The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-12-12


In February, 1901, the merchants
of Chattanooga started a steamer
of 305 tons, making regular trips be-
tween that city and Paducah. On
upstream trips it carried as high as
1855. tons, and on downstream trips
as high as 566 tons. On one occasion
freight for it had accumulated in
such quantity as to necessltate the
charter Of another boat for one up
trip.
The Tennessee river above Chat
tanooga for 1SS miles -four and one
half miles above Knoxville, is
navigable except during the periods
of low water in the summer and
fall months. At such times navi-
cation can only be carried on with
very small and light-draft boats,
excepting during the so-called
rain tides"
The commerce of this portion of
the river is carried on <raans Of
steamboats,, carrying fresht and
passengers, and generally towing
one or more barges; by f1at-boats
descending with the current from
the upper tributaries and by RATS
of logs and lumber.
Three Foot Low Water Channel.
The plan Of improvement contem-
plated is to obtain three-foot low
water navigation channel from
Chattanooga up, at an additional
cost of $650,O00 The total amount
expended up to June 30, 1900, was
1888, 2SS.S3. Between 1868 and 1900,
nineteen appropriations were made
by the government, the largest
being $4,000, in 1876, and the small
est $4,000, in 1884.
The improvements made at White
Creek shoals and Soddy shoals
have stood the test of several years
and appear to be permanent and
satisfactory.
Between Chattanooga and River
ton. Ala, the most serious obstruc-
tons to navigation are found in the
mountain region just below Chat
tanooga, where the river for about
twenty-five miles is rigidly confined
by the mountains, it's channel being
crooked and exceedingly narrow.
The fall is very rapid, there being
fall of sixteen and one-half feet
in a distance of eight and one-half
miles. When the great distractions
at Colbert shoals and at Big and
Little Muscle shoals have been COM
pletely overcome by canals. the
greatest difficulties and dangers
to navigation on the river will then
be encountered in this mountain
section.
This portion of the river, COM
monty called the suck" is between
Chattanooga and Shellmound, and
the estimated cost of its improve
ment is $8SS,624
The French Broad River.
The French Broad river is one of
the largest tributaries of the Ten
nessee river. 1t rises in North Caro-
line, flows generally in a westerly
direction, and finally unites with the
Holston river, four and a half miles
above Knoxville in the state of Ten
nessee, the two forming the Tennes-
see river.
The mouth Of the NoIachucky
river is taken as the upper limit of
that portion, slxty-nine miles long,
of the river which is worthy of i'm
provement. This Improvement con-
templates securing, by proper regu-
lating works a channel three feet in
depth, navigable throughout the
year. The estimated cost is $685. 52.
Up to 1901 the execution of the
project had not received the sane
ton of congress.
1t is the opinion of engir fars that
the French Broad cannot E ~oD-
erly and economically improved
without the use Of a very consid-
cradle and quite expensive plant,
which should be provided.
Barges, derrick boats, toWboats, a
dred6e, steam drills, and other APP
planes are necessary for the rapid
and economical handling Of rock
necessary for the construction Of
dams and training walls or for
breaking up and removing rock
reefs and large powders. The fact
that this plant is necessary and
that it does not belong exclusively
to the French Broad river causes
the work to be intermittent, and
sometimes involves a delay in its
execution. The total amount ex-
pended to the close Of the fiscal year
ending June, 1900, was $7G,591.54
The project for the improvement
of the French Broad and Little
Pigeon rivers was based moo a