The following extracts from last annual report are still applicable: The river is now in a fair navigable condition from Centreville to its mouth. Although the work contemplated in the existing project has not all been done, it is believed that the improvement accomplished will answer all the present needs of commerce, for several years at least, and it is therefore respectfully recommended that, unless Congress deems it expedient to appropriate at least one-half of the amount estimated for as necessary to complete the existing project, no further appropriation be made at present. No appropriation was made for this stream by act of July 5, 1884. Three small steamers were plying on the lower river during the year, making sixty-eight trips, their cargoes consisting of corn and peanuts. Twenty-five rafts of logs, equaling about 500,000 feet B. M. of lumber, also passed down-stream. Mr. J. H. Russell, captain and owner of one of the steamers, states that with a little more improvement of the channel he is of the opinion that the business of the river would be doubled in one season. The original estimate of cost of improving Duck River, Tennessee, was.. Amount expended............. $35, 118 13,000 13,000 Money statement. July 1, 1883, amount available.. $119 62 July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883. July 1, 1884, outstanding liabilities.. $71 40 119 62 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... 22, 118 00 10,000 00 Z 7. IMPROVEMENT OF OBEY'S RIVER, TENNESSEE. Work was continued quarrying stone, building riprap dams, and in channel excavation at Burchett's Island, Gamewell's Island, Wolf River Bar, Sulphur Creek Bar, Iron Creek Bar, Harrison's Island, Jolly Island, Duncan's Island, Arney's Island, Ashman's Creek, Speak's Ford, Gilliland's Ford, Barkesdale's Bar, Dale's Island, Holman's Bar, and at mouth of the river as follows: Snags removed.. Overhanging trees cut. Work was stopped on the 24th of September, the funds being exhausted. The work of improvement on this river is substantially completed according to the original project, and it will doubtless answer the purposes of commerce for some years to come. C. A. Turrill, assistant engineer, was in local charge with an average force of thirty-three men. Original estimate of cost of improving Obey's River, Tennessee.. Amount expended.... $11,869 11,500 11,500 Money statement. July 1, 1883, amount available.. July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883.. July 1, 1884, outstanding liabilities $3,657 35 $3,632 74 3,657 35 Z 8. IMPROVEMENT OF CANEY FORK RIVER, TENNESSEE. This stream lies wholly in the State of Tennessee. It rises in the Cumberland Mountains, about 18 miles east of Sparta, and enters the Cumberland River near Carthage, Tenn., about 120 miles abov Nashville. The head of navigation is at Sligo's Ford, about 80 miles from its mouth, the fall in that distance being about 50 feet. An examination from the mouth of the river to the head of navigation was made by the United States in February, 1879. The obstructions were found to be gravel-reefs, logs, snags, and overhanging trees; the channel was crooked at several points, with about 8 feet 5 inches of water at the numerous shoals at a stage 3 feet above low water. The effect of all these was to make navigation insecure at all times. The plan of improvement is to remove channel obstructions and build wing-dams, so as to enable steamboats of 3 feet draught to ply to and from Nashville during the five months when the Cumberland River is usually at a good boating stage, i. e., from February to July. Work on dams and in the channel was continued during July and August at Hall's Rock Island and Trousdale's Ferry Bar, completing the work as projected. Low-water depth at these points has been increased about 5 inches. Amount of work done was as follows: Stone quarried. Riprap dams built.. Rock excavated from channel Cubic yards. 347 1,735 295 2,300 The snag-boat moved down the river from Mine Lick Island to the mouth, a distance of 58 miles, removing from the channel 180 snags, cutting 552 trees, topping or girdling 166 overhanging trees, and pulling up 30 stumps; also clearing brush, saplings, &c., from 13 island chutes. Work was discontinued the 22d of August on account of exhaustion of the appropriation. Assistant Engineer C. A. Turrill was in local charge of the work, with an average force of 48 men. As a result of the work on the river steamboats now ascend and descend with confidence on a 3-foot stage of water, whereas three years ago it was thought unsafe to ascend more than a few miles at less than a 10-foot stage. The appropriation available and the amount asked for ($13,228) can be profitably applied in removing reefs and snags, building wing-dams, cutting overhanging trees, &c., as contemplated in the original plan of improvement. The Caney Fork being a mountain stream is subject to heavy floods; its caving banks and consequent snags and drift will require more or less of such work to be done from year to year. Twenty-four trips were made on Caney Fork during the year by steamers, and a large number of log rafts were brought down. Among the articles carried by the steamers during April and May may be enumerated, dry goods, 3,000 pounds; groceries, 7,600 pounds; corn, 38,000 bushels; wheat, 8,500 bushels; hardware, 1,200 pounds; lumber, 250,000 feet B. M.; salt, 600 barrels; cattle, 120 head. Amount estimated for improving Caney Fork River Amount appropriated Amount expended... $30,228 00 17,000 00 13,996 71 Money statement. July 1, 1883, amount available. July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885 ... $3,033 93 $3,012 64 18 00 3,030 64 3 29 3,000 00 3,003 29 13, 228 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project......... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 13, 228 00 Z 9. IMPROVEMENT OF COOSA RIVER, GEORGIA AND ALABAMA. The improvement of the navigation of the Coosa River, with the view to its connection with the waters of the Tennessee, was under consideration as early as 1823, when the State of Alabama passed an act to aid the proposed work, which act was formerly approved by Congress the following year; and later, in 1828, Congress provided that any surplus of the grant for improving Tennessee River should be applied to the improvement of the navigation of the Coosa, Cahaba, and Black Warrior Rivers. The improvement of the navigation of the Coosa, notwithstanding the early consideration of the subject, seems to have been neglected until quite recent years. In 1870 an examination of the Coosa, between Greensport and the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Bridge, a distance of 77 miles, was authorized by an act of Congress, and in 1872 an instrumental survey of this part of the river, upon which to base plans and estimates for its improvement. In 1875 an examination of the river was made from Rome, Ga., to Gadsden, Ala., a distance of 135 miles, when a plan for its improvement was adopted (which was subsequently modified), providing for a channel 80 feet wide and 4 feet deep at extreme low water. In 1876 an appropriation was made for improving the Coosa River, between Rome and the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Bridge, which dates the beginning of the improvement of this river according to a fixed and systematic plan. Active operations have been carried on each year since the beginning of the work, and the improvement is now far advanced. A channel, 3 feet deep at least at extreme low water, is contemplated in the projected improvement. Work on the channel between Rome and Greensport has been suspended, in order that the more serious obstructions below Greensport may be disposed of first, or carried so near completion as to permit the opening of the entire river embraced in the present project of improvement at or about the same time. The obstructions below Greensport consist in a succession of very broad and shallow reefs, extending over 5 miles of the river, and having a total fall of 24 feet, the greater part of which is confined to a length of about 2 miles. This part of the river embraces Whistenant's Shoals and Ten Islands Shoals, the improvement of which involves a far more costly and extended work than will be necessary on any other part of the river included in the present project for improvement. The plans for improving these shoals are as follows: First. A longitudinal dam 2,000 feet long, forming a canal, with a lock at the lower end. Second. A dam, 1,100 feet long, across the river, terminated at one bank by another lock. Third. The utilization of a natural chute as part of the canal, placing a dam and third lock at its lower end. The work, which was carried on during the entire fiscal year, was confined to the Ten Islands Shoals Canal and channel excavation at Hart's Reefs and Rock Island Reef, below Lock No. 3. The quantities of work done during the fiscal year are as follows: A number of stumps and overhanging trees have been removed from the channel between the site of Lock No. 3 and Hart's Reefs, so that boats can now pass unobstructed. The construction of lock-gates for Lock No. 1 has been carried on during the year, and these gates have been practically completed. The upper gates were put in position during May. The title to the land embracing the site for Lock No. 3 was perfected during June, and work on this lock has been resumed. The work has been under the local charge of Assistant Engineer M. T. Singleton, with an average force of 22 men. The condition of the Ten Islands Shoals Canal at the end of the fiscal year was as follows: Lock No. 1.-Masonry completed, upper gates in position, lower gates finished. The longitudinal dam and the short spur dam connecting it with the lock are also finished. Lock No. 2.-Masonry completed and ready for the gates. Dry rubble dam, 1,100 feet long, extending from the upper end of the lock to the opposite shore, and the dams connecting the lower end of the lock with Woods Island, have been completed. Lock No. 3.-All the stone required for this lock has been cut. Coffer-dam inclosing the lock-pit has been constructed and the foundation excavated. The masonry work will now proceed without delay. The funds available and the appropriation asked for ($100,000) can be profitably expended in continuation of the work of former years, completing Lock No. 3, putting in lock-gates, and continuing the im provement at other points on the river between Rome and the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Bridge. Original estimate of cost of improving Coosa River, Georgia and Alabama.. $552, 347 00 418, 700 00 334, 177 49 Money statement. July 1, 1883, amount available. $48, 017 00 July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883 .. $11,923 56 July 1, 1884, outstanding liabilities 1,570 93 13, 494 49 July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Z 10. 34, 522 51 50,000 00 84, 522 51 133, 647 00 100, 000 00 IMPROVEMENT OF OOSTENAULA AND COOSAWATTEE RIVERS, GEORGIA. No work has been done on either of these streams during the fiscal year, nor in fact since active operations were suspended on the Coosawattee, in October, 1880, and on the Oostenaula, in August, 1881. There is now little, if any, commerce on either of these streams, though parties are talking of putting a small steamboat on the Oostenaula. As there is now a fair channel for light navigation at moderate stages of the water, no further appropriation appears to be demanded by the interests of commerce. Estimates of cost for improving these rivers Amount appropriated Amount expended.... .... $28,208 50 26, 000 00 24,858 14 $1, 163 71 21 85 1, 141 86 IMPROVEMENT OF OCMULGEE RIVER, GEORGIA. The Ocmulgee unites with the Oconee about ten miles below Lumber City, forming the Altamaha, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean and constitutes the principal water highway of the State. During the first half of this century Georgia appropriated at least $60,000 for the improvement of the Ocmulgee. The first examination and survey of the river by the United States was made in 1852. Another examination was made in 1875, from Macon to the junction with the Oconee. The obstructions to navigation consist of occasional reefs, snags, logs, overhanging trees, and sunken rafts. The banks are very unstable, owing to the nature of the soil and the rapid current during freshets. |