The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-03-18

,ass ~ dgaw. If sharp turn Of the ) cat
- soQuisods ehege uiRAt - dG0lseltys Bat II
he aa9le b % email. Il 10 eoly necessary
or The navigator 70 hold hiss Fudder steady
y one side, - weuA be tniicated By the
sadeaey Of he caessat, a. with Ne ut.I
most ease ester an1 pass IL openings d
10 draw. La hieh ssaes Of waaer, the |
Yeats do not regard the channel. - they |
lad sulkcient deptA, gsssvally, fofaevigs.
ion. Under sacA elrcuastances, They run
,efy much from point to pcint. 30 as to make
he sheetest djstanCe. At this locality, there
il 1 general bend in The sAoses n. lhs -sivsA
he convex of the curve being on The east
aide. Ia downward psseagc. the tenden-
cy Of the current Is 70 force the boats to-
yard the west aide. especially Al the point
about three quarters of mile above the |
bridge. and the navigator 10 compelled 10
hold his rudasr steadily agains, this inau-
snce, the resuit OF which 10 an easy com |
mand Of direction, to pass safely through |
the draw. He has no more bend to make
than 10 necessary to conform to the shore
Of the river, and which he would aim to do,
ii there vas no bridge to pass. Nor 10 there
any &@cslty Or unusual operation IN navi.
gazing boat In this way. II must be kept
In mind that there 10 no sudden turn in this
esse (nothing to compare with those that
occur often in following the natural chan
asi.) bot an easy bearing Of the rudder in
one steady direction against the slight ten
dsncy Of the current; and am flu lily salts.
fed that any skillful navigator may run his
boat to particular object with more Ger.
tainty than he would in the direct thread
Of the stream. In the latter case. the rud-
der would be required to alternate more or
less from opposite directions. and the uni.
form. steady command would be less per-
feet than 10 the former.
The approach to the draw from below
seems free from difficulty. Boats can ca
ely take position to enter it i'm perfect
line; and when alongside the guide pier,
the liberal opening gives the power to pass
up the river - the navigator may choose -
You oh my opinion - to what can be done
to improve The navigation at the draw In
answer. DO net see the necessity Of any.
thing. Il appsars 10 my judgment there
10 10 aiGReslty In navigasing II with perfect
safety % il 10. You can provide no aecuri.
Nv ssainst unskillful Or careless navigators,
Or insufficient machinery. have seen
many draws. whore triple the navigation
10 mads, far lees conveniently arranged for
The navigator. that have been years in OPP
grafton, and no one thinks OF complaining.
Il il only recently that so large openings
have been Requires for draws. Formerly
the opening vas only wide enough just to
allow the vessel to be- warped through.
Your draw allows . steamboat 10 pass I'M
der fsll hssdwsy, and an easy, spasious
berth for that.
Uader no circunpstanee, hardly. can q
river b bridgsd and draw provided, % a.
to leave the navigation - perfectly free a.
without bridge. But the navigation may
| Be substantially provided for, and every
materisl interest secured BY such draw as
yoa have erected. The question Of draw.
BRIDGES involves the accommodation, not
only Of navigation. but also the passage Of
railroad trains, q TIVE distinct means Of
transportation. The latter has recently
Gene into use. Formerly natural naviga-
ton, being the only means Of cheap trans
port, was regarded A. thing too sacred to
4 b put to the least Inconvenience. Now,
the railway has produced San epoch 10 the
affairs Of mankind" and navigation 10 no
i longer the only means of easy intercom.
munieation among men. Other methods
EQUALLY demand the consideration of the
public, and hence the navigation must in.
eyitably yield % much a. viii allow the
enjoyment of the other. 1t has no natural
claim to monopoly-not any claim. except
90 far a. ii Affords public convenience; and
this must necessarily be effected BY other
objects Of public convenience. 1t is a IA
yorabls circumstance to the navigation that
the rswbridge 30 amply provides for it.
TIE railroad 10 also provided for, by this
MEAS. while II bears greater Inconvenience
than the navigation, in its use, and is more
over subject TO ill the expense Of constuc-
ton, maintainance and attendance. The
railway 10 yet Of moderate extension west
Of the river; bu, ite progress will be onward
| and every year will extend the area OF
country that will enlarge its traffic, until il
will far exceed that OF ih. navigation a,
this poia. Ii is q mode OF transport open
a, all seasons of the year. atfofding vas,
gu periority in the regularity and certainty
Of lis operations. The navigation is closed
4 large portion of the year BY frost. and
greatly impeded; and, at times, arrested by
| low water during the remainder Of the
wear. A. the country draining into the
| AlsslsAppi becomes settled and cultivated,
| this river must share the fate Of all rivers
| namely, the loss from increased absorption
and evaporation, which surely reduces the
depth OF water in the low stages, and pro-
tracts the duration Of these stages, tending
materially to impair he value and impof
tance Of the navigation. The trade that
heretofore passed on the Mississippi, 10 nov
being diverted by railroads, that reach it
from the east, at Alton, Burlington. Rock
Island, Fuiion, Dubuque, and ST. Louis
Other railroads are in progress to intercept
and divert from other points more or less
Of the raf1ie that heretofore had no other
outlet bu, the river. Some of these roads
have proceeded west OF the river, and prob
ably others soon will. The result Of
these roads on the irregular and uncertain
trade Of the river cannot be a matter Of
dosbs. Certain kinds Of trade, ndpsculiar
conditions Of market, will doubtless perpet
usts considerable amount of river traffic.
But the former special importance Of the
navigation has passed away, and it Is now
merely competitor with the railroads, and
entitled to no greater share Of public con.
sidsration. Il II no presumption to say,
that in few years either of the main lines
Of railroads shove the Missouri will have
larger traffic than the Mississippi above
the conAus nee Of these rivera. II would,
indeed, BE- poor compliment to the des.
elimination Of. the public mind, 10 suppose
they would not appreciate their intesest in
the great lines Of railway that are now
just beginning to bear the mighty volsme
Of trade and intercourse between the vast
prairies west Of the Mississippi and the
eastern market. There are interests con.
nseted with the nayestion, and opposed to
tbs diversion Of this interest by railroads,
or any other mode Of comm9pication. In
reality, this navigation interest has nothing
worth complaint in the matter of incon-
vsnience caused BY . drawbridge. The
real matter Of dissatisfaction must be
sosght in the inevitable diversion of trade
producsd BY the railroads. The naviga
ton IBuss close it, relative importance, and
instead Of enjoying monopoly, must be
content to be competitor. IL may be,
I IL