The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-01-20
SYCAMORE CHAIN.
A Protest from St. Louis.
From the st. Louis Democrat.


We have been requested to enter the protest Of
the business men Of st. Louis assnst the opera
ZION, Of Case 4 Co., contractors for improving
Sycamore chain, under the direction Of General
Warren. Sycamore chain forms port Of the
uuper rapiis, twelve miles above Rock Island,
and the present shape Of the channel 10 such that
il is utterly impossible for steamboats, 70 bring
baryes through It with any degree OF safety. The
channel is shaped like the letter and thg curves
are very short and the curren! swift. When a
steamer has number Of bsrgos In tow, It Il alb
solutely impossible to make these short turns
safely, aud tho fret design Of Gen. Warren was
70 comply with the request Of stesmbOatmeu, and
cut straight channel across this bad spot. To
effect this Golfer dam was built at al expense
Of $4,000 or $4,000, when the General, II Is
said, changed his mind aud decided not 10 cW u
new channel, but only deepen tue old one. The
deepening Of tho old channel will accomplish no
good whatever, and more than one hundred thou
sand dollars Of government money Sill have been
usela-sly expended by Gen. Warren If this deter
mutation is adhered 70. The plea for the change
in the intention Of the General is that Case Co.
inform him that they cannot complete the work
before tho re.opening Of navigation. We are in
formed that five hundred men can BIO adyanta-
g0Ously worked upon this cut, and that but two
hundred and fifty are employed. We therefore
suggest that Gen, Warren givo this matter his
personal supervision. st. Louis 10 deeply inter
es,ei 10 having chsnrel which shall Admit of
the passage Of barges i1 tom Apng the entire
length Of her great rivers, aud congress, willing
O. leni Al! Just aid has made small appropra-
ton for the purpose Of giving Der such channel,
al va fee suf8 den Warren honestly desires to
zee this money put 70 q use which shall most eff
fectua.ly perform It's INTENDED mission, AMI we
hope be will sag ~ Case Co.,, "Geutlcmeu, IN.
crease your force aud 'raighteu that CHANNEL"
The foregoing from the 81, Louis Demo.
crat, contains several important errors
lst The work is not in charge Of Gen.
Warren, but in charge Of Gen, Wilson.
Gen Warren has charge Of improvements
above the rapids, while the improvements Of
the Rock Island and Desmoiuc5 rapids nre
under the charge Of Gen. Wilson, as head o.
the general system OF westarnimproyements
Practically the work here is under tn,
charge of Maj. Charles j. Allen, whose head
quarters are at the Rodman House, in thin
city.
I'd. The Golfer dam cost nearly 100000
instead of $G5,OOO or $7O.OOO as stated by
the Democrat.
Sd. The deepening aud widening of the
old channel will accomplish great deal oil
good, and the money will not have been
usclesSly expended.
4th. Case & Co. have never informed an,
one that they cannot complete the work fo
straight channel before the opening ofnay
igation. On the contrary, they have inform
ed every one who wishes to know the facts
that they can complete it, if ordered to d,
so.
9th. 1t is not true that but ESQ men are
employed. The fact is that they have EN-.
ployed over 500 men in the dam ever since
it was pumped out, and the work, as ordered
is now so nearly completed that, within a
week they will begin to reduce their force
unless ordered to make straight channel
The entire people of the Mississippi Vat
ley are deeply Interested in having wide
straight and deep channel over the Rapids
sufficient for berges in tow, and rafts,--anj
it seems pity, now that this great dam GOV
ers an area sufficient to do it, to half do tn,
Job, and then, at some future day, build an
other dam at an enormous expense, to &C
compljsh that which can now be done in few
weeks time, if ordered. But the trouble il
this: Congress has not appropriated money
enough to do the job as it should be done
aud the officers in charge of the work are
doing the best they can with the money al
their command. The only thing wanting is
for congress to say the word and the worl
will be done. 1t would be vastly better I,
DO it well, now that the rocks are laid bare
but the order must come from Washington
Immediately in order to have it accomplish
ed before the river breaks up.
These facts being laid before congress
and the proper department at Washington
it seems TO US that the funds necessary t,
economically complete the work should b,
furnished. 1t will be a great saving to tn
government to do it now.