The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-18

T 4ff
caunonads a the pump. A chug Of the
engine. . whfrl OF the great ny wheel.
Z side Of the piston. ana the mighty
teeth below the surface OF the water
have taken another bite into the river
bed. have looseped another half ton
OF the packed obstruction which he'd
washed down stream and accumulated
In the, channel. to the great danger OF
niling II beyond the safety minimum
depth. - ~
For the sight -seeing party yesterday.
auger hoistsd In plain sight and ex-
aminsd by the more daring Of the par
ty who ventered out on the shaft.
The work Of the "Pettus." while ef.
icient, 10 only temporary. For. upon
II, devolves the task OF deepening the
channel, whore IL has filled with the
accumulation which the current bears
along to scatter ON the river bed. The
current runs forever. and hence the
accumulation continues. Were the
dredging, such ~ the 'Pettus" accom-
plishes, the only phase Of river devei-
opmsnt. then the task OF maintaining
a channel would be n verftable labor
of Sisyphus. But the work Of the
dredge 10 supplemented by the jetty
building feet. and the channel. thus
constructed by the pump and auger
10 made permanent.
Construction 81 Jetties.
The jetties are essentially dams,
constructed of piles driven deep in the
river bed. and with the interstices be-
tween the logs filled with some sub
stances, that the flow Of the water 10
broken. The 5etties prevent the wa
ter from spreading out into wide shall
lows. and, in narrowing the stream.
make the channel deeper, catch much
of the accumulation Of sand and grav-
el which the current bears along. and
thus renders the channel permanent
None Of the jetty construction has
been accom- lishedS on the Alabama be-
tween Selma and Montgomery this sea-
lished at o few points. Tho jetty ileet
IL situated, at present. below Selma
and will probably reach the Montsom-
cry waters next season.
There is, already established by the
work OF the "Pettus" channel that
will be easily six feet in depth, tits
anticipated. during the summer months
of low water. = "
Tho "Pettus'' is. In way, Mont
geometry product. being put togeth ir on
the river at this point. 1t IL $4,000
df dye, the pride of the river fleet,
ana one Of the most 'eficient In u,e on
river Improvement In the United
| States.
Twenty eight to thirty men operate
the dredge. and the cutting and pump
| ing is continued for sixteen h"r-s each
day. two shifts Of men working. the
dredge IL anchored at the spot on
which II works. by q great wooden
post, placed on one side of the craft
| at the middle of Its length. With this
| post lowered until 1t 10 pushed into the
soil Of the river bed, the steamer Is
| held. BY it's machinery, however, II is
turned, with the post as pivot, In the
arc of a circle, the auger boring and
| the pump lifting the sand along the
arc. Then the post on the other side
| OF the dredge IL lowered. and the first
post lifted; = the "Pettus" thus begins
q reverse arc, and Is moved forward
slightly by the maneuver. During a
days work the boat goes forward a
| hundred yards or more, while II cuts q
space of 100 feet in width.
/, The "Pettus' Is placed at any point
on the river within access whose con-
| dition ELECTS fears or complaint Here
she deepens the channel with her sue
tion pump and auger.
| From Lower Causes Bar, on which
she worked yesterday. and where the
| dredge was viewed by the Montgomer-
fans, she will be moved, tomorrow, tt
the mouth of the Caton1a creek. where
| shallowness in the channel is suspect
ed.
Propeliing Machinery.
| The "Pettus" 10 self-propelline
dredge, being fitted with two sets Of
engines, one for Its own locomotion
and one for the dredging operation. Ir
the little pilot tower in front. one mar
operates both sets Of machinery.
The propeIling machinery is that o.
the ordinary river steamboat. though
l probably moro improved than IS TIN
machinery of the average Alabama rivi
er boat. - '-Ie 49,
1t is q natty and clean craft, as be-
fits a belonging OF the federal gov
4 eminent. Rather smaller than tht
/ ordinary river steamboat and yet more
| compact and solid and clean, II is 9
CHEEKY sight In the sunlight OF sucn
a morning as yesterdays when the
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