Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-02-22

With plenty OF water for boats that rasiy Sc
the upper Nisslss p,i, r.a ct such places
the velocity CT the current b. much ie-s t4Hn
on the chains
Between thu head and foot &C. The up H.,
a distance oilittie more ,hsD fourteen iniies.
nearly devon NJ . afo e. } navigation IN
the iose., stsq.s. tie ob>t'pc,,i por IONS
covefinta tss,aace Of oily liu'v more
tiian thee N =
Ihe channel pursued by stcamboa.s nd
tsnt followed by saf,s is indicated on tie
accompany ng msp. The centre line Of
The steamboat channel 10 also shown in pro-
file
by referring to the map il will 10 seen
that the steamboat .chanosl beginning at
the head Of the rapids, runs in close to the
Iowa shore with plenty Of water until It
strikes the upper chain, generally called
By pilots, Smlth's chain. Here the chan.
mel IL narrow, crooked, and tho current
swift, having . velocity Of more than three
miles per hour A large reef or rocky bar
known as Osprey Patch stands in the md
die O! what would otherwise be vide
channel. This rhsn is not considered, how
ever. as ditIicul. or dangerous ~ most Of
tie Others.
Passn. Smiths chain the channel IN
,llnes gradually towards the Illinois shore
uatil 1t comes 20 Sycamore chain, which is
conceded 10 he the most difficult place TO
pass Oh the whole rapids. Here the rocky
lodges projecting ont from each shore over
lap each other leaving between taem Only
a narrow and crooked water way. lie
current being swift, ard Tic turns short,
boats IN passing are exposed 30 stoi z
csoss-currenis which tend 70 sweep them ca
the lower ledge besides, ~ crc Of ne
sharp bends, deep pocket has he ct
and large amount OF water runs III. ough
il, which by its action tends 10 draw boats
into il, where they sometimes become iast>
cned and 10 extrca,c them involves loss
If much time, and is labor of much ditii>
Guilty. The difficulties OF Sycamore cham
are not the result Of want Of sufficient
depth II water, for by referring 10 the
profile it viii be seen that there rs a good
depth in the channel, but they arise from
ITS narrowness and crookedness, together
sith the strong cross current that sweeps
over it,
After passing Sycamore chain the chAn>
mel runs clos, 10 the lllicois shore, pcssng
very narrow, and then inclincs towards the
Iowa shore until at the ST. Louis rocks it
reaches point about midway between the
Illinois shore and Fulton island; passing
the s.. LOUIS rocks II again iucines tow ards
the Illinois shore until It reaches 81. Louis
cham, where the channel becomes narrow
again, but boats that pass the chain above
or below this seldom experience great diIi>
Guilty here Below here the channel opens
out gradually into n stretch 81 three mlcs
perfectly navigable At oil times In front ot
Hampton the current becomes quite slug.
gish. Opposite the head of G ,mphell's island
tho channel crosses Campbelfs Chain, which
Is not only crooked aud exposed to cross
currents. but the rocky ledge extends en-
t.rely across the river. La the channel pur
sued by steamboats, across this chain the
water u not much deeper than on either side
oiit. The slough behind CAmpbe.rs island
is not used for navigation.
After passing Cnmpbelfs chain, with the
exception OF tue rocks near WinnebagO
island. which ave someNha, of an obstruc.
uon, the channe. is wide and easily naviga.
e until il comes 10 Duck Creek chain,
n,Arly three mll, : below. Here il is crook
"a and narrow, much SO as frequently TO
u,ccs,itatc ia c use of anchors at los water
Ilr the purpose Of working boats through.
This IS another difficult chain 10 pass
I'.l " DUCK Geek tn channel wideus out
again. giving good navigation, with The
exception Of one narrow place, for ahou,
two miles, when u comes 10 tie Moline
chain.
Here again the ledge Of rock extends en-
Grely across the rlyor, aud forms, in low
water, an impossible barrier t. boats draw
Ing more than Thirty (3u) inches. The WA
Ter passes over this chain al u mean surface
velocity Of 3,olS feet per second at low Wa
Ter, and n maximum velocity Of 81, 5i5 feet
per second, ny determined by actu. ohscrv-
atoms with fonts. The dams NJ Moline and
Lutte Rock islands cuts of large body of
water that would other wise How out Of the
main channel; aud the universal testimony
OF plots establishes the fact that they have
raised the water on THIS chain some ten
inches. IL is generally conceded TINT the
navigation has been materially benefited IN
low water, but the 10 creasel ,nlunc / VA
ter has 10 doubt increased the ycprtT o.
lac current IS less than At hlch wafer, this
increase - IT LITTLE 9ccennt 40 COMPARISON
with the advsutases OF Z n tx tae jn,iers s, Il
depth 51m ~ Inc 4a.n tile .Yantel
v4dcus out N gan, becomes deep. 10 hang
towards Tie lpmH shore. ard j. perfectly
nayisable Tor the large boats GA Tia, tppur
Mississippi, until It comes L. tie lover
cham. lhe cianuei here is Very crooke,.
bnt the sltrcut = uat 50 swift as on some
vi thr other chains, AID csnset uentlv nor
a. dOil'i To pas, ia cham * about hall
n mile above tic Ch cas0 and Rock Island
railroad bridse, aud 10 rrore natural obs
snuctious present themselves hcow this
y lut N the ordinary low stag.s
frngi ttc above statement 0! facts L t.
evident that these rapids are seriou, ID
>tructtan for navigation and though a
comparatively small sum of money luai-
ciously expended would do much to relieve
the pressing demands of commerce, they
have stood and suii stand = barrier to the
free aud iull Development Of the resourc s
OF the great mississippi Valley. True, The
States bordering on the river have shown
unexaupled advances in population, wealth,
and prosperity. but it has been in spite OF
the natural obstacles in the way.
have TO data in which TO place an esli,
mate Of the loss occasioned by steamboats,
being delayed on the rapids they frequent
~ remain fastened on the rocks Tor a day Al
n time. During the present season on,
boat, the Little Giant, vas delayed on Syc-
amore chain for ten days. Besides the los.
occasioned by delay, there is the danger o
loss Of life as we'll Ms the loss Of boa and
cargo All these are arguments that call
FOR M improvement IL the navigation.
II does not devolve upon me TO enter into
. discussion Of the benefits to be derived
from the successful execution Of judcous
plan Of Improvement. IL must be cviden,
20 oil that 1t has now become an absolute
necessity. and some plan must be At once
Carried out.
The avsrsgc length Of The boating season
10 about ESQ days. During the winter, Is .
matter Of course. navigation 10 closed By
the ice. When the river is open for naviga
ton, about one third Of the whole tmc i,
rendered dangerous by tho shoalness Of the
water on the rapids, aud sometimes impas
s,blc for boats drawing more than two icet
In the year 1864 the water Vas lower thar
had been known before in many years, at
tanning It's lowest point Sept .. From tn,
record Of the stages Of the water kept at tn,
Chicago aud Rock Island r. II bridge, /, i.
found that the greatest range between the
high and low water during the last seven
years is ) feet, and 2 inches, being the hsl
Z 90 10 los