The Lincoln County herald., 1872-04-25
HE HER AID.
TROY, MO" APRIL Is, 1879.
CuiyYe River,
Correspondents Of the Lincoln County Herald
WASHINGTON. d. C.. April II.


that by an act Of Congress Of 1871, on
examination and survey Of Cuivre river,
which is the boundary line between St
Charles and Lincoln counties, vas pro
vided for with view to clearing out and
deepening the channel Of this river from
Moscow mills to its mouth, in order to
render it navigable. The chief Of En-
cineers, under orders of the Secretary Of
war, and in pursuance Of said act, had
said survey aud estimates made, and re
ported to Congress at the present ses.
sion. The survey and estimates we're
made by A. II. BlaisdelI, Civil Engineer,
during the summer Of 1871, and reported
to Col. W. +. Raynolds, of the Engineer
corps, having in charge western river
improvements, at St. Louis, Missouri.
Col. Reynolds, having Mr.. Blaseders
report before him, reported to General
Humphreys, chief of Engineers at Wash
ington, against the rmpru'o-.". ~f Cmivre
by the general Government, as appears
from bis report as follows:
Notwithstanding small steamer once
reached Moscow Mills, Mr.. Blaisdell con
siders the cost Of making the portion Of
this stream between that point and Big
creek Ga distance Of about nine and one
half miles) navigable so great as to rem
der 1t virtually impractcable, an opinion
in which l fully concur, and in which |
am satisfied the Department will coincide
on reading his description of it,
"The estimated cost Of improving the
stream from the mouth to within one.
quarter of a mile Of Big creek, distance
Of about eighteen miles, is as follows:
To gvo depth of 4 feet"."""."".ss3,677 so
To give depth of feet....".."..."...6O,o9 ,o95 OO
"Mr. Blaisdel says: BY far the
strongest argument in favor Of the i'm
provemcnt Of the river is the opening it
would afford for the coal and iron Of
Lincoln county TO find q market.
"In considering this argument it should
be remembered that the coal and iron of
Lincoln county, in order to reach Big
creek, must be placed on railroad cars
and transported by rail from the Mines
distances varying from fifteen to thirty
miles that when it reaches that point it
will be already on the cars, with rail
road (now being constructed) ready to
carry it to the Missouri river, a distance
Of not exceeding twenty miles farther,
and that once on the Missouri there
a, ho vtno IN
transport it wherever desired. With this
fact in miud, think the Department
will agree with me in my conclusions that
this stream is not one which should be
improved by the General Government.
On Monday, the 18th inst, the House
Of Representatives had under cousidcra
ton bill making appropriation fol
rivers and harbors, aud notwithstanding
the adverse report of the Engineer above
set forth, and the "tight- fsted" polio,
pursued in regard to Western rivers
Judge King, our Representative In Con
gress, made q vigorous effort to engraf
an amendment on the bill, appropriatius
thirty three thousand dollars to Cuivr,
river. copy from the Congressiona
Globe of the 10Th inst, as follows:
The river and harbor bill being unde
consideration Mr.. King said: Mr.
Speaker, l move to amend by adding a
tho end of section one the following:
"For the improvement of Cuivre river
Missouri, in pursuance Of the estimate
of the chief Of engineers. $50, 3,00O."
I ask to have read, cir, by the Clerk
asa part of my remarks in support Of thi
amendment, the report of the chief o
engineers to the Secretary of War, foun'
On the second page of said report.
The Clerk read:
Examination of Cuiurc riuer, Missouri
from its mouth to Aosco,o Mills -Thi
river forms with Big creek the boundary
between Lincoln aud St. Charles counties
Missouri, and emptles into the Missis
sippi above the mouth of the Illinois
Its improvement would chiefly aforc
facilities for the transportation Of tht
coal and iron of Lincoln county, through
which during the past year the KeOkuI
duu OF. LOuIb IaiiTOau uo6 D66u eXtcuuou
a. far down Cuivre river as the mouth OF
Big creek, about nine miles and hall
below Moscow Mills. This road will
eventually intersect the Nor,h Missouri
railroad at or near st. Charles Oh tie Mis-
souri,, and thus lessen the Importance Of
this stream as means of transportation
"Ths impediments to navigation arc
principally gravel bars, suags and over
hanging trees, which are SO much more
numerous in tho upper than in the lower
part of its ceurse. Estimates are there
tore only submitted for improvement be
low Big creek. . distance Of eightesr
miles. as follows:
To give depth of four feet at the low.
est stage. ......"....$3',6T ot
To give depth Of six feet at ths lowest
stage."-.... .....BO,0 VI
Mr.. King: l would add a word to the
statement just read from said report ia
support Of the amendment under consid
GRAFTON. And | desire to say, that the de.