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Hydrology of Tennessee
River and Its Basin
The general character and hy
drology of the Tennessee river and
its basin is discussed at some length
in a report of G. T. Nelles, assist
ant engineer, on the Tennessee im
provement work from Scott Point to
the upper division of the Muscle
Shoals canal. In his report, which
was dated at Chattanooga, February
6, 1901, Mr. Nelles says in part :
The Tennessee is one of the prin
cipal rivers of the United States.
It is formed by the confluence of
the French Broad and Holston riv
ers 4 1-2 mile3 above Knoxville,
Tenn. From thence it flows in a
southwesterly direction through the
states of Tennessee and Alabama to
Guntersville, Ala., a distance of
294.5 miles. At Guntersville its
course changes to northwesterly,
which direction it follows to River
ton, Ala., a distance of 130.85 miles.
Below Riverton it makes a decided
turn to the right and follows a
northerly course for 226 miles,
through the states of Tennessee and
Kentucky, to its junction with the
Ohio river, at the foot of Tennessee
Island, at Paducah, Ky.
The total length of the river is
651.35 miles, all of which is naviga
ble the year round for boats of very
light draft, and on an average of
nine months in the year for boats
cf ordinary draft, such as are in
common use on the river. Commerce
is never impeded by ice and rarely
by ilocd3.
The total length is distributed by
states, as follows: 388.5 miles, or
nearly 60 per cent, is entirely in
Tennessee; 192.1 miles, or nearly 30
per cent, is entirely in Alabama; 47.5
miles is entirely in Kentucky; 13
miles lies between Tennessee and
Kentucky, and 10.25 between Ala
bama and Mississippi.
For convenience, and for the pur
pose of designating sections for im
provement, it has become custom
ary to divide the river into sections
of somewhat similar and uniform
character. These are as follows:
Table No. I.—Showing the cus
tomary divisions of the Tennessee
river into sections, and character
of each:
Upper section from source to
Chattanooga; length, 188 miles; fall,
179.7 feet; mean fall per mile, 0.95
feet.
Mountain section from Chatta
nooga to Scott Point; length, 17.50
miles; fall, 27.9 feet; mean fall per
mile 1.60.
Middle section from Scott Point
to head of Muscle Shoals canal;
length, 158.30 miles; fall, 63.8 feet;
mean fall per mile, 0.40 feet.
Muscle Shoals canal from head of
Muscle Shoals canal to Lift Rock, at
Riverton; length, G 1.55 miles; fall,
168.5 feet; mean fall per mile, 2.73
feet.
Colbert Shoals canal from head
of Muscle Shoals to Lift Rock, at
Riverton; length, 61.55 miles; fall,
168.5 feet; mean fall per mile, 2.72
feet.
Lower section from Lift Rock } at
Riverton, to Paducah, foot of Ten
nessee Island; length, 226 miles;
fall, 78.5 feet; mean fall per mile,
0.34 feet.
Total length, 651.35; fall, 518.4 feet;
mean fall per mile, 0.80 feet.
The head of the Muscle Shoals is
assumed to be at the angle in the
dam, 2 miles above Lock A.
The upper section has been
subject of several examinations and
reports, beginning with that made
in 1830 by Lieut. Col. S. H. Long,
corps of Topographical engineers,
U. S. A., published as house Ex.
Doc. No. 167, forty-third congress,
6econd session, and ending with the
complete survey and exhaustive re
port made in 1891-1893, by Capt.
John Biddle, corps of engineers,
published in the annual report of
the chief engineers for 1893. Those
documents describe fully the char
acter and needs of this section of
the river.
The mountain section has received
considerable attention in the past,
and under the provisions of the act
of congress of March 3, 1599, was
made the subject of a special study
and report. This investigation was
KNOXVILLE JOBBING STATISTICS.
ESTIMATE ON THIS YEAR'S SALES.
Bar iron, foundry and machine shop products $ 1,800,000
Stove and holloware 75.000
Furniture, desks, mantels, chairs, coffins, &c 2,100,000
Marble quarries, marble mills, structural stone, macadam,
monuments, &c 1.800,000
Woolen goods and allied textile products 1.009,000
Cotton goods and allied textile products 1,800.000
Clothing, overalls, pants, shirts and skirts 700,000
Lumber, building material, handles, cooperage, &c 1,500,000
Brick, sand, lime, cement, &c 859,000
Railway cars, brick cars, mine cars, boilers, Southern railway
shops, &c 1,000,000
Wagons, carriages, &c 175.009
Harness and saddlery gcod3 160,000
Candy and grocery supplies 300 000
Bread and other bakery products 114.000
Flour and grist mill products 1200,000
Millinery and custom work 150.000
Printing, publishing newspapers, books. &c 239,000
Plumbing, gas and steam fitting, sheet iron work, &e 180,000
♦All other industries 1 500 009
Total $16,744,000
Total for year 1902 $14,798,405
Increase $ 1,945,595
♦All other industries includes various kinds, such as brewery, two
distilleries, packing house, min ral and carbonated waters, trunks,
bags, tobacco, cigars, wheelvvrighting, gas. patent medicines, engrav
ing, ammonia, artificial limbs, awning, boxes, coal tar. cornices, fer
tilizer, furnaces, hats, ice, laundries, photographs, shirts. . igns, soap,
gas, tinware, umbrellas, &c.
made under your direction, and my
report to you of January 10, 1900,
published as house Doc. No. 4GI,
fifty-sixth congress, first session,
contains a very detailed description
of this section, with plans and esti
mates fpr its improvement.
The Muscle Shoals and Colbert
Shoals have been the scene of more
or less active operations since IS3O,
and have been the subject of so
many reports and projects that
abundant information concerning
these obstructions is cf record.
The lower section has been de
scribed in general terms in the an
nual reports of the chief of en
gineers, and between 1895 and 1897
was completely surveyed and map
ped. The improvement of this sec
tion by means of extensive dredging
operations at the shoals and bars
is now under way.
Drainage area.—The total area
drained by the Tennessee river, as
determined by planimeter measure
ments of the topographic charts of
the. United States geological sur
vey and other official maps and rec
ords, is 40,812 square miles. Of this
total 21,410 square miles lie above
Chattancoga, Tenn., and 5,500 square
miles lie between Chattanooga and
Lock A. The accompanying map of
Tennessee basin, plate No. 2. shows
the form cf the basin and distribu
tion to the principal tributaries.
This is also given in the following
table, which shows the names of
the principal tributaries, the dis
tance to the mouth of each above
Paducah, as well as the areas drain
ed.
Table No. 2.—Area and distribu
tion of the drainage basin of the
Tennessee river.
French Broad river basin, distance
above Paducah to outlet, 651.35
miles; area, 5,100.3 square miles.
Holston river basin, distance
above Paducah to outlet, C 51.55
rr.iies; area, 3,810.6 square miles.
Little river basin, distance above
Paducah to outlet, 631.35 miles;
area, 375.9 square miles.
Little Tennessee river basin, dis
tance above Paducah to outlet, 600.60
miles; area, 2,649.5 square miles. #
Clinch river basin, distance above
Paducah to outlet, 567.10 miles;
area, 4,405.4 square miles.
Hiwassee river basin, distance
above Paducah to outlet, 498.30
miles; area, 2,705.6 square miles.
Miscellaneous above Chatta
nooga, area, 2,362.9 square miles.
Total area above Chattanooga,
distance above Paducah to outlet,
403.35 miles; area, 21,410.2 square
miles.
Sequatchie river basin, distance
above Paducah to outlet, 421.85
miles; area, 552.9 square miies.
Miscellaneous between Chatta
nooga and Lock A, Muscle Shoals
canal, area; 4.900 square miles.
Total above Lock A, distance
above Paducah to outlet. 255.6
miles; area, 26,903.1 square miles.
Elk river basin, distance above
Paducah to outlet, 285.3 miles; area,
2,400 square miles.
Miscellaneous between Lock A and
Riverton, area, 2,384.9 square miles.
Total above Riverton, distance
above Paducah to outlet, 226 miles;
area. 31,683 square miles.
Duck river basin, distance above
Paducah to outlet, 100 miles; area,
3,625 square miles.
Miscellaneous between Riverton
and Paducah, area, 5,428.6 square
miles.
Total above Paducah, area, 40,-
811.6 square miles.
The map and table show clearly that
practically all of the large tribu
taries enter the river above Chat
tanooga, and that in consequence
the increase in the flew below Chat
tanooga will be gradual, and is due
to numerous small streams empty
ing directly into the river.
The distribution of the drainage
area, by states, is approximately as
follows:
Sq. miles.
Tennessee 21,963.6
Alabama 6,825.0
North Carolina 5,220.0
Virginia 3,393.0
Georgia 1,800.0
Kentucky 1,050.0
Mississippi 550.0
Total 40,811.6
Generally speaking, the upper part
of the basin is rough, mountainous,
and practically undeveloped, ex
cept along the lines of communica
tion, Below Bridgeport the valley
widens out on the north side of the
river, and the country is well set
tled and developed for agricultural
purposes. The valley of the lower
section of the liver is comparatively
fiat and unusually rich and produc
tive. Immense deposits of coal,
iron ore, slate, marble, and other
useful minerals, and almost bound
less forests of virgin timber exist
throughout the upper basin, and
await development and better trans
portation facilities.
Rainfall.—Through the kindness of
the local officials of the United
States weather bureau, the precipi
tation records for a number of sta
tions throughout the basin have
been placed at my disposal. These
records were not as a general thing
complete, covering only the winter
cr wet months in marty instances.
It has, however, been possible, by
carefully adjusting all of the ob
servations, to deduce first the mean
monthly, and from these, by sum
mation, the mean annual rainfall
at each of the stations. A tabula
tion of these results is given below,
arranged progressively, to show the
precipitation over the tributary
basins, as well as in the main basin
of the river.
LOCALITY.
Period covered by
observation years
Annual rainfall
French Broad river
basin —
Greeneville, Tenn 2 41.78
Asheville, N. C 12 41.26
Holston liver basin—
Bluff City, Tenn 4 39.90
Abingdon, Va 8 42.12
Rogorsville, Tenn 13 42.68
Clinch rver basin—
Spears Ferry, Va 3 52.34
Clinton, Tenn 11 51.96
Tazewell, Tenn 4 47.39
Kingston, Tenn 8 50.47
Little Tennessee river
basin —
Bryson, N. C 13 51.75
Iliwassee river basin —
Murphy, N. C 13 56.69
Charleston, Tenn 6 55.05
Tennessee river basin —
Knoxville, Tenn 22 45.05
Loudon, Tenn 9 50.82
Rock wood, Tenn 9 49.52
Chattanooga, Tenn 22 52.74
Bridgeport, Ala 4 43.79
Tenn 28 49.55
Fayetteville, Tenn 10 46.23
Scottsboro, Ala 52.95
Madison, Ala 45.68
Decatur, Ala 16 48.62
Florence, Ala 9 49.67
Riverton, Ala 3 50.23
Savannah, Tenn 15 44.00
Johnsonville, Tenn 6 41.05
Paducah. Ky 7 45.38
Adjusted mean of all
observations above
Chattanooga () 45.39
* Not in basin.
() This mean is adjusted with ref
erence to the time covered by the
observations.
It is not possible from the analy
sis of observations covering such
short periods of time to reach a defi
nite or satisfactory conclusion as to
the mean precipitation in the basin.
The observations at Knoxville,
Chattanooga, and Nashville, cover
ing .a period of more than twenty
two years, afford the best evidence;
but, according to Mr. Alfred J.
Henry, chief of division, United
States weather bureau, it is neces
sary to consider continuous observa
tions covering at least thirty-five or
forty years in order to obtain mean
results that will not depart more
than 5 per cent, from tlm
normal. However, in the absence
of more and better data, u a: no- •
sary to use that at hand. From
this it appears that the normal rain
fall above Chattanooga is about 49
inches per year, while for the whole
basin it is probably about 48 inches.
The maximum monthly precipita
tion recorded for the upper basin is
16.58 inches at Knoxville in January,
ISB2. This was exceeded at New
burg, Ala., In March. 1897, when a
fall of 20.83 was recorded. The mean
for March, 1887, over North Ala
bama, was 15.44 inches. The maxi
mum annual precipitation recorded
is 66.36 at Knoxville In 1832, and
67.25 inches at Bryson City, N. C.,
in 1391. The maximum for North
Alabama was 63.64 inches at Scotts
boro in 1895.
——The minimum annual rainfall is
about 36 inches, and varies as fol
lows:
Asheville, N. C.. in 1894. 34.01
inches; JohnsonviJle, Tenn.. in 1891,
35.77 inches; Paducah, Ky.. in 1895,
36.39 inches; Rogersville, Tenn., In
3895, 36.44 inches; Chattanooga,
Tenn., in 1894. 37.22 inches: Knox
ville, Tenn., in 1894. 37.44 inches.
Bulletin D. of the United States
weo.ther bureau, 1897, gives some in
teresting and valuable Information
concerning the rainfall in the United
States. From one of the charts in
this publication it is seen that a
large part of the Tennessee basin
is included in the area over which
the moan rainfall is over 50 inches,
and for part of it reache: 60 inches
per annum. Except alfng the roast,
this represents the region of maxi
mum rainfall In the United states,
and makes clear why the flow of
the Tennessee is greater than that
of many rivers of the same or larg
er drainage. The mean annual rain-
Commercial Statistics From
Business on Tennessee River
The official report of the chief of
engineers of the United States
army gives these interesting and
convincing commercial statistics,
gathered from actual business done
on the Tennessee river:
Above Chattanooga (188 miles.)
Year ending December 31. 1801.
Estimated
Articles. Tons. Value.
Brick 128 $ 558
Coal .. 6.-150 12,900
Cotton seed 34 600
Fertilizer 213 6.260
Flour 1.720 77.378
General m’ch’d's... 6.478 705.148
Grain 11.336 303,082
Hay .5.422 83.368
Iron ore 50.000 62,500
Dive stock 229 15.958
Dogs and wood 67.969 537,967
Dumber 7,556 94.450
Marble 50.825 503.250
Produce 1,251 130,727
Railroad ties.. . 300 600
Sand t ’;3 JBI.OOO 56.700
Shingles.. .. .*. 6 1.755
Stone 3.570 8,490
Tan bark 520 3,200
Total $294,607 $2,604,931
Floated down in rafts, tons.. 67,039
fall over the upper Ohio valley is
41.3 inches, and over the middle
Mississippi valley is 35.3 inches,
showing an advantage in this re
spect of from 25 to 40 per cent, in
favor of the upper Tennessee.
Stages of the river.-The daily
fluctuations of the elevation of tne
water surface of the river have
been systematically observed at a
number of stations for several years.
The first effort in this direction of
which we have a record was inaug
urated at Florence, Ala., In 1871.
The gauge then established has
been regularly rend ever since. This
was followed, in 1874, by the estab
lishment of gauges at Knoxville,
Kingston, Roudon, Chattanooga,
Decatur, Johnsonville, and Paducah,
in connection with the investigation
being made I>3' Major Walter Mc-
Farland, corps of engineers, of a
; ST. LOUIS IS INTERESTED.
TheCloha Democrat referring to mutual advantages that would
> “"rue to St. Louis and Knoxville, by opening up Tennessee river nav-
igaiion, says.
i /? f course the lock and dam below Chattanooga should be com
, pleted speedily, and other needed improvements bo kept moving bv
, congress. *
► “A permanent five-foot channel between St. Louis and Knoxville
* would develop an immense trade, as well as offer fine advantages for
, Pleasure travel. It would place this city in touch with th * mineral
* )r alth Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and W< stern
► b-ortn ( arolina, a region that has scarcely emerged as vet .from the
> pioneer stage.”
Undeveloped Resources
Along Little Tennessee
Gen. W. M. Hamilton, who has
extensive interests in the section
penetrated by the Little Tennessee
river, has this to say concerning:
that section and its undeveloped re
sources and the value and necessity
of river improvements:
“I notice The Sentinel is favor
ing 1 its readers' with some account
of our operations in opening the
Little Tennessee river for steam
boat navigation to reach slate de
posits on its upper waters. While
the statements are In the main
correct so far as they go,
they have prompted me to
write of some additional facts in
regard to the slate deposits and
Industry which I think will be of
interest.
"It is not generally known that
slate making is an unknown indus
try in the entire I* . : soippi valley,
as all elate used *in this country
comes from a slate belt found In
different places along the eastern
slope of the Appalachean range
where it is lost nmorg the moun
tains until it makes its appearance
on the western slope and 1 found
here and there on some of the
branches of the Tennessee river.
"The greatest and most arcessabie
deposits are found on the Little
Tennessee river in the counties of
Blount and Monroe In the state of
Tennessee. There arc three dis
tinct veins developed so far in this
region, lying at an angle of from
20 degrees to 35 degrees in the foot
hills of the Great Smokey moun
tains which measure from 400 to
600 feet in thickn rjsr. These slate
belt3 are separated by broad belts
of con gram cm te rock and rise to
the tops of the hills which contain
them oftlmos from 300 lo 1 000 feet
above the adjaennt valleys, thus af
fording ample room for waste* and
greatly reducing the cost in the
manufacture of different kinds of
slat®, as compared with eastern
r.uarriep.
"The Iron which is found in the
black vein makes U better adapted
for what in called "mill .slate,” such
as blackboards and school slates, al
so stair steps, wain.scouting, billiard
table tops and all the cliff* rent
kinds of architectural work to
which r.lat" is now put, besides
burial caskets which nr no gener
ally used Hong the Mississippi nr-d
for which there is a great demand.
"The green and gray slates have
Number of passengers
trasported (1301) 6.98S
Details of the traffic for 1901 are
shown below:
Timber and lumber rafted:
From headwaters of Clinch,
Powell and Holston rivers to Chat
tanooga: Miles, 183; tons. 52,338.
Out of Clinch river to Chatta
nooga: Miles, 103.5; tons, 8,000.
From Knoxville to Loudon:
Miles, 56.5; tons, 2 734.
Out of Holston river to Knox
vill< ; Miles, 4.5; tons'. 2,879.
MD-ellcncous: Tons, 1,168.
By boat:
Lenoir City and Chattanooga:
Miles, 137; passengers, 800; tons,
23.626.
Loudon and Chattanooga: Miles,
127; passengers. 1,783; iocs. 47,481.
Kingston to Dayton: Miles, 64;
tons, 50,009.
Out. of French Bread river to be
low Knoxville: Miles, 6.5; passen
gers, 1,500; tons, 74,999.
Out of French Broad river to
Knoxville: Miles, 5.5; passengers,
1,600; tons, 11.751.
Walker Island to Chattanooga:
Miles, 5; tons. IS,OOO.
Miscellaneous: Passengers, 1.305;
tons. 1,628.
Totals: Passengers, 6,988; tons,
294.607.
Of the 17 steamboats reported in
“southern route to the seaboard. ’*
All of these gauges, except Loudon,
have been rend regularly since their
establishment, either by the weather
bureau or the engineer department.
In addition to the gauges above
enumerated, the following have been
read regularly: At Miltons Bluff,
since 1879; at Charleston, Term., on
the Hiwassee river, during winter
months, since 1884; at Clinton, Tenn.,
Spears Ferry, on the Clinch river,
and Strawberry Plains, on the Hol
ston river, during winter months,
since 18S4; at both divisions of the
Muscle Shoals canal since 1890; at
Riverton, Ala., and at the head of
Colbert Shoals since 1891. These ob
servations, together with those of a
number of special gauges, have mi!
been platted on hydrograph sheets,
and form part of the permanent
records cf this office.
been subjected to a ten years test
on roofs and in piles at the quarries,
an-d have proven excellent roofing
slate, and is admitted by eastern
quarry owners to be equal to their
best slate, and one day's examina
tion of the hills where miles of
slate is exposed would be sufficient
evidence that the supply is unex
haustable. Thirteen years ago TANARUS,
with others, bought 6.000 acres in
this slate field and spent a large
amount of money opening quar
ries and fully testing the character
of the slate?, but work had to be
suspended for lack of transporta
tion, the railroad then projected fnl 1 -
c-d of construction. The river was
not navigable and the nearest rail
road was 30 miles away.
"Since the revival of business,
however, we are making renewed
efforts to bring the slate Into mar
ket. The Southern railroad com
pany is extending their line from
Knoxville up the Little Tennessee
river through the slate region to
the sea via "Babun Gap," and the
Knoxville Slate company has un
d°rtaken with what assistnnc' we
could f'ct in make such partial im
provement in the channel of the
river ns will enable steamboats to
reach the quarries at hast half the
year. In doing this work v. .are
adhering to the chart and profile
made by the government ofihera *n
their survey of the river mad.- thr, •
years ago. In this v< are en. r>g_
ed in the hope that congress m::y
bo induce ] to continue the work to
a prop r completion and give us
steamboat navigation the y< • r
around.
‘‘The imp rtar.ee r.r.d vdue n r ♦
western slate industry is not <-<v _
fined to th" owners <<f the qr ?f.
r.or to the counties nor congress!'•
districts in which thr-y are 10-uted
"The present average cost of ship
throughout the west h'-’v. rn
and £7 per square, or S2O per ton.
One.third of this is for railroad
freight.
"Within the last ten yars an
extensive market has T open and
up in Taurcpe and reaching ns f; r
ns Australia, for Aruon-m site,
which is taken as b;ll<t v<■< !..
lo;? P I v.i'ii cotton and nth r light
commodities io foreign ports, ac a
less 1 cost, prr ton than is chargor] by
railroads from (!e- q carries to Knr;:;
viih*. K* r I ids reason it has be
come impossible to procure suffi
cient slate to supply the western
market. One slate company in
Rlatington, Pa., reports an output
the past year of GO.OfiO squares, 40,-
OCO of which were .sent to Kurope,
and eastern quarry owners ar en
couraging rather than discouraging
the op< rdr.g of our Hilaries as they
say fmy h ve i sufficient: market
for their output *■'.'--where, at full
prices.
"There are S3 congressional dis
the hist annual report as plying on
the Tennessee river above Chatta
nooga the City of Charleston, Dixie,
Key City, Ocoee No. 2, Onega and
Telephone were not in this service
during the year, and two belli g
small tugs in local towing service,
are dropp'd; and tiie number of
barges was reduced from 72 to 4S.
No additional boats were put on.
The total number of craft operat
ing in this section of the river dur
ing the year ending December 31,
1901, was 9 steamboats, of a total
of 660 ton& burden, net, and 43
barges, of a total capacity of
2.239 tons.
Of these steamboats three nro
also reported as plying on tho
French Broad river, four on the
Clinch and one also on both,
ldtft of boats and barges navigat
ing Tennessee river above Chat
tanooga.
Charles H. Bacon, between King
ston and Douisville; tonnage, 22;
number barges, 4, tonnage, 80;
miles, 56.
Clinch, between Denolr City,
Kingston and Chattanooga; ton
nage, 24; number barges, 2, tonnage,
150; miles. 137.
Grady, between Kingston anti
Dayton; tonnage, 137; number
trlc.ts bordering on the 1,600 miles
of navigable waters of the Missis
sippi river system. This embraces
about one-fourth of the delegates in
congress whose constituents are
directly interested in the efforts we
are making not only to bring them
cheaper slate by water but to re
duce th? cost of all other heavy
commodities for which steamboats
would he enabled to compete and
the entire veley woijld he benefited
by tho gen.er.-.l reduction of freight
rates which would follow river com
petition.
“The active building up of indus
tries and the resultant Increase of
population along these water thor
oughfares would in a short time
make up to railroads more than the
loss sustain- and by the reduction of
their rates o:i slate and other com
modities, as railroad profits result
more from the amount of tonnage
handled than from high rates
charged.
‘ The first railroad was built to the
Pennsylvania slate field at Bangor
since the civil war. There are now
three railroads actively employed in
moving slate and bringing . applies
into that region for more than 40,000
people who are directly or indi
rectly supported by that industry.
Our general government could not
promote the welfare of the Missis
sippi valley more than by adopting
vigorous means to enable tho In
habitants to procure reasonable
rates on all commodities, especially
slate In its different forms which
Is rapidly becoming a necessity than
by making a liberal appropriation
for improving that wond -rful sys
tem of waterways which a boun
tiful God has provided for us, and
If each congressman of the valley
was made fully alive to the interest
of his constituents In a matter as
important to them as the opening
of the Panama canal, the work
would be promptly begun on the
different branches at the most need
ed points and pushed to completion
as rapidly as tho increasing pros
perity and demands of the valley
will require.”
IIVER IMPROVEMENT FLEET;
HEADQUARTERS IN KNOXVILLE.
York on Upper Section of River in
Change of Capt. R. R. Thar.her.
Something Concerning His
Equipment.
The government river improve
it f-:it lleet for the upper Tennessee
and its tributaries has its he id
quarters in this city, it is now lo
cated in part nt Roekwood
Landing, in Roane county,
from which point Captain
R. R. Thaehor is directing
certain work which is b lag done
about Kingston. The G• .r. left
Knoxville May 23, last, for Rock
wood Landing,
Capt. Th ■ her’s fleet, as 1 was
then made up. consist and of twenty
two boat.-:. At least fifieon boats
have b cn added since tic and. tach
ment was first located I>, Knoxville
about six yours ago. AH ar thor
oughly mod ( l es
peeially for tie* purposes for will' ll
they are intended to i used.
The massive dredge boat “Kw s
-1 . n rn< and for I,r ngf< How’s
crr.ta.n symlmlic of sstr.*ng! was
built under the personal eui • ved.-a
of ( apt. Timelier. It is - :vp and
with the most modem drajgii a; ma
rhli. '/y and lias a hire- parity.
It is perhaps the most v..luable
pl- co of mechanism about ti. • ll* < t.
KNOXVILLE’S MANUFACTURING OUTPUT.
ESTIMATED FOR THE YEAR 1903.
She -s s LOGO
Dry goods 2.6AJ 0,0
Gr*v -j ios H.1',0.000
< I* f .. ng *_* 000
liar*] .-.are and machinery 3. ,00,000
Furniture, mantels, d* :.s, trunks and bag.* 2 0
Noi ions, millinery and fancy goods
Lumber and coal j J 2 * O;U‘ 0
Drugs 575.000
Confections and bakery products 4(0,009
Stoves and tinware 60.00:9
Manufactured products wholesaled to the dealer, including
coffins, hep.*, ic , vir. gar, tobacco, knit goods, doors,
blinds, house fixtures, mattresses, iron specialties, mar
ble specialties, &c 1.000,000
Total 523.060,009
barges, 8, tonnage, 1,400; miles, 64.
Isabella King, between Louis
ville and Rlverdale; tonnage, 89;
number barges, 6, tonnage; 600*
miles. 44 1-2.
Oliver King, between Loulsvlll®
and Rlverdale; tonnage, 42; number
barges, 6, tonnage, 150; miles, 44 1-2.
Flora Swann, between Knoxville
and Lead ville; tonnage, 57 j number
barges, H, tonnage, 809; miles, 74.
Joe Wheeler, between
Kingston and Chattanoogat ton
nage, 192; number of barges, 1*
tonnage, 100; miles, 127.
W. T. Gall ail or, between Knox
villo and Chattanooga! tonnage, 27\
number barges, 2, tonnage, 123 {
miles, 183.
Bill Tate, between KmoccvHlo ajid
Kingston; tonnage, 70; number of
•barges, 3, tonnage, 150; miles, 79,
Barges* between Seven Island
Shoals and Knoxville; numbeiy 3,
tonnage, 36; miles, 18*
Barges, between Chattanooga
and Walker's Island; number, 3,
tonnago, 120; miles, 5.
Barge, between marble quarries
and Knoxville; tonnage, 20; mile a*
6 1-2.
Totals? Tonnage boats, 660; num
ber barges, 48, tonnage, 48; miles,
3,239.
as ft resurrects rock and similar re
posits from the bottom of the river
as easily as it removes mud or loose
earth. The boat was completed at
the Knoxville wharf about three
years ago.
The house boat residence of Capt.
Timelier is a most commodious
structure, possessing all the
modern conveniences. The front of
the structure is of colonial de
sign. The interior is similarly fin
ished, and hardwood floors are used
throughout. The boat Is heated by
stoves. Jt has many conveniences
unknown in not a few “land
houses.” Capt. Thaehor and his
family have made their home in
house boats of this character for
twenty-five years. His daughter
was horn on a house boat and has
never known any oilier home. The
present residence was completed
within the last year. Accompany
ing it are two barges, one of which
is adorned with flower bids, etc.,
which add to the attractiveness of
the place. Another is a vegetable
garden, upon which is grown a con
siderable quantity of fho vegetables
used for the captain’s table.
The fleet will likely be returned to
Knoxville during tho present sea
son. Only a portion of the fleet is
now at Roekwood Landing, some of
the boats with similar squads of
men being at other points on the
upper Tennessee and tributaries,
making improvements of varying
magnitude.
OFFICERS FOR 1904.
Following are tiie officers of the
Tennessee River Improvement asso
ciation for 1904:
President, Thus. R. Roulhac, Shef
field, Ala.
Secretary, C. W. Holbrook, Chat
tanooga, Tenn.
Treasurer, J. A. Patten, Chatta
nooga, Tenn.
First vice-president, Gen. J. T.
Wilder, Knoxville, Tenn.
Sa ond vice-president, A. W.
M ills. Nashville, Tenn.
Third vice-president, Emmett
O'Neal, Florence, Ala.
Fourth vice-president, Gen. Jos.
Wheeler, Wheeler, Ala.
ADDITION A L VICE-PRESI
DENTS.
J. M. Lang, Paducah.
A. P. 1 ook f Clinton.
J. E. Massengale, St. Louis.
R. W. Austin, Knoxville.
S. C. Brown, Knoxville.
Ben S. Hunt, Huntsville.
A. Taylor, Clinton.
S. M. Firne-h, Kingston.
A. W. Chambliss, Chattanooga.
John Giib rt, Evansville, Ind.
1). B. M":i• 'ham, Cincinnati.
J. C. Harris, Sheffield.
J. TANARUS,. Moore, Strawberry Plains.
.T ptha Bright. South Pittsburg.
Whit-- Miller, Dayton.
Willi'rd Warner, Jr., Roekwood.
J. A. Greer, Loudon.
R, C. GmiPr, Bridgeport.
H. B. Heard, New Decatur.
If. A. Skegga, Decatur.
A. C. Henry, Gunteraville.
C. \V. Ashcraft, Florence.
E. f\ Pomp, Huntsville.
Alfred Moore, Huntsville.
11. K. Bryson, Fayetteville.
Tomlinson Fort, Phatiunooga.
K>;E'MTTrvh > mittee.
Ti.". . R. R miJhue, Fln fii id.
A .-ii Sand'-rs. < ’hat tanooga.
]{nn. Wm. H : ■) - Ison. Huntsville.
A. W. Willis, N = .shville.
G. F. Mll’on, Knoxville.
J. N. TPeg, ( ‘iinttanooga.
Z. 0. Patten, <‘h ttanoo-ga.
9