Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1868-01-24
A reference to we'll ascertaiped f,cts iii


The cost otrieer transportation does no, ex,
ceed "a mills 70 the mile for ioa ot averar,
freight. ocean !, lake ,, and canal ). Will,
that OF raliMaraangcs from /. 10 | imil,s ne
mile. be loss TO the producer ia transpor,
atlon by water, being 50 materially less thar
that by rad, most clearly recommends the
former AS The superior mode. whenever nc
ccssiblc. This comparison also 6iScleSes Ia,
fac, that the agricullur Product of thi
State can reach New York city at ehesper
rate by river aud occaa transit. than hv rail
road, lake, and cara and when the inter
mediate DELAYS ,sSnsaipment are consider
ei, II may not eelaa,c&ra,e to assume ,ha
the latter is also less expeditions nlatc.
Nor IS tais ,he only or saosi imparsas con
Siteration involved, Bcirg deprived Of III,
advantages OF continuous .iyeg trauspor,a
ton, the farmers OF lowa are practically ex
cluded from the desirable markets Of St
Louis ans New Orleans, aud deprived of th,
advantages which a more iaIimste comner>
eiaiia,ereoarse with those great cities woal.
afford.
The most practical remely Tor existing
complaints viii be found in he establishment
OF rival transit lines. aud the choice OF &C M
peting and equally available markets.
Commencing ia the year ls.e. ave differ
ent surveys OF these rapids have been made
by eng;aeare detailed rom .ae militar,
service ot The United States, ani acting un
der orders aud instructions from The Wa,
deparin e,'. These surveys. .thouya OF q gen.
eral cha ,acter. served 10 develop the ex;en
OF tie distractions. and to confirm the iaes
that they could be permanently removed
The most thorough and scientific survey ,e
maze is the one recently conducted hy Gen.
J. II. Wilson. the accomplished engineer in
charge os the worS.
A erie desc.n'ion Of the character and cx
tent ot ,nssse obs.ruclioas ay serve Ia illus
tra,e the feasibility Of the present uadertak'
ing 10 remove them. lne Rock Island nap
! ids extend from the city 81 Davenport 10 Es
Claire. distance OF lag mics. developing {
fall about fee. between these points. III,
distinctions here presented consist mainly 0
a series OF reefs or chains Of solid roes. viii
uavigable space hetaeen them.
Such being the character and extent o
these obs,raetons, the mode adopted for re-
moving them is. By excavating the rock from
| these reefs 10 an eXten, sufficient 20 p-ocur.
a channel D. two hundred feet IN width. wit
low water depth o. not less than iour fec,
which will he sufficient for tie safe rassa n
ot aoats. with theis ba@ses a aehed. daring
sae entise navigating season. These eNcsva
tons are effected by means Of {, tfsr dams
clisel boats aud subaqueons blasting. Ihi-
work viii require the removal of about 81,
00o cubic yards ofsolid rock. at an aggregate
cost OF $sl ls.0oe.o0. For this purpose Con-
gre>s appropriated, 10 lS66. 100000. and
IN ls6s, S2o0 .o0e. he contract for thi.
work has been entered into. and ii Congres;
makes the additional sppro' ration required
it will be completed a9ring the Summer d
1865.
lhe Des Moines rapids extend frcm the
city o. keokuk to Nor ress. distance oi
eleven miles. VII iall IF ,we&. vseue fee
These rapids are fermei bv 4 snccess,oa oI
reels. o. chaius 0. rock. with only short H..
.ersals or ''posSelss between ,hem and
they form, during he lcv " ser season, a
serious. and, al times, an absolute barrier tl
navigation. An aitenpt 10 establish chsn.
mel here for ;he passage c. beats pr excAvs,
iian. as at the uprer rapids. was deemed
ausr'- imprac,icabe. Q. &c improvement
of these -apiis, therefore. the plan e a canal
On ihe Iowa side was adopted. The pro
posed canal viii be established ia the bed Of
the rrer, excep. :; 70 0. three places, where
1t will I've necessarr to make cgts through
projecting roin,s efland. 7he embaukment
on lke ,iyer side win I've protected bv ) "Trip
rap wall ard viii be raiseo through its
entire length two feet above the high water
mark Of 1851. When completed. ibis
canal will have the eauaei.y ior 40. ting lie
larsss. river steamers a. any season Z. lie
rear.
The estimated cos; ofthis voik is S2,lo0.-
o0e. Of which Congress appropnaed in 1855
the sum OF sec. coo. all in 1861. $500. 900,
and if ihe required amount is proyioed. Gen.
Wilson expresses tie op.Iian that tae entire
work vii be completed hy The month ofJaiy,
ls6e.
Ii is loped that Congress Will not fail 70
make the aaai.iona. appropriations required
10 eomT.ete these improvement 1lsass the
importance Of his .fea. work will not be
11eflooAsa by tie General Assembly, and,
faei &c may all 10 is advance meat, | re-
commend 6 menoi.. and loini reso,Giion 10
Congress. u7girg an immediate appropnal oE.
1 complete the WORK.
ineulge The aat.eiFation that, ia our day,
this great national assery will TEEN with tae
commerce aid carving trade q The mighty
States aaieh 5ola upon l. ! hops 10 see
naD heeni cities. Nlla their extended and
erer>iaereasing commerce, iaarisa ea lis
baaEs. Aud what people have higher
claim 70 the iali advantages OF tais noUle
river than .Aey who, during tss great war.
hrayeis covered it with the national en-
beai. and er.nsoneG is waters saA ,ae.r
blood.
ACicILICEAL Coi.iEGE.
The 4 griculsural College building is nearly
Competed. ] hi- structure, IN is architects
ural design and mechanical execution, Is one
q The most imposing and substantial in the
State. An Appropriation will be required 10
furnish and prepare !; for use. Tie farm
should also be stocked ard greatly improved.
recommend liberal app. opriaiioa i9r the
pgrpose Of thoroughly testing, BY an ex-
per.menial orchard, tie Kinds OF valuable
fruits that may De grown in the State, and
the most feasible and economical methods Of
cultivation.
We must no, lesisste 10 do what is re-
qaired TO PIT this Institution into practical
operation When this shall have been done,
is rich endowments will De sussic lent 20 eon-
iinue and sustain it. he Board Of Trustees
vii submit their report in due time for your
information, rendering the giving e details,
Oh nv part. unnecessary.
s7asE Els-oglcAL SOCIETY.
The Officers and members Of tie State
Historical Society, whose reIort WI lie sub
mii;ei have laborei with great care and
commendabe zeal in collecting aud pre-
serving iaels aud relics of various kinds for
the purpose Of completing AID perpetuatirg Z
the history of,he Stat. This valuable labor
las been per.os.ae5 .iel sssioas Gisa-san>
tags 81 lie ~ai.l vi tat assistance which,
in ny epiaon, j. was the duty Of the State to
render. lis operations have 50 far been
conducted by individual enterprise, ard 20 a
great extent by private means. II this
society Ii 70 be regarded as a State iasti.u-
tion. il is necessary, in order to promote its
efficiency, that il be taken under Safe con.
tr.i and furnished Will. peef "a .ni o-rra