Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-20
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THE SAW LOG MONoPOLE At MIME.
APOLIS IND IrS EFFECT.

THE SAW Log MONOPOLY At MIME
APOLIS IND IrS EFFECT
The Mill Men Ia That City Successfully La
boring to Keep the st. Paul Boom Empty
"A fragrant Public Outra ge-How to Sc
cure Remedy-A Political AlIusion-
Capt. Cutters Claim Rtjected-sewer
Brick.
A the meeting of the Chamber of Com
merce yesterday morning Mr.. Banning pre-
scented in writing his report on the obstruc-
| tions of log navigation at st. Anthony, of
which he gave verbal summary last week
The report is as follows:
NIB. BANNING's REPORT.
| Your committee, to whom WIS referred the
eluiceway at and distractions to passage of
logs over the falls of st. Anthony, report that
| one of the effects of the construction of the
government works at that point, was greatly to
retard and hinder the passage of logs, and to
| work serious damage to those engaged in the
manufacture of lumber at st. Paul and other
points on the Mississippi river.
| To remedy this and keep the river
open for the passage of logs, in 80 far
as it could be done consistently with the
preservation of the government works, Con-
gress, by act of March 3, 1879, made the follow
ing appropriation:
"For sluiceway through public works at St.
| Anthony Falls, Minnesota, 1900, provided,
that no part of said sum shall be expended fol
| right of way, and that said improvement can
| further than the actual construction of said
| sluiceway."
| At the last session of Congress Capt, Allen,
the able and accomplished engineer having
| the improvement in charge, reported to the
department at Washington as follows:
'The sluice was ready for use by the lat ter
part of September and logs were run through
| it successfully; but the construction of the
gate was deferred, as the entire force of labor.
| ers was necessarily diverted to the repairs
upon the apron, to be referred to further on.
The work is a thorough success; logs run
through the sluice with great rapidity and nc
interruption to their passage can possibly oc-
cur, unless the channel at the foot of the chute
is clogged with mill refuse. The gate will be
mounted during the present month.
| ''Early in the summer it became apparent
that the toe of the apron was suffering consid-
| cradle damage from the action of the floods
| upon the soft sandstone bed of the stream. As
the stage OF water receded, the logs, which
were passing over the falls in large numbers,
| contributed to aggrayate the damage. The
managers. and owners OF the logs were request
ed to discontinue running them over the apron,
| and were assured that the sluice would soon be
ready for use.
''No action being taken by them to stop the
logs, the matter was brought, through the
engineer department. before the department
of justice and the United States district attor-
ney in st. Paul having received the necessary
| instruction, an Injunction was obtained from
| the limited Stafes cOurt fur thie district "a
straining the running of logs over the apron.
| There will be, after this season, no possible
excuse for not running the logs over the sluice
provided; and the Minneapolis mill company
| will. as their agent gave assurance last June,
provide for the passage of logs through their
| work above the sluice. boom should be
placed, by the log owners, in the pool between
| the upper and lower rolling dams, So as to
| sheer the logs into the sluice built by the
United States government, and refuse the
| apron.
''As soon as the water subsided sufficiently,
a careful examination and survey was made of
| the tee of the apron and the channel below
| two large gaps were found in the timber work,
viz, one about the middle of the lower edge OF
| toe, and one in the angle near Farnham & Love
| joys mill pond. The break in the middle was
the first observable; the other not becoming
apparent until later. The bowlder protection
placed below the apron in the winter of 1877
| anu 1910 uASl, nearly Ill, Deeu SWepG away Dy
| the flow of water, and much of the stone fill
| ing in the crib foundation of the apron had
also moved out, allowing the timber to float
and lift up the apron planking for a width OF
about 200 feet, and depth, measured up
stream, of 20 to 30 feet.
SIT became apparent that prompt measures
should be taken to restore the work, as nearly
as possible, to as good condition as it was when
completed in 1877, The preservation of the
log-sluice also depended largely upon that OF
| the apron itself. The balance of funds avail.
able was totally insufficient for repairs. The
Minneapolis mill company, recognizing that
| their interest hinged upon the preservation OF
the works, donated sufficient timber for tenn
porary repair, and this was worked into place
| by the government force of laborers. The re-
pairs consisted mainly in the substitution OF
water tight cribs for the open-work cribs
where the greatest damage had occurred. Ii
the United States government is to retain
charge of the preservation of the falls, at least
$25,G00 should be available at once to perfect
| the work."
The committee further report that over eight
thousand dollars was EXPENDED in the actual
construction of the sluiceway and that the bal
ance of the ten thousand dollars was expended
il making such repairs to the apron as was
necessary for the protection Of the sluiceway
itself, serious damage to which was caused
by the running of logs over the apron.
4ucIC oCcmS W NC uU ptululCuG OC
| ty in passing the logs through the sluiceway
when they have reached that point of transit.
What is now wanted is that such provision
shall be made that logs may move to the Since
way without obstruction. This will require
the opening of such way and the construction
of such work as will at all times permit the
free movement oflogs to the sluice-way. This
work is easily done, and at but tri1ing cost,
but obviously is work not to be done by the
government under any law or appropriation
| thus far passed.
| 1t is alleged that the obstruction complained
of is caused by the mill company and parties
interested in the manufacture of lumber at
Minneapolis and they are violating not only
public but private rights in this.
This being true any party interested in the
passage of logs can institute the proper legal
proceedings, las any individual can do when
his rights are invaded, and find a sure remedy
in the courts. The committee are advised that
| such proceedings will now be instituted, and
| doubtless both private and public rights will
| be indicated. The committee ask to be dis
charged from further consideration of the
subject. W, L. BANNING.
| DISCUSSION.
| Mr.. James Smith, Jr., said there had never
been any request of the St. Paul Boom
| Joks - 80 -.