Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-11-22
J Iaprovss.eas Of the Rapids.

speech oflIons A.. &c. Dolge, during the
last Session Of Congress, while the River
aud lIsrbor Bill Was pending before the
Senate
Alta point called the English Turn, or
Chain. ON the Des Noines Rapids. Colonel
| Lee worked out a channel eighty feet in
width; and it 10 stated that no accident has
occurred at that point since the improve
meat was made. Colonel Lee estimates
that there are twenty -four thousand eight
hundred and eleven cubic yards Of stone to
be excavated ut the lower rlpids. and that i
will cost $50 ,622 to effectthat excavation.
He also estimates that at the upper rapids
There are seventy seven thousand three hum
ared and twenty nine cubic yards to be ex-
cayated at cost Of s$l54.656. To open .
rood and sufficient channel through both
rapids, according to Colonel Lees estimate.
Will REQUIRE about $3i4,2S0. Two years
since. we obtained 100000. which leaves
Sa44, $50 yet to be appropriated ! now
urge that you. shall give US one hall OF tho
baisnce required.
The river and the country above these
r.u;is are a. beautiful and as rich az any
norton Of North America. The fertility Of
Tie soil. and the mineral wealth, all COM
bine to make the navigation Of our great
river an object Of trsnscendent importance.
The people Of two thirus OF Illinois and
Wisconsin, all of Iowa. and all Of Minneso-
IA. have I direct and immediate interest IN
this Improvement; while those Of the sew
en- States bordering on the river below are
scarcely any less interested; and all feel It
is pre- eminently work Of national import
ance.
The Government itself is deeply interest
din the safe and cheap navigation of the
Mississippi, and particularly in the removal
- these obstructions. It is heavily taxed
in the greatly increased rate offreight which
il has 10 PITY for all it's Army and Indian
supplies passing over the rapids, for use ON
the Upper Mississippi. 1t 10 believed by
The most respectable commercial and bust
nessmen with whom ] hsve conversed on
the subject, that there have been running on
the Upper Mississippi. for the last twenty
years, an annual average OF twenty boats,
paying, probably $1,000 each for litgherass
and detention at these two rapids. making
an annual aggregate Of $4,000. This
heavy tax s levied upon all classes, but
principally on the produce of the labor OF
the farmers and miners on the Upper Mis-.
sissippi, and upon the goods purchased by
them.
By comparison of tables Of freights
and charpes. made when the water was high
enough for boats to cross the rapids with
out discharging their cargoes. with treghts
and charges when the water was too low
for them 10 do so, it has been aseertained
that the increased charges are about one
hundred and fifty per cent in the low stages
Of the river. When the amount of the sur
plus productions Of the vast region situated
above those rapids is considered, itsimport-
atoms from other parts of the Union, and
from foreign countries, its lead trade, and
copper trade-which was supposed in ls43,
to amount to upwards Of forty millions Of
pounds-ail Of which to this increase OF
freights and charges, some idea may be had
Of the heavy tax levied upon the labor and
commerce of the people, and the advantages
to result from the removal of these obstruc-
tons.
But when to these we add the number of
travellers, which may be safely set down at
thirty or forty thousand annually, duringthe
season Of low water, all Of whom are SUBJ
iected to the same increase If charges, the
magnitude ofthe loss which the community
sustains, over and above that from the de-
tie ntion aud sinking Of boats and cargoes, is
swelled to an amount far beyond any paral-
lei in these United States. Notwithstand-
ing these facts, there is scarcely an incon-
siderable harbor on any Of the lakes which
| is not to receive by this BILL lift should pass
in it's present shape, an appropriation more
than twice as large as that which is propos.
ed for the rapids. To show the manifest
injustice of this bill, call attention to the
fact that while it proposes to grant $780,
600 for the improvement of the channels at
the mouth of the Mississippi, it only propos-
Is Sls 900 for the Des Moines rapids, and
like sum for the Rock river rapids. To
this unjust and invidious discrimination a.
gainat the Upper Mississippi, | object, and
| / call upon the Senate to right the wrong
which has been done US. Neither the House
nor the connitte on Commerce Of the body
nor the lateness of the session, shall pre-
vent me from contending for the just rights
OF my constituents.
Dir. President, for public improvement
OF this magnitude. in view of the fact thai
the estimates set down the sum necessary
10 complete it at $33O,o0o, it strikes INT
that On appropriation of $4,000 is worse
than mockery. It's worse than idle t.
undertake to continue the work with tina
sum. Besides contract has been entered
into with, us am informed very able con
tractors-men OF large experience in rive
improvements, residents Of Pttsburg, Penn
sylvana-who are going on with the work
Make the appropriation for which ! ask
and they will be greatly strengthened ant
encouraged in their undertaking more so
because of the diffieu ties and delays which
have heretofore attended works OF the char
acter for which this bill provides. Appro
pirate 100000 now, and it will give lif