Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1845-10-30

cessary. The prosperity OF Iowa mainly
depends on the completion Of this i'm
provemen,. Our farmers can never COM
pete with the farmers below the rapids
until these distractions are removed
Many of our staples canno, be exported
al any prof, in consequence Of the in.
creased cost Of freight on these articles.
and these distractions create a tax so grea.
that many Of our staple articles OF grain
are no, worth gathering. except for home
consumption. The commi,,ee recently
appointed declare that the $780, 900 worth
Of produce which has been shipped from
this point the past season has suffered
depreciation in value Of 223 per cent. in
consequence Of these distinctions "a loss
to the produce Of $4,000. If the aggre-
gate Of losses thus sustained both IN our
imports as well as our exports from every
point on both sides Of the river from Fort
Madison to Du Buque. could be ascer-
tanned we verify believe they would
amount in one season 10 enough TO pay
for making suitable channel in both the
Upper and Lower Rapids. We make
this statement with Capt. LEES report
before US. That reror, shows most clearly
the practicabili,y Of removing these OBJ
struciions. If Government would consent
to let out the contract Of clearing the
Lower Rapids to some enterprising indi-
viduals, we have no doub, a good and
sufficient channel could be made in one
season, with sufficient number Of hands,
for 5000. 900 dollars. Many would un'
dertake the job for tina. sum. But 1t gov
ernmen, undertakes il, as il did before, 1t
will necessarily cost more.
LIE, us look a little into the history OF
this matter. In the Spring Of 1888 a
ste am tow boat, three keels, fitted up for
quarters. smith shops, &C.. FIVE transport
tation boats, two double crane boats. one
single crane boat without crane. one cur.
rent boat for towing, &C., drills and stands
snfficien. for one hundred men, . supply
Of rigging, cables. blasting cannisters and
powder were all procured for the prosecu-
ton of the work. Contrary to all expec
ta,ions instead Of being able 10 60 I" work
a. the end Of July. as it was thought the
water would fall sufficiently for that pur.
pose, a sudden rise took place Of upwards
of six feet above low water, which coniin
| ued so as TO prevent the commencement
| Of operations until the 20sh Of September.
Cap, LEE commenced opening channel
through the lower chain. which had hard
" been accomplished, when operations
were suspended by the remarkably early
cold weather on the 10Th Of October
| The whole quantity of rock removed
| from the channel was 406 perches or at
the rate Of 20 perches per day. Capt
LEE says tina, the process Of blasting can
be carried on without difficulty, when
| the rock is no, covered with more than
| Eve, feet Of water. II is necessary that
| the rock should be removed as fas, as II is
| blasted. The cold weather continued and
on the 10Th the ice formed one eighth of
| an inch thick aud on the l7lh il showed
all day. In the language Of the Report
Cap, LEE says:
1--WE were therefore very reluctantly
obliged to bring all operations to close,
which was the more to be regretted as The
river was fas. approaching its lowest
stage, and the season had been so unfa
| vorable as not to have afforded Us more
than t,Denty ,0orking days. The bed Of
the river. q, The point operated on, is com
posed Of a stratum Of blue limestone. va
rving in thickness from fifteen TO twenty.
four iuches. the surface Of which is COW
cred with an irregular stratum Of flint,
from one to two inches thick; this rests
on bed of calcareous slate, or decayed
limestone. from two to two and half feet
deep, beneath which there is a second
stratum Of limestone. By removing the
| frs, or upper stratum, the caIcareous
stone is exposed to the abfading action OF
| Inc current anu Vie Cuduilel ucepchCo
! from three to four feet. Should a similar
formation extend throughout the rapids
which, however. cannot be calculated ON
the amour, of labor will be much dimin-
ished. Although the navigation has been
bu. little benefited by the operations this
year; still Uhat has been done has salts
factoray proved the pfacficabitity Of the
undertaking. Inow see nothing to pre-,
venf the formation Of a channel through
The rapids. Of a depth equal 10 thai erist-
ing in other paris Of The rirer at iow
,oafer, but The occurrence Of unfarorable
seasons. Al such times the navigation
will no, be impeded; and when favorable
seasons FOR operations do occur. the great.
es, advantage should be taken Of them -
To do this. preparations should be made
to work at several points a, once. so that
a large force can be employed during the
short time the Stage Of the river wall per-
mil."
| BY the above j, will be seen that the
removal Of these distractions is practica-
Die, and we have no .doub. tina, IL Cap.
| LEE had been permitted to have progress.