Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1879-11-14
4 REVIEW OF THE RIVER
THE LAST BOAT OF THE SEASON
FROM ABOVE.

a Lively Season but Rates Low ani
Small Profits Realized---The
Stevens Engineer Corps
-Misce11aneous.
AREvIEw.
The seas on of steamboating on the Mis-
souri, river this year. has been from tht
18th of April, on which date the Eclipse
left for Benton, to the 11th of November
when the Butte and Macleod arrived from
Cow Island. This shows seven months
of navigation. The Butte was the last
boat to leave Cow Island this year Nov
3, which is eleven days later than ever q
| boat left that point, the Macleod leaving
the day before. The first boat to reach
Benton last spring was the Col. Macleod
which started from here April 10Th and
| arrived at Benton on the 9th, being the
earliest ever boat arrived at that place
The Benton arrived on the same day
The Coulson line boats are all below,
most Of them wintering at Yankton.
are the Butte, Of the Benton line, the Mac.
leod, of the Baker line, Bachelor, of the
Yellowstone line, the Eclipse, the gov.
ernment steamer Sherman and the trans.
fer boats Union, Denver and Northern
Pacific The boats this season ha We had
plenty of business but the rates have been
so low that but small profits are claimed.
The outlook for mex. season IS good. The
river has been improved so that naviga
ton above Cow Island is not so danger
Gus and boats will be able to make
through trips later in the season.
ALL THE BOATS ARE IN
now except the Sherman, which is be-
low after a company of troops from Fort
Bennett for Fort Lincoln. The Eclipse
is now being pulled out on the Ways and
will be followed by the Bachelor. The
N. P. transfer wants togo on the Ways
but it will be impossible to accommodate
her. She is too heavy and the ways are
not large enough to hold more than five
boats. The steamboatmen held pow
WOW last evening to count their coups.
1t was not decided which boat has the
fastest time on ]ecold, to Buford, the
Bachelor or the Sherman. The Batche-
lor waves the champion flag and the
Sherman points to the champion sign.
Many bets were offered on both sides but
none tax en- as the pile on either side was
too large. The Butte boys had their say
and claimed
THE FASTEST STERN WHEEL TINE
from st. Louis to Ft. Benton-thirty-fv
days with three hundred tons of freight,
only twenty-four hours behind the time
If the famous side.wheel Emily None
Of the Coulson line boys were at the con.
vention. II there had been perhaps the
above statements would have been laid
in the shade.
THE KoUNTZ AND PECK
lines Of steamers did considerable bnsi-
ness above here early in the season but
none of them winter in Bismarck. 1t is
expected that these lines will put several
new boats on the river next year and do
a rushing business. -..-.~--.-..
IMPROVING THE RIVER.
The Macleod brou ght down the Stevens
engineer corps engaged this season in
improving the Upper Missouri river
Although work did not commence until
August a great improvement has been
made The force was divided into three
squads, one at Grand Island, one at Birds
Rapids and one at Dauphin's Rapids.
The dam at Grand Island chute has been
repaired and a point dam built above,
which makes the river easy of navigation
where heretofore it was Dangerous and
almost impossible except in high water.
"A dam has been built at Hammond Island
chute and another at the lower point Of
Grand Island. The dams at Cow Island
have been repaired and a smooth piece of
river is the result. The repairing Al
Dauphln's Rapids is also marked i'm
provement, it being considered very
dangerous stretch ofriver.
ROCKS REMOVED. a
AT Birds Rapids 200 cubic yards of
rock have been removed : at Cabin Rapids,
"a; at Magpie Rapids, 104; at Lone Pine,
%; at Chimney Bend, one of the worst
places in the river, 306; and at Castle
Bluff Rapids, also dangerous place, 454.
making total of / i II cubic yards of rock
hoisted and removed from the river. This
makes coed channel, three feet deep,
clear of rocks, etc, from Cow Island to
the head of Dauphin's, except three shoals
where dams are necessary. In addition
to the I'LL cubic yards of rock removed
entirely from the river there have been
nearly as many more blasted and broken
down below the usual depth, rendering
navigation possible where before wreck
would be almost inevitable. One or two
more seasons work like the past under
.he skll}ful management of Mr.. Stevens,
will make the river navigable to Benton
during the entire season and it will be as
much pleasure 70 visit that post in Oc-
tober as in July
=. TEE FORCE
numbered sixty-tour' engineers, all capa-
BILE men and of long experience in their
business. They Left for the east yesterday