The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-01-30

hh'Cbnh 0Af nttoNiA' pONNNi
on either hand by steep, rocky bluffs
from half mile to 3 miles apart. In
this bottom the stream meanders be-
tween low water banks about Is feet
high at low water, but in time of
high water overflows the banks TO a
depth sometimes of 3 feet. This is
indicated by the high water marks as
found from the high water of 1882.
In general when an overflow takes
place in this part of the river it is
due to high water in the Missouri,
which, backing up, overflows the
banks of the lower portion of the
Usage, owing 10 the slight slope of
the latter.
Borines were made at three SET
tons, MARKED 1, 2, and 8, on chart
No. 2, and in the bed of the stream
was found to consist Of q layer OF
mud and gravel of various thickness,
averaging from z to o feet on The
different sections, under which was u
hard stratum of clay suitable for
foundation bed.
The largest boats now navigating
the ivsfbsve a length of about 220
feet over oil, and a beam. over all Of
ABOUT 40 feet; q lock, therefore, to
accommodate such boats should have
q chamber 250 feet long, correspond
Ing TO a length between mitcr.sills of
275 feet, or about $50 feet between
the head and foot of bays. The lock
should be of masonry with chamber
walls ID feet thick at base and %
feet high, foundation TO be Z feet he.
low low water stage and coping Is
feet above same the lift of the lock
should be s IL feet.
A lock and dam giving this lift
would secure, at low water, u chan
mel of 8 10 feet to DiXon's ShoaI, q
point 20 miles from the mouth Of the
river. Two more dams with locks
giving the same lift would secure the
same depth to Tuscumbia, a distance
GO miles from tbs mouth. The dam
should be built Of riprap and gravel
with an impermeablc row of sheet
piling reaching the hard clay bottom.
1t is estimated that q lock and
dam Of The required dimensions
would cost as follows:
Lock, 27j by so by % feet,
complete $1lS,0 00
Dam, 800 feet long $4,000
Protection and guide pier 10000
Shore protection $500
Land and keepers house 2,O0C
Engineering and contingent
cies, 10 per cent 10000
Totol : 1922 ,00(
The effect on the navigation Of tn,
. river of constructing the lock ant
dam would be to give an u~nintcr
rupted channel of 3.5 feet for til,
whole year, except when the rive
may be closed by ice, from its moutl
to Dixon's Shoal, u distance of q
miles. With three such locks anC
dams navigation could be carried
with the same depth to Tuscumbla
7 a distance of 60 miles from til
mouth. This method would COS
about $1,000 per mile.
. For rafting ties or logs at Low
+ water, when the RATS couli not b
run over the dams, other method
than those o employed would b
Q necessary /: logs and ties ii would h
necessary to transport on bargcs, II
n is done on the Missouri, and as man
II of the ties which now come down ar
n transferred from RATS to barges a
d Usage City, this would be no incot
n venience except to change the poin
y, of transfer.
The depth of 3,5 feet given by tli
# method for navigation in the Usage
3 more than is at present afforded b
q the Missouri at low water, to While
it is tributary; but as it is probabl
# that this depth will be obtained i
:, the Missouri at some future time,
e is proper that this depth should b
taken as q standard. In any cvci
!. there is an outlet for the commerce
y of the Usage at Usage City, where Il
a Missouri Pacific railway crosses tn
riser.-Very respectfully, your obcd
lent servant,
A. NJ. MILLER,
q Major, Corps Of Engineer:
The Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army
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