Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-10-28

ST, LOUIS, Oct 27.-The river convention
was called to order at 1880 and prayer offered
by Dr. W. G.. Elliott, chancellor of Washing
ton university. On motion, the committee
appointed by the river comission to represent
that body in the convention, was invited to
take seats on the platform. The committee
on order of business made a report which was
adopted.
PERMANENT ORGANIZATION.
The committee on permanent Organza-
tion reported the following as officers of the
convention:
President, Hon. Mark II. Dunnel, of Mime
sofa; vice observation-disclosures, j. R. Adams;
Alabama, Thos. T. Allen; Iowa, G. w. Jones;
Kentucky, Eugene Underwood and H. NJ.
Morley; Louisiana, g. C. Waddell, Tennessee,
H. T. Elliott; Kansas, D. G. Stockwell; Min
nesnta, O. c. Merriman; Nebraska, Clinton
Briggs; Dakota, J. C. Pettigrew; Wisconsin,
VIM. Wilson; New York, R. s. Osborn; Penn
sylvania, R. c. Gray; Texas, w. Fl. Flippen;
Ohio, s. F. Coyington; Illinois, Fl. Fullerton;
Missouri, j. s. Rollins; West Virginia, A.
Campbell; secrstary, Geo. T. Wright, st.
Louis; assistant secretary's, Frank Varnnie
and Nick Bell, st. Louis.
Alex Campbell, of West Virginia, and L.
H. Root, of Arkansas, were appointed to con-
duet President Dunnell to the chair Upon
taking the chair Mr.. Dunnell returned thanks
for the honor conferred upon him and in very
brief and general remarks said: AS delegates
they were here from twenty states and terri
tories extending from Minnesota to the Gulf
of Mexico and from the Eastern seaboard to
Rocky mountains to discuss the question how
to raise means for improving the rivers of the
Mississippi valley, whose productions had
given the balance of trade to the country.
The question was not only one of great inter-
est to the Mississippi valley but to the whole
natisn, and should be treated with deliberation
and with view to impress Its importance
upon congress and inducing that body to eX-
tend the aid so much desired.
Communications on plans for improvements
were then handed in and filed for reference
LETTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS.
Letters were read from Jas. B. Eads, United
States Senator Elect Randall L. Gibson of
Louisiana, Senator j B. Beck of Kentucky,
Senator T. H. German, and Congressman
Abram s. Hewitt of New York, Postmaster
General James, Congressman Jones of Lousi-
anna, Senator Hawley of Connecticut, and
others, some of whom have
already been published. There was
also read paper prepared by Gen.
Gilmore, president of the river commission, in
regard to the operations of that commission,
which goes over good deal of the ground
covered by two reports already made to con-
gress; but the following extract will show the
condition of the river, and explains, to some
extent at least, what the commission intend
to do:
"Two well known conditions characterize
the entire length of the river below Cairo.
frat fhat had shoals hara and danparn1e now
cation are always accompanied by a low water
width exceeding 5000 feet; and second that
wherever the width does not exceed 3, 900 feet,
there is a good channel the yeaferound. In
other words, bad navigation is produced by
wide river, and good navigation by narrow
one. The same principle applies to that por-
tion of the river between the mouths of the
Missouri and the Ohio rivers. The recent
remedies for existing evils are-first, TO stop
further enlargement by protecting the caving
baaNs; and second, to narrow the stream to q
suitable and approximate uniform width,
at all places where the widths are
excessive, and the navigation bad
Wherever necessary, therefore, the caving
banks will be graded to proper slope and
protected by suitable revelments against fur
ther erasion Where widths are too great the
channel will be narrowed by forces developed
in the stream itself through the agency of
high permeable dykes, placed either Longitude
nally or transversely to the channel,
as circumstances shall require. By
these light open works, constructed largely of
poles, wire and brush, the area to be raised,
will be converted into series of fitting basins,
within which the writer constantly flowing
through the barriers with diminishing We
locity, will deposit its heavier materials
In this way the bed of the
stream will be gradually raised during the
high water season forming new banks and de-
veloping new short lines for the amended
channel. These methods of improvement have
been successfully applied at various points on
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and are in
no sense experimental, except in the details of
construction. For the work projected by
this commission, and for which
the sum of 100000 was
appropriated at the last session of congress,
an efficient equipment has been ordered, and
it is expected that active operations will be
started within the coming month upon the
Plnm Point reach, above Memphis, and the
Lake Providence reach, above Vicksburg
These two reaches constitute in the aggregate
length of about seventy miles of the
worst navigation below Cairo. The
works are expected to secure low water
depth of ten feet, with possibilities consider
ably beyond that limit. Although the COM
m!ssinn have given especial attention and
study to the requirements of navigation on
the main river below Cairo, they
lluNC lucpCCicu VI pTONGultUl
now in process of erection by the
engineer bureau of the department upon
that portion of the stream below Cairo and
st. Paul, and are of opinion that their COM
pletion will establish low water navigation
of not less than eight feet between Cairo and
st. Louis, and not less than six feet between
st. Louis and st. Paul, with capabilities
in both cases of greater depth,
through an extension and enlargement
of works. 1t is hardly necessary
to add that the work thus undertaken is one
of unparalleled magnitude; that great diff
culties are to be encountered; that it is only by
patience and perseverance and upon the step
ping stone of mistakes corrected that success
can be hoped for, and that the final resul will
depend as much on the support and co-opera-
tion of the people as on the efforts Of the COM
mission or other agents of the government
RESOLUTIONS.
The reception of resolutions was the next
thing in order, all of which under the rule
were referred to committee on resolutions
without debate.
Mr.. Roberts, of Illinois, offered resolution
providing that the recommendations of the
committee include widening and deepening of
the canal and improvement of the Illinois
river, to affold a deep water channel from
lake Michigan to the Mississippi river.