The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-14
River and Harhor Surveys.

River and HarboP Surveys.
Appended to the annual River and Harbor
bill is section which possesses peculiar
interest. The bill as whole may be regard
ed as one OF reaplng the garnered crops or
rather OF sharing them among the laborers.
But at the end comes q section which Is oc-
cupied with sowing the seed for future har-
vests. 1t begins by declaring, In an estab-
lished formula, that "the Secretary Of War
Is hereby directed, at his discretion, to cause
examinations or surveys. or both, to be
made" at certain places, the names Of which
are then subjoined. These names are
not always very familiar to the general
reader, but they may one day become as re-
nowned, by dInt OF liberal appropriations, as
Cheesequakes Creek.
Section IL L. the portion Of the pending
River and Harbor bill which deals with these
future highways OF commerce. One Of the
first rivers for which 1t bespeaks national
attention Is the Sucarnochee. Others are
the Mermenton, the Nooksack, the Linches-
| ter, the waterway from PunRo River to
the town Of Sladesville." the Northwest
River up to Moyock, the T1onesta from the
town Of the same name up to Balltown, the
Obion, the Little Pigeon. the Peace, the
| Peconic, the Bronx, the Boquet, West Neck
| River to and beyond Dozier's Bridge, the
Nemadji, and the Wateree. The Wateree Is,
Of course, well known, although Mr.. MoADoo
once persisted that 1t was mot river at all.
| but lumber yard" supporting this some
! what fantastic idea by a quotation from an
| official report OF the War Department, which
said that there was no channel at a certain
point, but only sc network OF logs" There
| upon Mr.. McADoo declined to vote for i'm
proving It, except by stationing fire engine
to see that the river did not burn up.
The creeks always come out particularly
strong In this same section Of the River and
Harbor bill. Among those which are now
mentioned as candidates for surveys with a
view to having them turned into national
waterways, are Alviso Creek, which needs
Strengthening deepening, andimproving;"
the mouth OF Gunter's Creek at Gunters-
vile, with view Of ascertaining the prac-
ticability and approximate cost OF improving
the same, so as to secure q safe landing
place above high-water mark" Turner's
Creek. Piscataway Creek, st. Leonard's
Creek. Newport Creek, Westchester Creek,
Broad Creek. and Upper Machodoc Creek.
The friends OF these water courses are clear
In the conviction that they should be sharers
In the bounties Of the national Treasury no
less than Farm Creek, Town Creek, st.
Jerome's Creek, Nomini Creek, Mosquito
Creek, or Mingo Creek. which have figured
In former bills of this character.
The bayous are also an inexhaustible
source Of surveys estimates, and measur-
ings for the purpose Of future appropriations.
Among those that are included In the pres
ent bill are Bayou Cocodrie, Bayou Chevreuil.
Bayou Tigre. and Bayou Castor. Still other
places needing examination are Drum Inlet,
Port Day, La Trappe, the harbor of Smith
land, and the channel from Ooquille City to
Myrtle Point to see whether 1t can be
made four feet deep. Secretary LINCOLN
once reported Of Coquille River that "two
small coasting schooners engage In the trade
of that harbor." The survey Of the Motto
way was originally designed "for snagging
from mouth of river to Courtland;" but the
first two words were stricken out. Thesurv
for Grays River is expressed to be for snag-
ging. The improvement of 6nohomish
Slough aims to connect Skagit Bay with
Padilla Bay by ship canal.
Usually these surveys are authorized with
out hesitation, 30 far as Congress Is con-
ceTneu. hb MT. HHOSNENOh explained Inc
other day, 1T ought to be understood by
the House that the Committee on Rivers
and Harbors do not examine and consider
the propriety or improperly Of these pro-
posed surveys. They are put into the bill in
large part pro JorHlG." But an exception
was made during the discussion OF the
pending bill, on a proposition to survey
the entrances to the Bay OF Superior, with
a view to cutting a new channel Mr..
CoMsTocK objected on the ground that
the purpose was ito boom real estate in
West Superior and injure Duluth" In
cdentally he mentioned that $1,OOO, 900 had
already been expended in that neighbour
hood. He was supported by Mr.. HENDER-
SON. who declared that Duluth had vested
rights in the existing channel, and that the
new plan wipes out nearly half a million
expended upon that cut. and compels
the commerce OF the lake to nav
homage to West Superior. l plead" he
added, that Duluth. the gem OF all the
lakes, may not be crippled in tho onward
march TO certain and merited commercial
greatness" Accordingly this proposed sur
vey was stricken out OF the bill, but 1t was
the only one interfered with
The amount appropriated for obtaining
this preliminary information is usually very
liberal 1t has happened under former bills