ream and cross-tied with heavy timber; upon this was
thrown brush, brick, and stone, and the weight of water as it rose
bound the fabric more closely down upon the bottom of the river. From
the other bank, where the bottom was more stony and trees less plenty,
great cribs were pushed out, sunk and filled with stone and brick--the
stone brought down the river in flat-boats, the bricks obtained by
pulling down deserted brick buildings. On this side, a mile away, was
a large sugar-house; this was torn down and the whole building,
machinery, and kettles went to ballast the dam. Between the cribs and
the tree dam a length of 150 feet was filled by four large coal
barges, loaded with brick and sunk. This great work was completed in
eight working days, and even on the eighth, three of the lighter
vessels, the Osage, Neosho, and Fort Hindman, were able to pass the
upper falls and wait just above the dam for the chance to pass; but
the heavier vessels had yet to delay for a further rise. In the
meantime the vessels were being lightened by their crews. Nearly all
the guns, ammunition, provisions, chain cables, anchors, and
everything that could affect the draught, were taken out and hauled
round in wagons below the falls. The iron plating was taken off the
Ozark, and the sides of our old friends the Eads gunboats, the four
survivors of which were here, as ever where danger was. This iron, for
want of wagons, could not be hauled round, so the boats ran up the
river and dumped it overboard in a five-fathom hole, where the
shifting sand would soon swallow it up. Iron plating was then too
scarce and valuable to the Confederates to let it fall into their
hands. Eleven old 32-pounders were also burst and sunk.

The dam was finished, the water rising, and three boats below, when,
between 7 and 10 A.M. of the 9th, the pressure became so great as to
sweep away two of the barges in midstream and the pent-up water poured
through. Admiral Porter rode round to the upper falls and ordered the
Lexington to pass them at once and try to go through the dam without a
stop. Her steam was ready and she went ahead, passing scantly over the
rapids, the water falling all the time; then she steered straight for
the opening, where the furious rushing of the waters seemed to
threaten her with destruction. She entered the gap, which was but 66
feet wide, with a full head of steam, pitched down the roaring
torrent, made two or three heavy rolls, hung for a m