The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-05
CLEANING OUT THE RIVER.
Working For a Five Foot Channel Be-
tween Augusta and Savannah.

Will Cost over $Soo,ooo to Complete
the work-Mr. Twiggs Who Got the
Contract Under the Recent Appro-
priation Will Begin Work at On oe q.
Inspector Conant is on the Ground
to See That the Government Gets
Good Work on the River-Work of
the Snag Boat.
Capt. o. M. Carter and Inspector e. r.
Conant of the engineering force have re-
Gently completed preliminary arrange
ments for the work to be done on the Sa-
vannah river near Augusta, which is to
begin at once. The contract for the work
to be done on the recent appropria-
tion has been awarded to Mr. Albert j.
Twiggs of Augusta.
Inspector Conant is still in Augusta,
and will remain there as government in
spector during the progress of the work to
be done by Mr.. Twiggs. 1t will be begun
as soon as sufficient forces can be gotten
together and will be pushed to an early
completion in order to remove all obstruc-
tions possible by winter It will take
something over three months to complete
the work.
For the greater part Of the year the
river is navigable for steamboats, drawing
from four to FIVE feet of water, but during
the low-water season there are various
shoals in the rivernear Augusta with low
water depths of not more than about
three feet. The chief distractions to
navigation consist of sand and gravel
bars, overhanging trees, snags and sunken
logs.
PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT.
the establishment of a navigable steam
boat channel five feet deep ut ordinary
summer low-water between the cities of
Augusta and Savannah. This is to DO &C
complished by removing sand and gravel
bars, regulating portions Of the river, re-
vettlng caving banks, closing incipient
cut-offs, removing snags and logs from the
channel, and overhanging trees from the
banks of the stream.
The cost of the improvement is estima-
ted, in round numbers, at 1892 900, provi-
ded funds are regularly and adequately
appropriated
Wing-dams, projecting from the South
Carolina shore, were built for the i'm
provement of Gardner bar, opposite the
city of Augusta, contracting the low
water way from $50 to $50 feet Shore
protection was put in at various points
along and below the city front Con
| tracing works have also BEEN constructed
| at Courses bar, Sand Bar ferry, and Blue
House bar, situated two, four and sis
miles, respectively, below the city OF
Augusta.
The wing-dams constructed at Courses
| bar have contracted the low-water way
! from $50 to $50 feet; those at Sand Ban
! ferry, from $50 to 400 feet, and later the
old work was raised and repaired, thus
reducing the width of the river at this
point to $50 feet.
In 1889, the channel at Blue House bar
| having shifted a new dam springing from
the right bank was constructed, and
three additional short spurs were bull
on the left bank.
! These various works have been built of
brush fascines loaded with gravel and
! riprap stone.
THE WORK TO BE DONE.
On June 10 bids were opened for the
! further construction and repair of wing
| dams and shore protection in this vicinit,
| and the contract was awarded to Mr.
| Albert j. Twiggs, of Augusta. He
| has already made preparations to begir
work, and in a few days will probably
begin active operations The work con,
templated Is as follows: At Blue House
| Bar some old fascine and stone work is
| to be removed from the channel. A
| odHu DIR Terry SONIC gaps III bnc Ole
work are to be filled with brush, fascint
and stone, and the bank protection ex
tended. At Courses Bar, Gardeners Ban
| and Kinks Bar some spur-dams are to be-
| raised, connected with the river bank
| and the latter protected from erosion
| The banks at Gardner's Bar, and between
that and Courses Bar, will also be pro
tected.
Active operations were commenced by
| the snag boat "Toccoan during the latter
part of October and were continued until
the early part of June. She removed
during that time about 10000 snags, over
hanging trees and logs and left the river
in good condition between the cities OF
ugusta and Savannah.
Painters Laid on.