The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-19

gradually increased as the interior OF the
dam became dried, and during the month
Of February they did some very good work.
March q however, their men struck Tor
higher wages. and March 4 the river rose
90 h;ob that, in order to save the Golfer.
Jom II was found necessary to cut it, and
20 allow il to fill, This of course stopped
I'll onerations in channel excavation for the
time being, and the dam is still flooded
During the months Of April, May and June
the contractors have worked steadily with
a fair force in the Sandusky pit, and give
evidence that, 10 q few weeks, that portion
Of the Improvement will be hnisnea.
While the excavation proper was peing
pushed through this pit, drain two Zee.
below the grade and twelve feet wlde was s
excayated through the centre. OF tne
nrism. greatly facilitating the drainage o.
The whole upper part of the canal as wen
as the Sandasky pit itself.
During the latter part OF May one Oh Tue
r,,mns from the lower coffer-dam was set
pn in the Balnger rock-pit, which 1t soon
uppmpcd dry, and the contractors upon the
aonnletion of the work at guard lock were
.bIa n place their force at work at Balilng-
as without delay. To facilitate these OPP
eratiops force of government laborers
were kept constantly at work baillng, Dig
ging drains,
STOPPING LEAKS,
repairing cross, banks, and all the niue el
ceteras necessary to enable the contractors
m excayat. the pits. Some OF the mate
rial taken from excavations at tie upper
c,nnl entrance was placed 50 as to forll
dyke reaching from the guard'iock ~
mint almost 600 feet above, and 81 l,iac .n
az m turn the water from the NashVlhe
crsnk and TO prevent its forming a bar al
Tho entrance to the guard lock, and 81 ne
If ,hc rock from the upper end OF the PIT
was placed So as to form guioe p'ei y"
the outside line OF the channei excavation.
Excavating for foundation tor guard, JOCK
was commenced in October, 1873, ana eA-
tended to June, 1874, when the excavation
included 10 this section was c0mpieteu'ahu
the riprap wall laid on the dyke above the
lock to station 80, 50 far as the rock exca'
vated would build it. Work was suspen'
dcd at this point, while the contractors
were engaged at the lower lock entrance
from February II to March II.
The foundation to this lock is similar to
that Of the middle lock, and required an
excavation of from to 10 inches below
the lock bottom to get a stratum OF rock
suitable for the foundation OF the walls In
order to properly dispose OF the excaya'
tion from the prism of the lock and make
il couplete the enbankment to the height
of the lock walls, it was necessary to pilo
the dimension and other stone already de,
livered for constructing the lock walls, ana
which laid scattered over the ground nd
Joining the lock This was done with labor
employed by the United States. The rock
was all piled near the track of the g., b
& O. r. X. The enbankment is essential
ly completed, leaving, however, a sufficient
space to put in
TIE LOCK WALLS.
Authority was received to build the
circular wall connecting the upper outside
wing wall of the guard lock with the rip
rap wall on the canal bank The necessary
labor was employed and the wall built
above ordinary low water, So that it can
be completed without the necessity OF
building a Golfer dam. This wall cams
within the coffcr-dam built for channel ex
cavation.
There was also built at the same tins
circular vertical WI conn, citing til
Continued on third page.