miles
long, of which eight miles require no i'm
provement, and of the remainder, six
teen miles are overcome by
the canal alongside the river.
and twelve miles have been improved by
building wing dams and heavy retaining
dams of stone, and by blasting channel
through solid rock in the river bed. Six
teen miles of the canal are also well ad-
Yanced toward completion, and were
never in better condition for rapid and
economical work than at the present
time, If the funds were available. Below
Florence work was done during part of
the year in snagging and removing over
hanging trees. The engineer reports
that as the result of improving
this section of the river packet boats now
make irregular trips on the lower Tennes-
q hac
tered under the title of "The Florence.
Evansville and Nashville Steam Packet
Company" to establish a regular line of
steamers on the Tennessee and Cumber-
land rivers between Evansville, Ind,
Florence, Ala, and Nashville, Tenn. He
estimates that 100000 can be profit
ably expended during the next years
and recommends that it be applied to con-
tinuing the operations at Muscle shoals
and improving navigation at places where
there are now minor distractions between
Chattanooga and Paducah. The esti-
mated cost of the improvement of the
river below Chattanooga was S4133. .OOO
There has already been appropriated
81, 345, ,500 and it is now estimated that
l,3S7, 800 will be required to complete the
work. The uneXpended balance July /,
1888, was $23, $50.
In the improvement of the Cumberland
river in Tennessee and Kentucky the
plan consists in blasting out channel
through rock reefs, removing gravel bars
and boulders, and building riprap dams
where contraction of the waterway is
necessary to secure additional depth.
and in the removal of snags
and overhanging trees. The engineer
reports that the improvement of the river
by the construction of locks and dams.
which is the only method by which low
water navigation can be secured from
above to below Nashville, excepting for
very light-draft boats, has been consid-
cred too expensive, and the present pro-
Ject is only designed to give such add-
tional depth of channel as will prolong
the season of navigation.
In the Improvement of the French Broad
river in Tennessee the present plan con-
sists in removing Obstructions from the
channel, cutting away Overhanging trees
and building wing dams where necessary,
so as to permit the passage of vessels
drawing two and one-half feet of water
as high as Leadville during the low
water season. The engineer reports
that as result of the work
already done, ascending boats use the
new channel although the old one is open
for use, and that the improvement gives
general satisfaction to those navigating
the river. The original estimate of the
cost of the work was $3.50, 900, and the
amount already appropriated is S18.5O0
1t is estimated that $131,5 will be re-
quired for the completion of the work,
and that $l5,OO0 can be prOfitahly eX-
pended during next year.
The plan of the improvement of the !
Clinch river, in Tennessee, is to remove
the most dangerous Instructions down to
the extreme lOw-Water mark. the blasting
of chute through the ledges, and the
building of wing and training dams where
necessary, so as to secure at ordinary
low-Water depth Of two feet from King
stOn to Clinton, a distance of 20 miles.
During the year active operations were
carried on above Haynes, at Straight
Shoals and Hunters Shoals, where strong
dams were built and the channel widened
and deepened by eXcavating solid rock.
The work here was completed and navi-
CATION made safe with two feet lower
stage than before. Below Haynes the
most important improvements were
made at Bletcher's Shoals. Cloud
Shoals and Lewellyn Shoals. The
engineer asks an appropriation of $40, 400
for use during the next year. He reports
that that sum, with the funds now avail
able, 5000, can be pr0ftably expended In
continuing the operations under the ex-
listing project, and says that in view of
the increase in the commerce of this river.
1t is probable that considerable additional
work will be justified in the near future.
The original estimate for this work was
S26, 400, the amount appropriated SIG, 900,
and the estimate for the completion of the
work $10,400
On the Coosa river, in Georgia and Ala
bama, during the year the operations were
confined to removing Instructions below
GreenspOrt, and to opening the channel
from LOnner Cans and Harris reefs below
lock No. 3. A dam was also constructed
above lock No. to prevent accumulatiOns
of drift-wOod. The original estimate of
the cost was $552, ,347. The original appro-
priation was S36S, 700. The amount avail
able July 1, 1888, was $4S,O17. The amount
required for the completion of the work is
$1S3,647, OF which $150,000 can be profit
ably expended during the next year.
Concerning the 0cOnee river in Georgia
the engineer reports that the improve
ments cannot be considered as permanent
as an annual appropriation will be neces-
sary to keep the improved channel clear
of distractions. The original estimate of
the cost of the work was $50, 900. the origi-
nal appropriation $20,500, the amount
available July /, 1888, 81. .229. and the
amount required for the completion of the !
work S29,50O, of which $4,000 can be |
prOfitably expended during the next year.
The work done in the Ocmulgee river in !
Georgia during the year consisted in snag- |
ging and in building three log dams and |
two jetties. Ten thousand dollars are I
asked for to be applied in continuing the |
operations with the snag-boat for re- |
moving surface ObstructiOns and building |
boOms or crib work at a few points to /
assist rafts in keeping the main channel. |
The original estimate of the cost of the /