The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-22
St. Paul to examine the work of Pigs Eye

St. Paul to examine the work of Pigs Eye
Bar, as follows:
A beautifully bright sunny morning, with
just enough frost in the air to make 1t brac' |
ing and invigorating, made the trip down |
the river to Pigs Eye bar most enjoya-
BILE one. The party,which embarked upon
the government boat Montana, consisted
OF Gen. johnson, chairman OF the cham
Der of commerce, Alex. Johnston, secretary.
DR.. Paterson, D. c. Coe, j. G. Terry, W.
NJ. Tileston. M. Cook, directors, Capt. j.
II. Reaney, l.. E. Fisher of the Pioneer
Press, and representative of the DIS.
patch. AS several OF the gentlemen had
been up all night, busily engaged or kept
from their usual slumbers by the excite
air was grateful and refreshing. During
the trip down the conversation naturally
turned upon the great question of the
the only subject of discussion, for the
General varied the theme by giving some
interesting "reminiscences Of the olden time
when st. Paul was in its earliest infancy.
Twenty-six years ago he came to reside
was his happy bridal day Captain Davis,
| OoOs Edo oOCu Luduy OlNnSCo IO thO ~
years that had expired since his first visit
to ST. Paul.
The captain stated, in answer to ques
tons, that the navigation of the river will
not be open more than fifteen days longer
The water is shallow, he said, not being
more than four feet and half in many
places, and shallow water soon gets chilled.
and then it takes but a moderate frost to
form a substantially solid crust of ice.
The question of navigation naturally
brought up the subject of the excursion,
the inspection of certain works az Zig S
Eye Island, which Captain Davis believes
would be, il fully carried out, the meats If
greatly improving the navigaticn ot 'Ee
river, deepening its bed in shallow places,
and removing the great impedimcHts to
steamboat trafiic-the sand bars which are
so numerous in the Mississippi channel.
The plan is by no means new one, being
almost universally adopted by the river
conservancies of Europe. 1t consists OF
narrowing the bed of the river and direct
ing the course of the stream by building
jettles and dams. The captain explained
that there are forty-five bars which greatly
impede navigation, and one of these viii
sometimes delay q boat tor hours and
often prevent her sailing for days, and he
asserts that by the plan suggested these
bars can be completely removed by an cX
pelse not exceeding $4,000 for each q
these distractions, or by total outlay O.
$36O,000, This, he says, is but a trItiins
outlay at which SO great boon can be par
chased-a boon of incaiculable value tt
= five large and thriving states. Colouc
Mac0mb has asked the government Tor
grant of 500. 300 for this purpose, anC
. he thinks it is but a trihe when the vas
sums are considered which have beef
granted to eastern cities such as Boston
and New York for works which are no
. 1.-THE of the benefit to the public tina
I this work would be, AS the boat APP
b. preached the Kinks at Pigs Eye IslanC
4 the advantages derived from them wer
at once apparent Soundings wer,
taken every moment, and as the boa
crossed where once was formidable bar
). there was found to be from a to 6 fee
Of water, when prior to the dam beinl
finished there could scarcely be found
& feet. From the left bank of the river t.
the island dam has been constructed con
centrating the whole volume of water with
in the right channel through which i
rushes with such force that TIE bar is wear
ing away rapidly The dam is GOA fee
O long, about 20 feet at the base and fee
: wide at the top. 1t is formed by drivln
" piles eighteen feet into the bed of the river
i between these brush has been placed an
n upon the top of the brush stone, obtained
q from the banks of the river, has bee
- piled; the old channel thus Intercepted i
- rapidly filling up, and it will not be Ion
: ere Pigs Eye island ceases to be an islam
J. at all.
e Everyone board expressed themselves a
? perfectly satisfied that the plan was an ex
:, cellent one, from which ST. Paul as well a
III the whole states of Minnesota, Wisconsin
r Illinois, Iowa aud Missouri would great
is benefit if carried fully out as Capt Davi
- suggested.
The Montana returned to the levee a
eleven O'Clock, all on board expressin
e themselves we'll pleased by the deiightfl
t. morning trip.