The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1905-11-06
PROJECTS IN ALABAMA
EXTRACTS FROM nEPORT OF CHIEF
or ENGINEERS.


| annual report of the chief OF engineer
| of the United States Army contains tn
following touching several engineerint
| projects for Alabama waters:
Alabema River, Alabama--This rive
IL formed by the junction of the Coos
| Wetuinpka, on the Coosa River, ant
from this junction With the TombiEbe'
to form the Mobile It constitutes sl2
| mile link in q waterway S15 miles long
| from the Oetcnaula and Coosawattet
| Rivers. Georgia, to the Gulf of Mexico
The river was originally so oostruct'
j ed with logs. snags and overhaneihe
/ tr sSs and shoals. many with depths OF
/ but rs feet, that during the low water
seaeon navigation was practically by
4 day only. Long detsntions were lre-
| quent at msny of the shoals peioW
| Selma, and when the water was uh
| usually low trafic was suspended pc
| tween Selma and Montgomery for three
| or fcrr months of the year. =
The original project, adopted IN
| 1878. for the Improvement OF TINS
stream (see report of the chief of en-
| rineers for 1876, part 1, page A9s) pro-
| yided for securing a 1ow-water channei
| four feet deep and eco feet wide by
| removing srags, logs and overhangins
trees, by constructing works or regu-
| lation, and by dredging, all at an esti-
feet sfS5,00o was expended, principally
in snagging operations and the con-
struction of works Of contraction.
These expenditures greatly Improved
the CO, dition of the channel. freeing
IL fron, distractions. and secured
low water depth of L. feet to rect.
In 1891 the sriginal project was
annsi ded to provide for low water
~Nannel OF eAet deep. which was to
be secured In the same general way as
was contemplated in the original pro-
iect. and the estimated cost was
placed at $3S6.251, provided that AZ
lease 100000 should be appropriated
annually, and $4,000 year Thereafter
for maintenance.
IJpon this project there has been ex-
pended to June 30, 1905, S234.4oo. but at
no timc since the adoption of the pro-
iect have the appropriations been sum-
cent &c do much more than maintain
thN channel, and in the last few
yesl-s the channel has been deteriorat-
insufficient to maintain the construc-
tfon works already constructed. and
work on the river has been confined
to the operation of the snag boat.
June 80. 1904, the maximum draft
which could be carried to Montgomery
was less than three feet. The actual
head Of navigation is Wetumpka, on
the Coosa River.
The rivers and harbors act. approved
March 9, 1905, contemplates securing a
continuous channel not less than -four
feet deep in the Alabama river by
open channel work. and calls for
preliminary examination with view
to securing this channel from the
mouth to Montgomery and from Mont
gomery to Wetumpka.
As the benefits to be derived from
| the Improvement of the Alabama rivei
are very great. funds should be pro-
vided for the vigorous prosecution oil
work whether a new project Is adopt
ed or not, and as the most important
work under the project to secure 9
channel six feet deep will be the dredg.
| ing, the small dipper dredge belonging
to the Improvement should be kept al
work and suitable hydraulic dredge
should be constructed. Works of reg
ulation should be maintained and new
works constructed in connection with
the dredged channel
Variation of the water level Is from
nothing to fifty-nine feet at Montgom-
cry.
The commerce of this stream is i'm
portant consisting principally of cot.
ton. cotton seed. fertilizer, grain, lum.
Der, shingles. naval stores. slaves and
large quantity of miscellaneous
freight Of all descriptions. estimated
for the last fiscal year as 197,25o tons
valued at $I2.907,5o0. This, however
is but small part OF the freight move
ment that Is affected by the Improve
ment, for the actual shipm ants by wa
ter have been relatively small. The
rates quoted on the first six classes Of
through freight from the east to Mont
gomery, via sea and river, average 1:
cents per 100 lower than the cores
ponding all rail rates; therefore, witt
| the river improved for continuous nav
| igation, It Is estimated that 100000
tons of the present freight movement
| would either go by river or at rivel
rates, and the resulting saving woult
| be enormous. In addition, improved
facilities would render possible an &C
tual reduction in rates on freight nov
| carried by river.
July /, 1904. balance unexpended. So.
| 447.33.
| Amount appropriated by river ant
harbor act, approved March 8, 1905
| 800, GOO, 600.
June 80. 1905, amount expended du
ring fiscal year for maintenance OF i'm
provement. ss.s4I4s.
July /. 1905, balance unexpendcd
July ], 1905. outstanding liabilities
| S16,032.71.
July /, 1905. balance available. $50.
| 56z1s.
| July /, 1905, amount covered by un
| completed contracts. $13,777.69.
Mobile Harbor-This channel origin
ally had minimum depths of five and
half feet through Choctaw Pass ant
! eight feet through Dog River bar, TIL
| available draft to Mobile. via Spanisl
River. being limited to the latter depth
The Improvement of the channel o
| Mobile harbor has been progressive
| Between 1895, the date of the first ap
preparation for this work, and 1857.
channel ten feet deep was dredget
through the shoals at Mobile Bay III
| to the city of Mobile. Between 1877
and 1876 this depth was increased I,
thirteen feet. the channel being dredge,
to width of 400 feet through Choctav
Pass and 200 feet through Dog River
In 1880 project for a channel seven
| teen feet deep and 200 feet wide wa
adopted and appropriations between
| 1878 and 1885 were applied to the for
nation of a channel of these dimen
sions.
In the river and harbor act of Au
gust IL. 1888, project for securing
| channel twenty-three feet deep wa
adopted, this project being modified b,
the river and harbor act of Septembe
10, 1890, so as to provide for the for
nation of a channel twenty-three fee
deep with a top width of ESQ feet iron
the Gulf of Mexico to the mouth o
Chickasaw Creek, above the city of Mo
bile. This channel was completed II
1896, subsequent appropriations up I,
and including that made by the sundr,
civil act of July 1, 1898, having beef
applied by maintenance.
The total amount expended on thes
projects was ,64S,6S0.60, of whicI
$1I5,000 is estimated to have been ap
piled to maintenance.
The existing project for the imnrove