The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-23
FATHER OF WATERS.
Report of Maj. A. Mackenzie.
The Rock Island HarbOr---The Des
MOines Rapids---Other I'M
prOvements.

prOvements.
The report of Maj A. Mackenzie, of
the corps of engineers, of the river and
harbor improvements under his care, has
been made public. In the case of the
harbor at Rock Island examination will
be made at an early day with a view to
ascertaining its condition and presenting
project for its further improvement.
The appropriations for 1880 and 1881
were $12, 900. There were no expendi-
lures last year and the sum now available
is Sc, $50; required to complete the present
project, Sl4,7 Work at Rock Island
rapids during the present year has been
mainly locating buoys and keeping them
in repair The cut through Duck creek
chain is of sufficient depth To bring its
bottom to a uniform grade of four feet
below the low water of 1864 would cost
S., 900. and would complete the present
project for a channel two hundred feet
wide and four feet deep at low water. II
should, however be four hundred feet
wide and six feet deep. To provide for
care of the rapids the work should be
placed on the same basis as the govern
ment canal at KeOkuk The total appro-
priations for this work since 1856 have
been 81, 1865, $50; expenditure last year
So, S36; now available, $2,145; can be
profitably spent tue next fiscal year, $13,
| 600, which is the amount Of the estimate
for removing rock ut Duck creek anC
preserving the channel In the case of
THE DIES MONIES RAPIDS
it is urged that the whole amount asked
for be appropriated at once, as the worl
can be carried on much more advantage
ously if it can be all planned together
The whole cost to date has been 81 ,312,
S24. and for operating and care of thu
work 1877 1862 The whole estimate
cost is 81 1872, $50, The Keokuk bridg
is so close TO the foot of Des MONIES rap
ids and the canal, and was built with 81
little regard for the interests of naviga
ton, that it is a source of danger to de
scending steamers. The bridge compan
might improve matters a little by extend
ing the long pier of the bridge to meet tn
outer canal wall Expended last year
| S37 1876, available now; $23, 10, require
to complete the project, 500. 745, all 0
which can protitably be expended tn
next fiscal year, Forty nine thousan
and five hundred dollars will be require
for operating and care of the Des Moine
rapids canal next year, in which is in
cluded IS, 900 for dredging the head c
the cut $500 for lighting the lowe
locks with electricity; $4,000 for repair
on the canal embankment, and 1910 fc
removing the accumulated deposits Ex
pended last year, ST. 1926; available nov
1902 The estimated cost of the dry loo
at Des Moines is $125,000, There We
expended on the work last year, S. 80;
now available, $24 COZ required to con
: plete the work, $4,000, all of which ca
be probably spent the next fiscal year.
1 ATQUNCY
a survey will be made this fall to deter
: mine what work should be done. Tt
APPROPRIATIONS for 1879 and 1880 were 81
600, and nothing is asked for next yea
Before further work is done on QuinC
D bay, arrangements should be made whiC
will secure to the general interest of nav
igation, the good which is to be accom-
plished by establishing a safe wintt
harbor. Complaint is made that priva
owners of land fronting on the bay hay
. not given the government enough Ian
for the engineers to use in carrying @
the work. Part of the island opposi
g Quincy was given by the city to the GO
S eminent, but congress never accepted
and nothing was ever done to make
suitable as a harb0r. Expended last Vel
S14, 1877, now available, S202; require
> to finish the project; S154, 100, of whiC
4 $50 600 can profitably be spent next yea
/ The work has been delayed by high waite
. and the time of completing the contra
has been extended from June 80 toNov.
THE REPORTS GENERALLY
urge large APPROPRIATIONS, so that projec
1 can be carried out sooner and more sy
tematically and at less expense. I'll
0 smallness of the present appreciation
compel the doing of work by piecemeal A
soon as the high water subsidies sufficien
ly improvements, will be made at Mario
: City, at and above Hannibal, and Dixon
Landing. The government now has q
o ample plant for carrying on the woI
over large portions of the river simultal
eously and work can be better and mo-
cheaply done. Maj. Mackenzie says:
would again refer to the necessity of Fl
cilitating navigation through the man
bridges now crossing the river Son
action should be taken which will eth
which will either compel bridge compa
les to do such work as is necessary or Il
United States should itself carry out ii
work 1t seems useless to continue 9th
A general Improvements of the river an
leave undone the work which of all othe
" is the most importance
i This refers chiefly to the upper Mi
l. sissippi. and Maj Mackenzie says the FL
4 amount asked for, for this section-S3
000-cau not be reduced without effec
ing the efficiency of the service.