Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-07-21
Tna RAPrDs.-Anyt thing respecting the

Tns RAPfDs-A thing respecting the
progress Of he improvements on the rapids
cannot fail of being interesting to the peo-
pie of this section, who depend SO largely
upon the river fer the life and business sf
the place, ~ we'll ~, bsipg glintersstins to
the people of the whole county. It Is .
national matter, and upon the success Of
these improvements depends, in . great
measure, the prosperity and increasing
wealth Of the great states Of the Aississip-
pi Valley. In the matter Of trans Atlantic
shipments Of produce, and shipments of
grain to the Eastern States, ria New Or
leans and New York, the beginnings Of
which were seen n the success Of the
Merry barge feet" last fall. IL alone will be
source Of great and growing wealth to The
whole country. We find the following, in
reference to the progress Of these Improve
msnts, in the Rock Island Laton Of this
morning:
The Duck Creek chain is now completed
and the dam will be removed in . short
time. A channel 900 feet wide and six feet
deep will then lead through this difficult
passage.
The dam on Moline chain will bs closed
the present week. IL il 800 feet long on
the Iowa side, 100 o. the Illinois side, and
$50 fse. vide. The pump is now being put
in position and it 10 expected that it will b,
et TO work, throwing out the water, about
next Monday. The pump is worked BY ~
engine and throws . xins inch streom. 'fwc
hundred thousand feet Of lambs have beer
used in constructing this dam. and it il
estimated that IL, 900 yards Of rock will b
removed from within its enclosure. Th'
work has bssn seriously delayed BY boat
passiog up aod down, running into the dan
and cruising 80 to 80 feet u . time. Tb'
lower peint Of this dam is nearly OPPOSITE
the head sf the island.
The dam on Sycamore chain, just eppo
lsits Rapids Citv, will be the mos sxtsusiv
Of any On tho entire Rapids. Its entir
length will b $500 feet. Owing to tn
Ibroksn sud irregular condition Of tn
|river bsd = this polnt, Il 10 impsacticA
bic to ct eofTss dam in the STRAIN, viii
Isidss slsssd Ike box. Hssss, the en-
Issctious will b run inte the shore, die
tancs Of / ,0O0 fsst, making the rivsr banl
enc side Of the rectangular structure
lThe amount II dam 70 b. built will thu
he: Lsugth Of enc side, $500 feet Tw'
lends, (1,C0 fest eash) 5000 feet, being {
total Of $500 feet, o. absas Asssxths Of I
lmile. The channel across this chain vii
Ibe cut the usual width Of 200 feet, requif
ling the removal Of $4,000 yards sf reck
II will take six week to construct thil
1dam. The work Of excavating will thsl
Be rapidly pushed forward On both th'
Meline and 6ycamess chains. II 10 th,
intention Of Case 1 %. 70 have the chan
mel across both cut out before the higt
waters Of the coming spring.
To accom- plish this il will require fore,
Of one thousand men during the winter
There will then remain Campbsll's Chain
opposite Wstsrtewn, which 10 net 20 sxtsn
slvs ~ the Sycamore. When that is com
plstsd, . safe and easy channel for th'
heaviest boats will bs spsn acrsss the On
tire Rapids, % thst even in Low stages .
water, navigation oan proceed with little o.
no obstruction. The great difficulty .
present 10, that after harvest. when ths
heaviest bulk Of grain 10 to be msvsd. thu
water 10 - low over the projecting rocks d
the rapids, that ordinary beats hnd IL 81
most impossible to cross, even With thsil
frsights transferred to bargss. The gres'
benefit resulting to river commerce will
thus b readily ssso.
Messrs. Case q c.. are now working
about fcrty.fivs men at the rate Of - POI
day for common laborsra.