The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-28
CAVANAUGH REPORT
PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE
 ALABAMA RIVER.
investigation With View of Securing Continuous Navigation of Four Feet From Mouth t0
 Svctumpka.

WaehtnEtous Jan it.--Ihe sec retary of War has transmitted harbors the letter of tho chief of engi- neers of the army with copy of the report from Capt J B. Cavanaugh, corps of engineers. dated November 15. 1905. of preliminary examination of the Alabama River, made by him in compliance with the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905. q synopsis of which appears in the followings:
 War Department, ofice of the Chief of
 Engineers
 Washington. Jan. 10 1906.
 sir;--I have the honor to submit here with . report dated November f6. 1905. by Captain J. R. Cavanaugh, corps of engineers, ou preliminary exami- nation of the Alabama River, with view of securing a cotinuoLs naviga- tion of four feet from the moath Lo' Montgomery and from Montgomery to wetumpka. This preliminary examina- tion was ordered by the river and har- bor act of March 3, 1905.
 A survey of the Coosa and Alabama rivers, with a view to determining the advisability of securing 6-foot naviga- ton in these rivers. was ordered by the river and harbor act of June 13. 1902, and report thereon is reported as House document No. 219, FiftyA eighth Congress, third session. and on page 1851 ct seq, of the annual report of the chief of engineers for 1905. The report was to the effect that, in orr der to secure a 6-foOt navigation from the mouth of the Alabama River to Gadsden. Ala. on the Coosa River, more than S1O. .00O. 900 would be required for the improvement of the Coosa by locks and dams between Wetumpka and Gadsden, while the improvement of the Alabama River by open-river regulation, from Wetumpka to the mouth would not give certain results. The district officers estimate of the cost of the improvement for open-r regulation, to give 6-foot navigation for nine months annually. from Mont gomery to the mouth was $650.000, with an expenditure of $50,000 annually for maintenance.
 While the expenditure of the sum on account of the large ratio of cost to the value and importance of the com merce then apparently affected. 1t was, nevertheless, stated by the chief of en- gineers in his report that the commer- cial interests involved would warrant an annual expenditure in excess Of s25,- S00---for several years to come, so that not only may existing improvement be maintained, but that additional channel work may extend the improvement gradually toward the desired 6-foot | low water channel
 Tn the report Of the examination or dered later for the 4-foot navigation | the district officer makes it appear that the commerce affected by the im- movement will be sufficient to warrant l the expenditure of the sum estimated as it's cost, and is of the opinion that 1 the improvement of the Alabama | River from Montgomery to the mouth 1 Ia worthy of being undertaken by the Tinted States, but does not recommend | The improvement from Mintgomery to
 Wetumpka. The division engineer I T Lieutenant Colonel c. R. Sears, corps
 nf engineers. agrees with him In this 1 view. ,.,.-,--.
 Az requircd by law this report has l boen laid before the Board of Engineers i for Rivers and Harbors for eXamina- 1 tion and review, and attention is in- | vited to the views of the Board as | shown In third endorsement of the re- mort. The board refers to the fact that l inc district officer submits data which l indicates that the river commerce is i but a small part of the freight move ment that would be effected by the 1 improvement, and that an improved l river would result fin reducing the rates l on all freight In the valley of the Ala | hama, investigation along these lines | leads the Board to the belief that the l direct benefits to commerce will prob ably be sufficient to justify a larger ex- penditure than heretofore recom- mended, with view to securing a con | tinuous 4-foot open-river navigation AS i far up as Montgomery. Tn view of | these facts. the board concurs in the ! opinion of the district officer and of the division engineer that the Improvement 1 of the Alabama River. with a view to ! securing 4-foot navigation. Is a. work