The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-09-23


which SINKS IN the nosinls oil our people SIR we want
no canal sloppag nor tolls upon the Father Of Waters;
ouI we 40 want The channel which God has gwen us of
our trade and commerce opened And inrther, 10 show
the feasibility OF this, and the great good which
done during The lew days within which Colonel Lee was
enabled push the work read from his subsequent and
last report:
" Mississ,rrI MOUTH rne onIo
PRoesEss OF Preparations made early in
ne sPrns cr commencing the pap Of Improvement adopt
ed by ne department In January last Towafds the end
OF May the boats that had been procured the Ohio, with
such supplies OF men, materials and provisions as were
needed arrived at the Dss Moines rapids The river was
en about ve feet atove low and, though falling,
did moi reach stage low enough 70 admit OF commencing
operations beiare the last OF July In anticipation OF this
event preparations were made Augment the ioce and
Place ine beats n position when sudden and rapid rse
was not beire The 2Dh Of September hat enabled
@ ,s osss y e OFF
the mdde point on the west side of the Illinois chute,
lmnIked on the map Of the survey Of ls37) which had
by cold weather, the 10Th OF October The whole guam
uy Of rock removed from the channel was fonr hundred
and eighcrches al the Of twenty peches per day
Tno process o blasting can be carried without difficulty
water but the effect Of the blasts is merely split and it
the rock from its bed and, raise IL. constantly
m was % s Of ss e a
OF blasts much diminished, and The of sand con-
SANITY drifting over The bed Of the river sooa s up the
them gained when the removal Of the cannot keep
is high cold admit of working in
IT, Finding this inpraccable from the latter cause the
main body of the force discharged the 10th, and
select gang retained III the 2oh ins'an IN hopes OF con
Timing operations on smaller scale. Nothing however,
could be accomplished. The water became cold or
the men 10 bear H. On the night OF the 10Th ice formed
eighth Of inch thick, and the l7h il showed all
day We therefore. very reluctantly obliged bring
all operations close, which the to be regret
ted the river was fast approaching its lowest and
had been so unavorabe as not 10 have afforded
Than twenty working days The bed OF the river
al the point operated on IS composed o stratum OF blue
limestone varying in thickness from fifteen TO twenty four
inches The surface OF which IS covered with an irregalar
Of flint from inches thick this on
bed Of calcareous slae decayed limestone, from two
two and halt ee deep beneath which there Is sec
ono oil limestone. BY removing the first upper
stratum the calcareous stone exposed to the abradng
action OF the current and the channel deepened from three
four feet Should similar formation extend throughout
the rapids (Which however cannot be calculated on the
amount of labor viii be much diminished Although the
navigation has been but e benefited by the operations
this year. salt what has been done has satisfactorily proved
the practcabily OF the undertaking now nothing 10
prevent the formation o channel through the rapids OF
depth equal to that existing in other parts Of Ike RIVER At
low water, but the occurrence OF nnavorabe seasons Al
such times the navigation viii not be mpeded and when
favorable or operations do occur the adj
vantage should be taken OF them To do this, Preparations
should be made wok several points at once, that
large force can be employed during the short time the
stage OF the river will permit
Sir having learned, soon after the commencement OF
this session, OF the eorts viii were making 10 preJu
dice the minds OF senators and members against the i'm
provement OF The channel AT these rapids, addressed
Major Lee letter, desiring 10 know II his opinion upon
this subject had undergone any change; 10 that letter
received the following reply;
FoRr CARROLL, Maryland. l5ih December. 1851
DEAR have bad the honor receive your euer OF
the l2u Instant in referei TO the pfacucaby OF ip
proving the Navigation of The Mississippi the Dss
Mones and Rock River repids. You are aware that the
OF Congress under which opersed In the 1887
and 1888 confined The application OF the appropriation to
the bed Of the river the,eore IN my examinations did
sremed worth considering One was 70 build continuous
wal Ia The bed Of The rver from the loot 10 The head OF the
pds along the Iowa Shore and sufficient distance
form with IL ample canal for the passage OF Steamboats,
with lock at each extremity The other TO improve the
natural channel OF the river by opening passage through
that separated basin from the other and thus
form continuous channel through their whole extent
The ls VI pleed would be ceain Ia Its results, ana
afford communication at low water thtougn the
rapids but Of no advantage In az Incomplete state wonld
cost much ume and money, and had II been adopicd
would 10 tie present time as experience nov shows, have
been OF no advantage
The second considered equally practicable, afordng
speedy Teiei 20 the commerce OF the country, which
a6orng under the disadvantages and by ope
rating At lhe wors passes hrst would produce with the
means then available, general benefit which would be
felt ages oi water well as al the lowest This
plan accordingly recommended. Slm ar considera
nns influenced me IN reference 10 the improvement OF the
Rock River rapids.
did then think nor had any reason apprehend
Afterwards, that the water above the rapids would be
sbly diminished Il taken in opening the main
ones The effect would be unite channel The
waer that flows through many. and which the
that the rapids at the low stages OF the river
appeared ample for the purposes OF navigation.
You judge better than can which system Of inn
proyemen better adapted 70 me state Of The conn
Try; whether its commerce and development wait for
the perfection OF one would be advanced by the
progressive i'm provement OF the Other
Believing IL TO be question oil great moment not only
the county oi the Upper Mississippi but the
country at large have taken the liberty to give you The
that governed me in the matter hst In rcsumng
the subject you might examine IL In It's different bearings
and adopt thai plan best calculated promote IL.
With my earnest wishes that such may be the result OF
your efforts. remain very respectfully, your obedent
want, X, 4. LEE,
Breyet Colonel OF Engineers.
Hon. A. G. DoDeE, Senator Of Iowa,
Washington city, ID. g.
From this letter il will be seen that no advances which
have been made in the science OF river improvements
have altered affected the mind OF Major Lee in regard
TO those which wish TO effect by the bill under consd
Grafton As time is precious will not de,an the Senate
much longer this subject but will remark that the
Mississpp is navigable for some five hundred miles
above the Rock River rapids up TO the great falls OF 81
Anthony. With the exception o these rapids, IL is from
ST. Louis 10 ST. Anthony the best and safest river for
navigation in America, If not in the world. Nearly all
OF Iowa. more than half OF Illinois, all OF Wisconsin,
all of Minnesota, situated above these rapids, and
their nearly in that proportion has TO pass both
nothing OF the OF The country is largely inter
esled this Improvement Tne fifty and one hundred
per cent enhanced prices for freight which It has to pay
in low water, would the amount necessary 10
effect this Improvement The United States own vast
domain above these rapids and has received, the leer
OF the Commissioner OF the General Land Otce shows,
more than $4,000 900 for lands sold above them The
following his letter upon that subject;
GENERAL LAND oPYIcE, July q, 1852
Sm As requested by you the 23d instant, have the
honor furnish the following exhibit OF the amounts
celved from sales OF public lands 10 the sis day OF Decem
ber 1851 inclusive with the value OF the lands locsed by
military warrants, estimating such locations at Si 70
acre IN Iowa. nneso Territory, al Dixon, Illinois, and
Mineral Point Wisconsin, .
Amt receivedlvalue OF loca Aggregates
n.~nn nsharh h,auaa nj q