The Red River Raft

Thero is now a certain prospect that tho groat raf't wbich has been an obstruction in the Eed Eiver, in Louisiana, ever since the advent of white men in tkis country will soon be removed, and that navigation will be opened for steamers from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Jofferson, Texas. The history of the raft and the attempts to remove it is exceedingly interesting. In 1805 the obstruction of logs reached one hundred miles. Since that time rafts have formed at various points in the river near Shreveport. One of these was removed by Capt. Shrevo in 1830, by the help of a Congressional appropriation, and anotber betvveen 1840 and 1844 under a Government contract by Gen. Williamson. In 1854 the raft región extended only twelve miles, and at that time Capt. Fuller, aidod by a Congressional appropriation of $150,000, attempted to remove it. At the end of two years, however, the appropriation had been exhausted and nothing accomplished, and the work being abandoned, the obstruction began to increase. The present raft región extonds thirty-fivo miles from a point forty miles above Shreveport to the Arkansas State line, and contained bet'ore the present work commenced noarly fifty rafts, from one eight of a mile to a mile in length, and ocoupying the entire width of tho river, navigation only being acconiplished through tho bayous around the raft, but, as theso were only available at very high water, navigation was insignificant. In 1871 the attention of the Engineering Department was again directed to this work, and, appropriation of $10,000 having been made by Congress, the work of preliminary surveying was intrustod to Lieut. Woodruff who completed it in 1872, and submitted plans and specifications for the removal of tho raft, whereupon an appropriation of 1150,000 was made. The plans were accepted, and Lieutenant Woodruff reachud the raft región in January last with a snag-boat, two craneboats, and all tho requisite machinery for his work. Logs, roots and snags of all description had boen crowded and jainmed into a tangled niass, becoming eaoh year more compact as tho pressure from abovo increased. Annual freshets had brought down mud and deposited it in and over this mass until in places the raft itself had become eutirely covered with earth, small islands, or " tow-heads," thus being formed. Upon these tow heads were growing trees, uaually willows, threo feet and more in circumference. In addition to the remováis made by sawing and cutting, blasting powder was used, but it did not provo of any uso. Dynamite was then triod, but failed, refusing to explode then with an electrical exploder. At last nitro-glycorine was brought into use, and it never failed to do its work thoroughly. All that remains to be done now is the blowing out of some tow-heRds and improving certain points in the channel, which will be accomplished in a few woeks. The obstruction of centuries will then have beon removed by the skill and persevereance of Lieut. Woodruff. The saddest part of the recoed of this great work is that Lieut. Woodruff has not lived to finish it. havina: died of yellow fever at Shreveport, October