Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-09-18
Improvement Of the Rapids.

We think that by concentrated efforts and By
proper Representations to that body, Congress
may be induced during the coming session to
make an appropriation for the Improvement Of
| the Rapids of the Mississippi river. Ii is true,
! the people of the West have been before Con-
| gress for years with petitions and memorials for
the removal OF these distractions, and they have
good reason to complain of the backwardness of
the Government in taking hold of the subject in
proper spirit. .-.
OF the great importance Of the measure to the
| interests of the Northwest, and of the right of
the people to demand Of the Government that the
| improvement should be made at the National eX-
pense, we believe that all parties among us are
united. The burden imposed upon the Commerce
of the country by the distractions, and the loss
es every year sustained by our business men, have
been set forth and substantiated in every possible
shape and form.
As to the psactcability Of the proposed I'M
proyement, there can be no doubt, if we take the
testimony of competent, intelligent and scientific
men connected with the Engineer Corps of the
United States Army. The Upper and Lower RAJ
pids were examined and reported upon, under the
| authority of the Government, more than twenty
! wears ago. The first examination was made by
| Lieut.. n. B. BUFoRD, in 1929. The second was
| made by HENRY NJ. SHREvE, Superintendent Of
| Western River Improvements in 1886. The third
was made by Lieut.. LEE in 1897. We are in
debted to the kindness of friend for the follow
j ing SYNOPSIS of the reports of these gentlemen TO
! the Chief of Engineers at Washington.
+
! Lieut. Bnford proceeded in obedience TO the
! order of Gen'l Gratiot, to make reconnaissance
! and survey Of the Des Mones and Rock River
Rapids, with view of overcoming the obstacles
to the navigation of the Mississippi river at those
points.
The distractions to the nav igation at the Des
/ Moines Rapids consist mainly of lodges or stra-
Ia Of rock, extending in three places across the
! bed of the river. There are also many loose
rocks scattered over the Rapids. These rocks
have in many places filled up the cavities between
the leases of the rock forming the bottom, and
have thus rendered of greater magnitude the OF
structions to the navigation. All the loose rock
is subject 10 be moved by the ice into the deep
est cavities in the ledsea of rock or into the deep
water below them.
The difficulties of constructing a canal on Ell
ther bank of the river would be almost insur-
mouEtable. The navigation over the Rapids may
be made safe and good by deepening the channel,
BY cutting through the chains or strata of rock
which extend across the river, and removing the
loose and scattered rock.
At low water the depth of five feet is all that
can be obtained between the Rapids and st Lou
is and consequently five feet is all that is requr-
ed on the Rapids. Between the three chains the
best channel should be ascertaiued and marked
by buoys placed in sight of each other, which
would give twelve feet depth.
tits required to give five feet depth over the
chains. 10 effect this object on the lower chain
it viii require an excavation of rock for the dis
tance OF $50 yards for the depth Of two feet and
leo feet Matchmaking the solid contents Of the
eNcaratioa -, lilo cube yards. The middle chain
will require an excavation for 3fl yards, one and
half feet in depth, and i2o fee, matchmaking
the sum of 5000 cubic yards. The upper chair
Will require an excavation of 100 yards, two fee
deep aud l2o feet wide. In maxim. these state
,"ea.. OF the asIount of rock TO be removed, hi
gives them as approximations 10 the truth only
as his surveys We're made while the river wa
covered with ice. The distance from the head tC
the foot OF the Rapids is computed at Ii Ia miles
,, Report Of liENRY NJ SaRErn, Sep. ID, 1896
To give his views more fully he compared hi,
examinations with Lieut.. Buford's map of sur.
veys made in 1929. The Lower Rapids can be
so improved as not 10 require buoys or licensed
pilots. lie recommends a channel to be cut n,
long the western shore, % feet wide aud i've fec
ignn Tho III h,Na H.. -,
his guide. aud cauno, mss the channel at ANY
stage of the water. Sach 4 channel though bu
90 feet wide, can be more easily navigated along
J the shore than channel of 800 feet wide in The
; middle of the river,
less excavation Will be repaired 10 make
channel alcag the shore five feet deep and 90 fee
= wide, than would be required to make a channc
OF equal depth and leo feet wide in the middle Of
! the river, The Des Moines Rapids should be i'm
proved FIRST; for the reasons that there is eigh
teen inches more water on tae upper than the
lower Rapids, and greater extent Of couatr,
viii be benefited by their being first Improved
As TO the praeteabihty of the Improvement h,
says II have no hesitation in stating that il car
be effected so as TO remove all the difficulties tina
now exist, making the navigation as safe and ca
sy over the Rapids as il now is, above and below
them"
3. Lieat. Lass Report, Dee, i, 1887.
The Des Moiaes Rapids are about 200 miles a
bose 81 Louis The distance from the head I,
the foot of the Rapids is IL % niles, and the en-
tire fall 2l.,5 feet The descea. is not uniform
being greater over the reefs and less in the pools
Lieut., Lee disapprores of the plan FOR an arti-
fetal channel along the western shore recon,
mended by Mr. Sareve IN his Report, and recon-
mc''as the Improvement OF one Of the na;ara
! channels.
"The Increased area Of the channel will be 81
small in comparison with the width Of the river
that the supply OF water viii not be pcreepabl.
iesseaea. Besides by nhstroctmy some OF the
minor channels with the stone excavatel from tht
ehahncl to be improved, its passage may be Sc
FAR retarded as TO leave no room for apprehension
: in this lead"
The rocks which create the Rapids consist o
an irregular bed oC blue limestone reaching from
shore to shore, al all times covered with water
and through which many crooked channels hav,
been worn by the action of the current
The quantity OF excavation required to make