The Greenville times., 1888-03-24
IHE HoRK oy FHE nlRRoE FRnrr
Capt. RosselIs Detailed Report.


A- l"AlHM luA report on III
D. work done for the protection Of Il
or river front Of your elty.
!. The present site Of the city Of {; reei
4 vile was first occupied for settleme,
as IN 1868. AT that time island s5 ],
70 tended nearly the whole length of n
of city FROM, and the mainland was usa
- cotton plantation. The citv / III
50 Young that her history / NE
known, and many Of her early SETTLE,
are stiil with Us. Therefore need =
> hothihg Of the epochs nor Of the mil,
. stones that mark her Advancement
: surrounded BY fertile country an,
. win river and railroad transportatiol
e she Is certainly advancing rapidly d
g the highway of prosperity. One oftb
q most serions drawbacks to the city ba
been the instability Of the river front
Inc earliest map that is in nv nos
session OF the city is dated Nav. 1873
!, by Il. A. O'Iea, civil engineer a.
TINS tlme the foot Of island s3 wa,
opposite Washington street Sine,
Then the bank has continued 10 cave
ana Front street. First street. SECOND
: street and a part Of Mulberry street
SHOWN ON the O'lIea map, have disan.
peared. The rate of caying has been
about 100 feet annually, measured bael,
from the river and extending tbe
whole length of the city site
AS ! have only been in INV present
position since May, 1886, | am unable
70 give from my own knowledge any
history of the earlier efforts that NAV
have been made for the protection Of
the riyer front. From the records Of
my office | find, however. the fol-
lowing: ' W
In May, 1888, a map showing tho
shore line in the vicinity of the eitv
was made by c. II. Starting, and ON Il
are traced the bank in 1869. 1874 1875
and 1873. This shows extensive cavino
above the island and but little south Of
Main street.
On October 29th, 1883, Capt w. /.
Marshall, corps of engineers, &. $
army, prepared apparently from this
map, a project for protecting the city
front. lie proposed to use sub-aqueons
mattresses TO be 1870 feet wide, and "a
place upper bank protection for 1000
ieet Immediately in the city, also to
mattress the head and foot of the ehute |
at total cost of $4,000. Nothing
was ever done under this project.
During the Summer Of 1881. Cant
c. B. Sears, corps of engineers r. s
army, sent Assistant Ripple to Green
vllle to make survey ON which TO pre-
pare project for the protection of the
iront. MIR. Ripple reported the results
September 9th, together with man
capt. sears sent a copy of this man to
Gen. ). W. Ferguson, member Missis.
slppi River Commission, with pro.
lect Tor doing work. the money being
limited to $4,000. Capt. Sears pro
prosed the use of dikes. 3 in nunber
extending from the high water line i
length of about 1850 feet, and width
about 80 feet. The main part TO be-
punt OF Old coal boats filled with brush |
md sand and connected with tbe
'hore by brush and stone. He also |
mentions favorably revetment of {
cottonwood logs chained together l50 t
eet VIDE and long enough to cover the I
'ahk TO be protected. Nothing was t
'ser done under this project. I
The River and Ilarbor bin. approved |
august 9th, 1886, contained an appro- a
'rlatlon for Greenvile harbor of n
$4,000. On August 2ist, 1886. Gen v
d A. Fillmore, corps of engineers ?
resident Mississippi River Commits. G
lol directed me TO prepare and sub
III 10 the Commission a project for @
xpending this money. On Anoust Ii
LIST went to your city and made nm Il
lstr'lmental examination of the front l.
was evident that to make a complete al
iu satisfactory protection, was impos- tC
Die win the amount of money avail :
Die, On September 9Th, however 4
lDmitted to the Commission INV pl
ews, advising that the bank be r,,- bt
etted from the lower end of the W
iand as lar as the money would nor. ri
y, ABOUT 1000 feet. On September N
'th, at meeting of the Commission Gu
9 project was laid aside, the appropria.
On being considered too small. II tbnn ba
emed as II nothing could be done bu
ne ne Commission met again on June tn
tn, 1887, and the city of GreenviIle gr
wing agreed to furnish at least of
1900 for the work, was asked for an
other project. | submitted pro.
u Tor building mattress reyetment +
'lll the foot of the island to the end ter
the caving, a distance of bOoo ins
'slstant Engineer Iider also snb. ey'
''ea through me project for n phi
mblned dixie and foot mat Tho an,
however, rejected both
q directed me to submit n nrnioct ass
spur dixie protection similar - loc
u used at Memphis This project | ity
on July 2nd. 1887 and If the
: adopted by the Commission and me
oseqnently approved by the honor. con
q Secretary of War. Att
no lolloWlhg Is the condition of /
hrs. ''''o" Vi thi.
\ deep bend has been formed hv no
ing above Greenville. and this is froi
continuing, and the head of the bee
hd cutting away. OF the island stag
II but little is left, but what there stag
u's out INTO the river throwing the the
myth of the current away from the will
X near nc, the northern part of the and
: The direct current again strikes wor
pank about 1900 feet below tho imp
OF the island and from here snnth II is
bank caves from this direct action now
m the foot of the island to this befo
u an eddy current caves the bank plac
ong as the island lasts this action prol
De expected, and it was on tbis to a
the project was based. Wherever Al
Ks are to be protector II is pvident mem
II caving exists above the noint
eeted, the river will cave behind
protection works and eyentnallv n,
them out. The same is true bnt Mis-
less degree, if the caving exists IN. !
W such works. Hence, to make md
avn ~ ~, /" olNs must oegln above unwt
gu" NAttAu 10 below If. In ! strttr