The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-01-30

Henry Moss ana ffeu anu Jonn Odnnke,
we visited the work now in progress by
the Obion Valley Land Drainage Conn
pany and saw for the first time the big
dredge boat and machinery in operation.
There have never been any misgiv-
ings or doubts with us about the ability
to accomplish these things. Whatever
has been done can be done again, and
no amount of dogged pessimism under
tie sun can stand in the way. But the
reality OF practical operation was SUR
prise-the method, the simplicity more
than anything else, struck us with more
force than we had ever looked for.
1t had always occurred to us that the
work Of ditching and levying must
necessarily be very slow and cumber;
some. We have watched the work oi
excavation for the foundation OF big
buildings, but the idea of house boat
with crane on one end of it plough.
ing its way through the bottoms at the
rate Of mile a month got our goat. =
The boat is "a feet wide and nearly q
hundred feet in length. The boiler and
machinery are of the compound type,
about 150-horse power, but the most
wonderful part OF it is the crane and
dredging apparatus. The big arm is
suspended in front of the boat at some
thing like an angle Of As degrees with
a carriage running through it on cogs
in the center up and down, and carry
ing a scoop, huge steel tub, swung
from the crane so as to plunge the
mouth or teeth into the earth when il
is lowered. One man handles the levers
that govern the course OF the scoop,
either down into the canal or swinging
to either side of the canal when raised
to unload. Practically all Of the dirt
is carried to the levee side OF the canal,
in this case on the left. The bow OF
the boat is provided with complement
OF pulleys revolving sidewise, and these
pulleys drive the cables that operate the
crane and lift the scoop. The scoop has
a lid on the bottom which is closed
when it descends, and when it is swung
over on the levee or side OF the canal
the lid is opened by the operator and
the dirt or mud and chanks sink down
through it. The scoop carries about
three cubic yards of dirt when it is
heaped over the top, and ordinarily re-
quires less than minute Of time for
each load. OF course the course of the
canal has to be cleared of the trees, and
Che stumps loosened with dynamite, but
the dredge takes up the stumps and
drift altogether and swings them over
over on the levee with the mud. The
machinery is powerful indeed to do this
work, and the boat or bow is necessarily
held up while lifting with strong beams
on each side sunk into the banks. These
are made with the boat as part Of its
machinery and they are lifted by the
engines when it is necessary to move
forward. The mud carried out in the
SCOOP is estimated to weigh 5000 pounds
to the cubic yard. So you can get a
vague idea of the process.
This is only a crude glimpse Of the
work. 1t is worth every mans while,
especially every citizen, to go and take
a look at it. The idea Of reclaiming
SO, 900 acres OF overhowed land in Obion
County was hooted at and scoffed. Many
OF the land owners stood their grounds
against proceeding with the prelimina-
ries; in fact the opposition checked the
plans that were first made to organize
the entire territory into one drainage
district, and the projectors had to adopt
the system, as usual in such cases, OF
organizing into sections. The present
is known as District Number Two, q
small one OF about A, 900 acres, for which
bonds were issued last summer and con-
tract made with F. c. Morgan To do
the work. The boat was built on the
river at the head Of the district, about
sixteen miles southeast OF Union City
at the Weakley County line. A canal
was first cut about half mile out to
the hills. Then from point somewhere
midway OF this canal the regular dis
trict canal was started, and up to the
present time this main canal or chan
mel is about half mile more In
length. This canal is made to the depth
OF ten or twelve feet and forty-fve feet
ID widss
It IS the purpose Of the association 70