The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-21

FIVE HUNDRED ADDED TO OUR WORK
ING POPULATION.
Tho Boat Building Point Of the Upper Ms.
sissippi.

Some days since, We published the fact
that John Kah Ike and Bros, old and expert.
eaced boat builders, and ship carpenters,
had obtained most eligible site for boat
ways and were waiting the arrival OF iron
from Pislsburg to proceed with sinking the
timbers. Since then the iron has arrived,
the timbers have been sunk, and the only
reliable boat, cays on the Upper Mississippi,
located at this place, are an accomplished fact
A detailed account Of the enterprise would
prove interesting, We think IS it psrtskes of
quite the epic grandeur of Longfellow's
Launching of the Ship. Great osken timber'
had been cut frsm the forests above ana
floated down TO this point in raft. "''
erhauser l. Dsnkman, at the saw mill just
above the site of the boat ways, CUT tneh
into the proper shape, and they were spilced
,o,s,hsr 40 A. TO form great beams 800 feet
in length, full fifteen of them. This was
the easiest part of the work. They were
then to be laid parallel with each other 90 a.
to take the slope of the bank, the lower ends
sunk to the bottom and extended $50 feet
out into the stream. To lay them paral-
lei cuts had to be made into
the ice out from the shore, the
ends Of the beams had to be carried $50
feet out on the stream and upheld by levers.
Long boxes containing heavy stone ballas,
were to be placed beneath each of the beams
to sink them to the bottom. The grea,
osken beams were carried out on the river,
amid constant danger of drowning one OF
more men, as the river was open near the
shore and the anchor ice ont in the middle
of the river had narrowed the channel 90
that TIE current rushed along Is swift as g
cannon ball. These beams we're carried
across the narrow channel to the firm ice
beyond. and were upheld by levers, the end,
of which were supported by great heavy
stones. After tie preparations were al
made, the signal was given, lone, two
three" aud simultaneously the monstrous
timbers sunk safely to the bottom, forming
. perfect inclined plane, taking the slope o.
the river, up which six of the largest vessel,
that float on the Mississippi can be drawn
of the intrepid men engaged in the work
We visited the ways to day, and were showr
the advantages Of location, ETC., by Johr
Kshlke, who, at his wsys IN Por, Byron, ha,
| already built the steamboats, New Boston
and keithsburg, which have beer
employed on the Fort Madi
son trade from this point. The iror
on which the rollers are to run was obtained
from Pittsburgh by B. D. Buford & Co., Q
the Pillow Works. 1t is four inches broae
and three quarter inches thick. These iroi
plates are countersunk and fastened to III,
| wooden beams with drift bolts. The roller
! themselves were cast at the foundry of ih
/ Buford Plow Works at which the largest
and best work in the West is done. They
each weigh ls5 pounds and are sixty IL
number, running on wrought iron plvots
These irons are OF the heaviest and mos
durable character, and will be nearly a
good twenty years hence IS they are to day
The location of the ways is the very bes
on the Upper Mississippi Tho bank is a,
perfect . slope as if it had been cut down OF
purpose to the proper grade, straight out
into the river, 80 that the largest boats can
come up on the ways a. the lowest stage o
water. The bottom is gravelly there beinl
not o particle Of mud observable there
sbouts. These ways viii last wi,hou, re
quiring to be replaced fora score of years
and are broad enough for the lsrges, boats
and by extending the slope by cutting ava.
the banks towards the slough
room for any number of large boa,
or barges can be secured The advantage
of their location here to the growth of Rocl
Island, is immense. Msssrs X will begin in tn,
sping to make bsrges, aud to repair boats
and will employ from seventy FIVE TO hun
dred men, and they will draw the boats out
on the ways by means of heavy blocks and
cables, the iron sheaves for which, are made
by B. D. Buford & Co.. with horss.
power. When business improves, which {
is bound to do, as the Msssrs. kahlke will
have the monopoly of boat build.
ing and repairing on the Uppe
Mississippi they will apply steam to drawn,
out the boats. and swell the mum Der of work
men from one hundred to at least fire hun
dred Thus it will be seen that another gi-
gantic industrial interest has sprung up il
our midst as i. were in the night, which viii
add Eve hundred to our laboring population
The Messrs. kahlke would not take thre.
times wha. it cost them to sink the ways, fo
their property as it stands, for they have /,
fortune assured to them in time.
DEMOCRATIC CITY CONVENTION.
The Dem ocratic City Convention, which
meets at the Court House to morrow even
ting, should be attended by every delegate
Il Al Il