Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-09-30
REPORT:
TO Messrs. II. p. Schone, E. a. NJ.
Sraeey. - -, u. Biggs and
Charles NeguS, Central Committee:

ton OF the River improvement ConVeu.
ton held al IowavIle on the first instant:
which resolution required a committee
10 descend the river in a skiff, from Fort
Des Moines to lis mouth, "to make an
investigation concerning the obstacles to
navigation, and The probable expense of
their removal and TO report to the Cen
trail Committee"
70 accomplish the design of the Con-
vention as manifested by this resolution,
one OF the undersigned, Capt. L. S. 0A-
Wis, proceeded Immediately 10 Forl Des
Moines the designated point for com
mencing the survey, and entered active
y upon the duties required. He had
the efficient and gen,Iemanly aid of
Messrs. j.. p. SHERMAN and ]. NJ. GRIF-
FIFTH, of Fort Des MONIES, as far down
as Ouumwa. At that place these gen
hemen left The survey and u. BiGGs,
one of The undersigned, joined Capt. DA.
Wis in its further and final prosecution.
1t lowaville, the undersigned, HENRY
HEFFLEmAN, Joined the party, and aided
with his best exertions 10 carry out the
very important and highly useful designs
Of The Convention. .......
Ia order to convey as clear view of
the distractions TO the navigation of the
Des Moines river as the limits of this
report will allow, we will class .nem
LIST. Granite bouderS:
2ndly. Logs, trees and s;umps:
3rdly. Old dams arlifcially thrown
across The channel. ..... ...u
The first and second are only imped-
lments; the third has been a complete
obstruction TO navigation at ordinary sta
ges of water. To present these OBJ
slructions in as clear light as is practi.
cable in this report, we will consider
them IN groups or sections, in descend
Ing the river, and enumerate only such
rs are considered detrimental to the pas
sage of boats ascending or descending
the channel. ..s. ... ...
Of this description of Boulders there
are ,hirtyhve widely scattered from Fl.
les Moines TO Red Rock. From Red
Rock to Ottumwa only nine. From
Ouumwa TO lowaviIe the drift |orma-
ton is prominently shown in the rivers
bed. There are numerous groups of
these Boulders resting on stra,ifed rock
aud standing from one 10 five feet above
the water al its present low stage; threat
ening danger. and have already caused
serious damage to flat boats descending
the river. In'this Section we euumera.
ted two hundred and thirty nine. Most
of this number, with river at its present
stage, could be hauled on, with teams,
without being broken up-the larger
class would require blasting to effect
their removal. Below Iowaville we
soon pass out of these drlit-rock
twelve worthy of note for The object we
had in view between this place aud Keo-
sauqua. A few again occur opposite
and below Sweet Home--tifieen noted
in this group. The whole number of
this class of distractions deemed worthy
! Of no;e on the two hundred and four
miles Of river surveyed was three hun
dred and ten. We will notice the sec
ond class in the same order of sections,
or points of division. Between Fort
Des Moines and Red Rock there are
ninety trees, logs and stumps That are
detrimental to The passage of boats
sFrom Red Rock to Onumwa, sixty-fve;
and eight between that place and Iowa.
vile. From This place the whole dis
lance TO 81. Francisville there is not a
single obstruction of this class worthy
OF nete--thus showing total of only
one hundred and siriy-three in dis.
lance of over one hundred and ninety
miles, and that along channel lined with
heavy wooded shores. From ST. Fran
cisville down, this class of distractions
becomes more formidable, and their res
moval is matter of paramount impor-
lance to the safe and easy navigation OF
the river. Their name is legion and il
would have taken more time than the
Committee could devote to that object to
presentahem in numerical series. Here
! the river passes from IFS rocky bed on to
a bed of loose sand and gravei.s The
channel becomes more narrow and the
water deeper, and bur for these obstruc,
tons navigation would be much better
Than above. The impingement of The
current against the alluyial banks GAUGES
them TO give way at periods OF freshe,s
in the stream, and large masses of trees,
logs and s,umps from cleared fields, are
precipitated into the river and deposited
in the bends and drifted or planted on the
bars. We learned from citizens living
in the vicinity that the largest accumu.
/ lalion of these obstacles ever known
since the country was settled, occurred
during the great ireshes Of last year
The masses deposited in several bends
was so great as to form an almos, i'm.
passable barrier to the passage Of boats
at al ordinary good boating stage of the
river. We were, however, much graft
fed to fad force of men employed in
completing a partial removal OF these
INSTRUCTIONS, under the direction of Gen.
Van Antwerp, The River Commissioner.
This job was nearly completed, and
when finished as contemplated, will
place this portion of the river on a par
with some of the more ditlie portions
above.
Notwithstanding this partial removal