The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-12-11

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fFrcn the Davenport (Ieva) Classical
The work II IL sccoslalcs With IN - d
Congress. Gsssri y -, e his repssi, =:
J the Upper Rspids At $76o, 0O8 CdRsress
appropriated $500, 600 10 coansaea. sisk,
and in June last ths sonsract vas lot y
they being the lowest Of sons dozen kiddd(b.
The coifer-dam and the, SystemAsic way these
gentlemen re te1fihk out channel two
hundred feet wide from sle rocky bedsof the
great Mississippi river. present ample evil
dence that they know What they have under
The cofFer-dam is 2o5 feet wid. aud i56
fee. in length, II is constructed Of heavy
timbara and p!snkng An optm asds inner
wall, ten feet High, srnly boll.d add 'bsaeed,
with space between Of eight feet, which i
filled with gravel and earth TAs neleri.l
of shicl an irlmenbs fAssqf9t ~ S11nir0s
was dfedged ff4n tie p(uthl q B1eH {reek
IN the eJnstrdelioni 81 III diAY o6eC hundred
and fifty thousand feet Of lumber was used.
IhsdsH~0c4ms1ee1.sadJin Septem>
bers n - w1s4sx Dq1lleted. The
wter ron ~ hi t6esl aArea of over
ninety thousand square feet, was pumped out
by Sisson centrifugal pump, in thirty-nine
hours. THIS capacious pump il located upon
the lower end OF the dam, and is now used
TO keep the den free from vAlsr. for K can
Rt5 &. lsss,A AZ, $780, ssSs i
weeks ago the contractors commenced bInsI
ing The Roak withh de dam II About sirty
men were put to work, and the number has
been increased until now nearly two HUNDRED
are employed at the different kinds Of work. |
In drilling into the rock 2i-inch Jumper" \
aud finch s"chun'' dsiTs are used 'Emoe i
ibe work eommenced ono hsndred and sey- 4
essy kegs OF Blasting powder Rave been
used So carefully has this work been nro,-
eculed that not the slightest accident has or
Cured. The blasting is generally done at
noon and at the close Of the davis work.
be broken rock IS placed mon Aat. |
boats, and towed to wlns-dsm he.
ing constructed by Uncle Sam at the head |
Of the island, for the improvement Of th3 |
water power, which, some day, is ta drive I
the machinery Of the Government skopsnpon |
the island. by the contract Nsssss G. ca. |
have TO deliver the rock raised to any mimi /
The Government usAy dssigsass withrn mile |
OF the wefk.s Sd fsr, over two Thousands |
cable yards Of fock have been removed. So /
satisfactorily has the work progressed, that. I
with fair weather, the Contractors expect To |
complete the work within The Golfer dam, this
week.
The working Of the mammoth chisels and
dredse boat attracted much attention just
below the dam are anchored two chisel boats
and the '.dredge." The chisels are Of wrought
irops and weigh each six thonand bounds,
have steel points nicely tempered that thoyais
by steam power se,esaF teet,s afer the manner
OF pile driver, they descend With great force. 4
and bresk the,Foek, which is lifted by theim-
mense iron scoop or '.dredge,n also opernted
by steam power and dropped upon fat.boa,s
10 be taken to Tire wirg dam mentioned.
These immense chisels were made at the
Nashua Iron Works, New Hampshire, at a
cost of. 81, 600 each. Upon the dredee and
er to operate the machinery. Six men, in
Guiding an engineer and fireman, are required
upon each boat. The boats are held in po-
sition by 'spuds,' or iron pointed spars y
working in frames at the bow and stern OF the
boats Side anchors, rugged with lines work
ing upon windlass or crab on the deck of /
the boat, enable the workmen TO drop the
chisel or dredge exactly where desired. Some
idea may be formed of the expense attending
this work when we state that the dredee boat
cost $4,000. The steamboat lie Claire, owned
hy the contractors, is employed in towing the
flats, &c. Capt. Doty commands her, The
chlsel boats we're built by Mr.. VIM. Vansant,
al l.eClalre, at q cost of $4,000 each.
he contractors propose to keep the chisel
boats and dredge at work until prevented by
the iee Next spring they will most likely
construct cottersdems at the Moline and
Campbell chains rocks we'll known to
Western boatmen. The work will, no doubt,
then be again vigorously continued When
the present appropriation is expended, new
contract will be necessary. It is to be hoped
that this grand system Of improvement, so
greatly needed, and so auspiciously ipauru,
rated, will not be delayed BY tue inactof of
Congress.
Contrary to the general usage or experi
enca Of the Government in similar improve j,
meuts heretofore carried on, the Contractors
are paid only for the work done. 1fJncle
Sam is, IN this instance, at no expense in
building ooiler-dams preparing necessary
buats, machinery, &c; this is done by the
ntsacsuFs. -MAo aEs Yaidss mneb per eAbic
yard fer fhe rock femosed. Messfs Case
Co S contract averages about ST. % per GU
bic yall, which is paid.uppa 1as estimates of
the SGrt duterdeat of The Rapids Improve
went. The firm expended nearly 100000
in preparing TO gel to work. Heretofore 400
often Government appropriations have been
FILTERED away in getting ready, aud but little
was accomplished. Boats and msch merry
have been allowed to rot and rust while wait
ing the movements of red tape or Congress.