The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1909-04-15

y perpendicular to the bank, is usec
! with great success. AS II may bt
readily understood, these soon build
up an extensive bar thus closing the
chute, or reducing the width Of the
river by establishing new bank
line.
THE MATTRESS "PLANT."
The mat plan, consists of two
mooring barges, each 100 to 100
feet long. 80 feet vide, 6 feet deep
I two mat barges, each l40 feet long,
50 feet vide, 5 feet deep; two fas-
cine barges, each 100 feet long, 80
feet wide, 6 feet deep; to material
barges, each 100 feet long, 26 feet
wide and from to 7 feet deep; one
steam tow boat, one steam pile driv-
err, one hydraulic grader, two large
quarter boats, accommodating from
100 to $50 men each and one Office
boat.
Upon the latter the assistant en-
gineer in charge and his staff of as
sistants and clerks are quarted, and
all the clerical and administrative
work is done here. II is upon the
large quarter boats that the fore
man, Waterman, laborers, cooks and
walters eat and sleep.
The mattress is composed of 300
or more bundles Of willow brush, IL
inches in diameter, called fascines.
Each fascine is as long as a mat is
to be wide, and they are sewed to-
gether with galvanized wire strands
from one-fourth to one-half inch
thick, the size of the strand being
dependent upon the force of the ex-
listing current.
The strands, which are really
wire cables, are eight feet apart and
run through the entire length Of the
mat, taking a complete turn around
each fascine they cross. This method
affords to the mat the necessary
strength to resist the efforts of the
current to tear it apart.
COST OF THE WORK.
From Cairo to New Orleans there
are about 500 miles of actively cav
ing banks, and, taking the cost of
the finished work at 100000 per
mile, the lowest figures at which
il is accomplished, it will be seen
that Sl00. 000, 900 is required for the
rectihcation Of the river from Cairo
down.
With annual appropriations of
$40, 900, 900 the work could be CON-
pleted in ten years. That our great
muddy and sometimes unruly river
is worth this expenditure goes with
out saying to our intelligent readers,
for which permanent bank lines,
there is insured an ample channel
depth for profitable navigation all
the year and this means a revival OF
the commerce on the river, which at
present, is at very low ebb.
In addition to the advanta ges set
forth, an immense saving will be
necessarily be effected by the elimi-
nation of the necessity of building
costly levee loops to replace levees
caved into the river.
In addition to the work upon the
banks of the big stream, the govern
ment provides for vast amount of
what is termed "channel work"
This, like the preachers sermon,
may be treated under two heads.
Firstly, therefore, let US take look
at the work of removing snags from
the navigable channel of the river.
There are two snagboats operated
between St. Louis and New Orleans,
the Macomb and the J. N. Wright.
The Macomb operates between
Memphis and New Orleans the
Wright between Memphis and St.
Louis. There is comparatively lit
tie difference IN the modus operandi
of the two-so little, indeed. that we
may safely take the Macomb as a
type.
The Macomb is an unwieldy-look-
ing monster If you happen to catch
a quarteripg front view of her bulk.
She lies against the bank, 3lS feet
of knit steel, braced and reverted
into the tower of impregnable
strength against her foes, the muddy
currents of the river and the gnarled
and bulky snags which they conceal.
She is twin-bowed, SCHEDULED le-
viathan. Between the two steel
prows is an open space nine feet
across, called the "well," and
bridged by gigantic roller and sur
mounted by cranes and pulleys
equipped with stout steel chains and
operated by a whole battery Of
hosting engines located just aft of