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and wait until a pile sinker could be obtained to sink the piles. When this had been done, the cables were run to the piles by means of the pile sinker. Dredging was commenced on November 4 and continued until the 13th, when the work projected had been completed. Delays in dredging were due to low steam pressure, repairs to discharge pipe, cleaning boilers, repairs to cable straps, grounding of pontoons, and repairs to the jet pump and main engines. The material dredged was sand and gravel. The Iota left Daisy crossing for the dredge depot on November 16 and arrived there the same day. She there lay at the bank, awaiting a lower stage until the 29th, when she departed for Daisy crossing again, arriving there on the same day. Dredging was commenced at 12.25 p. m. Dredging in Daisy crossing was completed on December 5, when the dredge was moved to the bank to clean boilers and await a lower stage. Some delays in dredging were caused by repairs to the pipe line, wind storm, and waiting for daylight. A considerable amount of time was lost on account of low steam pressure, due to the poor quality of the coal obtainable at Memphis, the supply of Pittsburgh coal having been exhausted. Other delays were caused by the grounding of the pontoons and coal barge, cleaning suction head, and passing boats. The material dredged was sand and gravel. The Iota remained at the bank at Thelma Landing, Ark., awaiting a lower stage, until December 31, when she was moved to the dredge fleet and withdrawn from service. While lying at the bank at Thelma Landing new packing rings were made for the high-pressure cylinder of the main engines and other repairs made. Dredge "Kappa."-This dredge was moved out on the bar opposite the dredge depot on August 10. Tow was made up and other preparations made for moving to the chute of Island No. 30 crossing, and she left the fleet on the 11th for that place, with the steamer Nokomis towing the coal barge and pontoons. The Kappa arrived at the head of chute of Island No. 30 crossing on the 13th, and dredging was commenced in this crossing on the same day and continued until the 22d, when the dredge was swung out of the channel to clean boilers. At 5.20 a. m. on August 14 the hubs and follower head of both water pistons of the air pump were broken. The dredge was delayed on this account from 5.20 a. m. on the 14th until 1.30 a. m. on the 16th. Other delays were caused by repairs to pontoons, cleaning fires, grounding of pontoons, and passing boats. The dredge was moved out on the crossing again on August 25 to widen and deepen a narrow place in the channel near its upper end. The work in the upper end of the crossing was completed on the 29th, when the dredge was moved to the bank to clean boilers preparatory to commencing work in the lower end of the crossing. While lying at the bank some repairs were made to the pontoon coupling and to rubber sleeves. The work of widening the channel at the lower end of the crossing was commenced on August 31 and completed on September 6, when the dredge was moved out of the channel to clean boilers and await a lower stage. Some delays in dredging were on account of cleaning fires, pulling snags, and passing boats. The Kappa remained at the bank in the chute of Island No. 30 awaiting a lower stage until September 23, when dredging in the upper part of Island No. 30 crossing was commenced. This work was completed on October 2. Delays were on account of deflecting pontoons, repairs to pontoon couplings, passing boats, and cleaning boilers. While lying at the bank some minor repairs were made to the machinery, and some painting was done. On October 8, on account of rising river and drift, she was moved across the river to Osceola Bar for safer harbor. She remained at this point awaiting a lower stage until the 26th. While lying at Osceola Bar some minor repairs were made to the discharge pipe, the peripheral lining of the main pump was repaired, a crack in the aftersheet of the starboard boiler was repaired by boilermakers sent from the fleet. and the roof was patched and painted. This dredge was moved up to Gold Dust crossing on October 26, and dredging in this crossing was commenced at 12.45 p. m. on the same day and continued until the 31st, when the dredge was moved out of the channel to clean boilers. There were delays in dredging on account of priming pump and repairs to broken drawbars on the pontoons. The Kappa was moved out onto Gold Dust crossing again, and dredging was resumed on Cut No. 11 on November 1 and continued until the 3d, when the necessary work was completed. The dredge was then moved down to New Haven crossing, where dredging was commenced on November 4. The work was completed on the 10th, and the dredge was moved back up to Gold Dust crossing to widen and straighten the channel at that point. She arrived in the crossing at 4 p. m. the same day. Dredging was begun on the 11th and continued until the 21st, when the work was completed. The dredge was then moved down to Luxora and tied up.

While at Luxora a slight bag in one of the boilers was set up and the furnaces were repaired. Delays in dredging were due to waiting for coal, cleaning boilers, passing boats, hot crank pin, broken journal bolt, priming pump, removing snags from the channel, grounding of dredge and coal barge, and waiting for daylight to place plant. The material encountered was coarse sand, gravel, and blue mud at Gold Dust, and sand, gravel, and drift at New Haven. The Kappa lay at the bank at Luxora, Ark., awaiting a lower stage until December 30, when she departed for the dredge fleet, arriving at 10.30 a. m. on the 31st.

Dredge "Henry Flad."-This dredge was moved out on the bar opposite the dredge depot on August 9. Property was checked and stores placed on board, and she left for Island No. 35 crossing on the 10th and arrived there on the 11th. Preparations for dredging were completed at 3.30 p. m. on August 11. At 3.50 p. m. the lower section of pontoon broke a coupling and went adrift. The mate with a boat crew was sent after it. The dredge Kappa, which was en route upstream in the bend below the Flad, caught the pontoons and towed them up to the Flad the following morning. Dredging was resumed on August 12 and continued until the 15th, when the dredge was moved out of the channel to clean boilers. The Flad left Island No. 35 crossing with the steamer Leota, towing her coal barge and pontoons on August 16, and arrived at the lower crossing in the chute of Island No. 30 on the 17th. Dredging was commenced at 12.05 p. m. on the same day and continued until the 22d, when the dredge was moved to the bank to clean boilers and make some minor repairs to machinery. Dredging was resumed on August 24 and continued until the 27th. A great deal of delay was caused by snags, drift, and wreckage embedded in the sand. On August 30, the Flad started for Fritz crossing and arrived there on September 1. The dredge was moved out on the crossing and work was commenced on September 4 and continued until 6.15 a. m. on the 8th, when a satisfactory channel had been completed. The dredge was moved to the bank and remained there awaiting a lower stage until November 2, when she was moved out onto Fritz crossing. Dredging was commenced in Cut No. 12 at 12.45 p. m. and the work was continued until the 5th, when a satisfactory channel had been obtained. Delays in dredging were occasioned by the repairs to the low-pressure piston head of the main engines, washing out discharge pipe, repairs to broken chains on the pontoons and repairs to main engines. The Flad remained at the bank at Fritz Landing until November 8. She was then sent to the coal fleet above Caruthersville to tow a barge of coal to Point Pleasant for the dredge B. M. Harrod. She returned to Fritz Landing on the same day with the coal barge and remained there awaiting arrival of a pilot until the 9th. The coal was delivered to the Harrod at Point Pleasant on the 10th and the Flad returned to Fritz Landing the same day. On return from delivering some empty coal barges to the coal fleet, the Flad was tied up at Fritz Landing to await a lower stage. On December 30 she departed for winter quarters at the dredge fleet. She arrived there on January 1 and was withdrawn from commission. While lying at the bank at Fritz Landing, repairs were made to the dynamo engine and other parts of the machinery.

Dredge "B. M. Harrod."-This dredge was moved out on the bar opposite the dredge depot on August 3 and left on the 5th for Point Pleasant crossing. She arrived at Reelfoot Landing on the 8th and coaled on the 9th. A survey of Island No. 14 crossing showed that there was less water there than at Point Pleasant, so the dredge was placed in this crossing on August 10 and continued dredging until the 13th, when a channel 10 feet in depth had been obtained. Boilers were cleaned, tow made up, and the plant left for Point Pleasant crossing on August 14 and landed at the foot of Mars Towhead at 2.30 p. m. the same day to await completion of survey. Work was commenced in Point Pleasant crossing on the 15th and continued until the 18th. On completion of this work the dredge was moved down to Lower Point Pleasant, or Darnells, crossing, and dredging commenced on August 19. Work in this crossing was continued until the 27th, when the dredge was swung out of the channel to clean boilers. She remained here until the 31st, when tow was made up and the plant moved to Upper Point Pleasant crossing, and commenced dredging on the same day. This work was completed on September 5, and on the 6th the dredge was moved down to the lower part of the crossing and commenced work there on the same day. This work was completed on the 7th, when the dredge was swung out of the channel to await a lower stage. While taking in the slack of the port cable on September 16 the piston head of the port winding engine was broken. This was repaired. This dredge remained at the bank at Point Pleasant awaiting a lower stage until September 25, when she was moved

down to the lower part of Point Pleasant crossing. Dredging was commenced in this crossing on the 26th, and continued until midnight on the 27th. Tow was made up, and the plant was moved to Tiptonville on the 28th and tied up there to await a lower stage. Some delays in dredging were on account of waiting for steam and resetting piles. On October 7 the dredge was moved down to the coal fleet near Caruthersville, Mo., and remained there until October 25, when she departed for Point Pleasant crossing. She arrived there on the 26th and commenced work in the middle crossing on the 27th. This work was completed on the 30th. On October 30 the dredge left Point Pleasant for Medleys crossing, arriving there on the 31st. The work in Medleys crossing was begun on November 1 and completed on the 5th, when the dredge was moved to the bank to make up tow. Delays in dredging were caused by the clogging of the suction head and grounding of the pontoons. A survey of Medleys crossing, made on completion of the work, showed that some additional work through the upper end of the dredged channel was desirable, and the dredge was again moved out onto the crossing. Dredging was resumed on the 7th, and continued until 4.45 a. m. on the 8th, when a satisfactory channel had been completed. The plant left for Point Pleasant crossing on November 8 and arrived at Darnells on the 9th. The dredge remained at this point until the 23d, when she was moved down to Tiptonville for better harbor. She lay there until 9.30 a. m. on December 30, when she departed for the dredge fleet. On arrival at the dredge depot on January 2, the Harrod was withdrawn from commission.

A summary of the work and division of time of the dredges while in the field during the low-water season of 1910 is given in Table 6, accompanying this report.

The amount of material moved by the dredges during the season of 1910, computed in the usual manner, was 2,471,040 cubic yards.

The following are the quantities dredged each year from 1899 to 1910:

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A statement of the cost of dredging operations from May 1, 1910, to April 30, 1911, is given in Table No. 3, accompanying.

DESCRIPTION OF BARS AND ACCOUNT OF WORK ON EACH DURING THE LOW-WATER SEASON OF 1910.

The dredging operations of 1910 extended from Medleys (31) to Youngs Point (597), a distance of 566 miles measured on the line midway between banks. In this stretch of river the dredging operations were distributed among the 20 different shoals described below. In addition to the shoals being numerous and widely scattered, many of them were exceedingly troublesome and required repeated dredging.

Medleys.-The shoal at Medleys, the first crossing below Cairo at which dredging was required, did not develop until the last of October. Map of October 29 shows clearly the conditions before dredging and that of November 8 the results of six days' dredging with the Harrod. An excellent channel was formed and maintained through the remainder of the low-water season without further dredging. The chief difficulty was the character of the material, which contained a large proportion of gravel.

Point Pleasant.-Under this heading are included Upper Point Pleasant and Darnells Crossings, since both of these shoals must be crossed in traveling from Point Pleasant on the west bank to Darnells Point on the east, a distance of about 3 miles. The general form of the bar was almost exactly similar to that of 1909, with the exception that the lower channel, down the west shore and over to Darnells Point, which was selected for improvement in that season, was eliminated from consideration by a reef which had formed across its upper end, just below Point Pleasant Landing. This forced the greater volume of water over to Mars Towhead and down the shore to Darnells Point. The distance between the upper and lower pools by this route was approximately 3 miles, about 2 miles of which required dredging. Upper Point Pleasant required dredging twice, August 15 to 18, and August 31 and September 5. The

first work was not continued until a satisfactory channel had been completed owing to misconception of the dredge master as to the extent of work required. After the second dredging, however, no further work was necessary. In Lower Point Pleasant dredging was also required twice, the channel having filled in from the rapid caving of the Darnells Towhead Bar, following the October rise to 17 feet on the New Madrid gauge. The difficulty in Darnells Crossing was due to the meeting of the current of the lower channel, mentioned in an earlier paragraph, and the upper channel, or the one selected for improvement. This caused shifting of current direction and consequent instability of channel location. It will be noted that during the long period of low stage extending through November and December, no dredging was required. The success of the Harrod in maintaining satisfactory channels at Point Pleasant, evidenced by maps made at frequent intervals during the season, is worthy of especial mention.

Island No. 14.-For several years the channel in the vicinity of Reelfoot and Island No. 14 has crossed the river from Reelfoot to the corner of the island, down the shore of the island, and back to the Tennessee shore below Fritz Landing. From information furnished by map of Reelfoot dated August 9, 1910, and soundings taken down the Tennessee shore below the limits of the survey, the old channel following the shape of the dry sand bar was selected for improvement and was maintained until August 18. At this time extended surveys showed that the water was leaving the old channel and following the Tennessee shore down by Fritz Landing. An attempt was made to anticipate this channel change by dredging through the reef below Fritz, but the material encountered (mud and gravel) prevented satisfactory operations, and it was necessary to seek a more favorable location. This was found as shown on the map of August 24. An accident to the Gamma's machinery prevented prompt completion of this channel. The accident to the Gamma occurred on August 28, and it was not until September 1 that another dredge, the Henry Flad, could arrive from Island No. 30. A very satisfactory channel was completed on September 8, and no further dredging was required until November 2, when the Flad was again placed in the crossing four days to remove the sand deposited by the October rise.

Chute of Island 30.-Surveys of Gold Dust Crossing of August 15 and Chute of Island 30 Crossing of August 12 showed that at that time the channel was through the chute with a margin of 3 feet, and a comparison with an earlier survey showed that the channel in Gold Dust Crossing was very materially deteriorating. The current through the chute was strong, while in Gold Dust Crossing it was very sluggish. For this reason the channel through the chute was selected for improvement. Dredging operations were commenced in the head of the chute by the Kappa on August 13. The material encountered contained quite a large proportion of gravel, which rendered progress quite slow. A satisfactory channel was obtained, however, and was maintained until October 22, when the last survey was made. At this time, acting under instructions to make a satisfactory channel, if possible, down through the main river to the right of Island 30 and abandon the channel in the chute, the Kappa was placed in Gold Dust Crossing and commenced dredging on the 26th. After a large amount of dredging extending through a period of three weeks an excellent channel was obtained.

Operations in the chute were successful, but on account of gravel, drift, and snags encountered progress was necessarily slow. Had the character of the bottom been known in advance it is probable that this channel would not have been attempted, but examinations of this kind are not practicable with present facilities and limited reconnoissance outfit. The interesting facts, however, are that operations in the chute were successful and that after the channel had been established, equal success followed the dredging in the main river to the right of Kate Aubrey Towhead. The dredge Kappa accomplished excellent results in both locations.

New Haven.This was a shoal in a bank channel below New Haven. Maps of November 3 and November 13 show conditions before and after dredging. The work of the Kappa was successful.

Foot of Bullerton.-This was a short shoal in the crossing from Plum Point to the foot of Bullerton Towhead. About three days dredging by the Gamma opened up a satisfactory channel.

Island 35.-This was a troublesome shoal which developed early in the season. It required dredging four separate times, on account of the washing of the loose sand, through which the course of the channel above lay, down onto the reef.

The Flad worked in this crossing August 12 to 15; the Iota August 18 to 23 and from October 1 to 3; the Gamma November 16 and 17. The work in each case was successful.

Walts. At the time the first survey was made the channel made the crossing in to Deans Island Bar, and after following the shape of the bar for about three-fourths of a mile crossed into the bend at Massey Light. The shoal was in the crossing going into the bar. In the early part of November, however, the lower crossing to Massey Light began to fill up and the best water was found in a new channel from the corner of Deans Island to Thomas Light about a mile above Massey Light. This channel was improved with excellent results. Foot of Presidents Island, or Pattons.-About August 20 it became evident that the channel below the mouth of Nonconnah Creek would shoal to less than 9 feet. Since the bar at that point was heavy gravel and a good channel could be obtained around to the right of the island by dredging a short shoal near the foot, this was done and the channel maintained down through the old river until the exceedingly swift current had washed out a channel at Nonconnah, where the gravel bar rendered dredging operations very difficult and uncertain. The natural channel at Nonconnah is shown on map of November 29.

Josie Harry Chute.-In the vicinity of Horn Lake crossing an increasing volume of water had been flowing down through the chute of Josie Harry Towhead, and on account of the shifting, tortuous, and uncertain character of the channel in the old Horn Lake crossing and the evidence that the chute channel would respond to improvement operations, the latter channel was selected for improvement. Dredging operations by the Zeta, November 8 to 14, were eminently successful.

The

Daisy. On account of the shape of the bar and the direction of the current Daisy crossing was one of the most difficult to improve of any through which dredging was required. As will be seen by an examination of any of the maps of this shoal a high middle bar or ridge extended from a point below Graves Bayou, on the Arkansas shore, to a junction with the Cow Island Bar. crest of this bar was generally but 1 foot below mean low water, with low spots 3 feet below. The length of this reef from the point where it joined the Arkansas shore to its junction with Cow Island Bar was about 14 miles and its direction very nearly parallel to the Arkansas shore line. Since the water flowed over this reef for its full length there was no tendency to back the water up in the upper pool and force the flow over the reef in a direction nearly normal to the general direction of the contours, but the direction of flow was approximately parallel to shore lines and reef contours. This condition rendered dredging operations very difficult, since in making a channel it was necessary to cut through the sand ridge separating the upper and lower pools on an axis making a considerable angle with the direction of the current. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the work of the Iota, November 4 to 13 and November 29 to December 5, was very successful and a good channel was maintained.

Catfish Point or Towhead.-The shoal at this point developed early in September and required dredging on three separate occasions. The first work was done by the Epsilon September 11 to 13. The rise in the latter part of September obliterated the resulting channel. A small amount of work was done by the same dredge just before the October rise. When the stage declined rapidly in the latter part of October the Epsilon opened up this channel again and the Zeta deepened and widened the Epsilon's channel November 18 to 21. The fine, loose sand in this crossing was washed down and piled on the reef by every slight rise, necessitating repeated dredging. The shoal was very long, and both the Epsilon and Zeta were very much handicapped on account of not being able to obtain satisfactory deflection of their pontons. The pontons are of the old type, having the air chambers extending longitudinally along the pipe on either side.

Moss Lake. The work at Moss Lake consisted in widening the channel where it passed close to a large drift pile, which frightened pilots out of the narrow channel.

Ashton. This was a short shoal and required only a small amount of dredging.

Youngs Point.-This shoal, just above Vicksburg, did not develop until about the middle of November and then required only about three days' dredging by the Epsilon.

SURVEYS.

During the dredging season of 1910, 136 surveys were made of shoal crossings. While the lowest point at which dredging was required was Youngs Point, sur

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