The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-11-27
From the Missouri Republican.
Rapids Improvement.

From the Missouri Republican.
Rapids Improvement. ..,
Col. ..CHAMBERs:--At the request Of dele
gates at the Rapids Convention, at Burling
ton, | send you for publication brief state
nett Of the nature and extent of the OBJ
structioDs in the Des MOines Rapids, and
the most effectual mole of removing them,
together with other facts connected with the
subject. The bluff at these rapids is COM
posed of strata of rock lying longitudinal,
and of unequal thickness, arranged in the
following order in descending series: A
superstratun of soft sand-stone, soft free
stone, argilacious slate, burr and lime blend
ed, flint, thin alternate strata of lime and
flint, soap stone, lime, flint and lime, which
forms the sub-s,ratum and bed Of the river.
AT these rapids there is fall of twenty four
feet; the water. therefore, must necessarily
come in contact with several of these strata.
Whese the argillaeious slate, which is not
Illuminated, or the soft soap stone, come" to
the surface, the attriton Of the water has
worn them away and formed deep capacious
pools. The limestone is also soft, and q
wide, deep and straight channel has been
formed nearly the whole length of the rap
ids. Reefs of flint rock i,nbe.lded in the
limestone, 10 places, stretch across the chan
mel, forming the obstruction in those rapids.
In the early settlement Of this county,
(Hancock,) these channels (and there are
several) were very impcrlectly known, even
by the best pilots, and serious disasters and
calamities, with loss Of lives aud property,
were OF frequent occurrence. Living on
the bank of the river, about mid way of the
Rapids and in position to witness all the
casualties that occurred, | felt impeIieG: by
sense of duty to seek Il remedy. In 1854
| made survey of the rapids, with view
of having them improved. This survey
demonstrated the fact, there was wide,
deep and straight channel, with ,riAing ex-
ceptlons; that 1t was susceptible Of improve
ment, and that navigation could be made
safe and easy. These facts | represented
to Congress, in Il memorial accompanied
with diagram, showing the nature and
extent of the obstructions and the feasibility
of their removal. Congress appropria ted
$40 900, the most of which was expended
IN making The surveys, Ivy Col. Shreve aud
Capt Lee, and in building a steamboat and
other craft; nevertheless, a few hands, in
an incredible short time, cut straight
channel through the English chain aud en-
larged and Strengthened the eastern channel
problem, that the Improvement was practi
cable. The estimated cost by Capt. Lee.
of SlS9, 800, IL must he recoIlected, was
made at time when there vas perfect
plenunI of cash in the vaults Of the Govern
ment; when influx of cash was so rapid that
many Of our hoary- headed sages were seiz-
ed with horror and CONSERVATION. For safe
keeping, the surplus revenue was parceled
| fan
of them proHigates who s1uandered i, in
whistles, tops AMI other toys, and airy kites
like wantOu boys in sport, like our own Hi
nois, and terminated their career in bank
ruptcy. 1t was under the influence of this
state of things, that Capt. Lee made his re-
port; at time when we were giving three
dollars per day for mechanics aud laborers,
aud other things in proportion. The snodus
operandI Of the Improvement then pursued
was by manual labor to drill through the
flint rock which formed the ligainent that
bound that sulrstra,uin Of limestone; then
blast with tin tubes. This process rent the
rocks in fragments, which bad to be fsbed
out by hand, and raised by mechanical pow
er. This is comparatively a slow, laborious
and disagresable process. IL is quite Oh
vious that the hydraulic power that is i'm
petuOusly rushing by could AT trfling ex-
pense be l,rought into requisition, and that
any amount of drills could he propelled day
and night. The tubes and tarnpiUg could
also he dispensed with. One good galvanic
battery, with conductors, could explode an
indefinite number of charges. These rocks
lying in strata cleave apart and break in
pieces with great ease. A wedge-pOinted
shaft and battering RAIN could be successful
ly applied in cIeaving up and elevating the
rock, aud facilitate the operation. The ap-
pIication OF water power in these improve
ments, while it would accelerate the work,
would diminish the expense at least three
fourths. That the Improvement Is practi-
cable, admits not Of doubt; it is no longer
problematical.
! ADOLPHUS ALLEN.
Rapids, Nov. |, 1851.