The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-16
hered to.
THE UPPER RIVER.

suggest the solutions of engineering prob
lens. Itintends simply to guard the sen
ae against the habit of legislation which
tends to fritter away appropriations in
feeble, desultory work"
1t adds: The system now in use be-
tween St. Paul, with the notifications
suggested by experience seems to be ade-
quate to the improvement of navigation,
ard should, in the judgment of your com
mittee, be pushed rapidly to completion. 3"
In respect to the improvement of the
river from st. Paul to Des Moines, the
committee reports that from st. Paul to
has been deepened nearly two feet; still
further results will he obtained from the
works already in course of construction
from The mouth of the St. CroiX to Chip
pewa. The committee says the worst
obstruction is the south bar which uutil
1879, was the head of navigation for large
boats, there being thirty inches of water.
Since the improvement there is from six
to nine feet at the lowest stages. From
Reeds Landing to Alma, the depth has
increased to not less than four feet in low
thirty inches to three feet. Other bars
and shoals are treated at length
The report says, "all the contemplated
works have given good results" The
committee further says; The improve
ment of the Rock Island rapids by the
rock excavation and the Des Moines
rapids by canal are too well known TO
need further mention" The committee
recommends that the work at Rock Island
harbor and Quincy bay be kept up by
continued and sufficient appropriations
made to insure their Improvement 4
good deal OF space is devoted to the river
between the mouth of the Illinois river
and the mouth of the Ohio river.
The committee says: To the inquiry
as to how it happens that river draining
half q continent is unable to provide at a
point several thousand miles from its
headwaters depth of channel sufficient
for the purposes of navigation, the eX
PLANTATION is simple The supply of water
is abundant but in bad shape, and this is
due to the fact that the banks are not
strong enough to hold 1t. In the natural
state of the river the strength of the banks
was largely reinforced by trees growing
upon them. When the bank caves the
trees fall to the foot of It, and then form
a considerable though insufficient protec-
ton. Further erosion is partially retard-
ed and the river thus gains time to build
up a new bank on the opposite side, with
solid matter brought from above. AS the
country has been settled and the banks
cleared of trees they have been less able
to arrest erosion, and very rapid caving
resulted The width of the river between
Cairo and St Louis is in some cases 1 }
miles, with channel depth of 3! to it.
As further clearances are made they will
be further weakening Of the banks and
further deterioration of the navigable ca
pacity of the river in question. Therefore,
it seems to be not simply whether the
present vigagation shall be improved, but
whether such as now exists shall be pre-
served. OF works now in progress it says
In view of the good works already done
and the manifest results achieved, and
the reasonable hopes of further benefits
to be derived from them by general navi-
cation, commerce, and trade, it is recon-
mended that S100000 be appropriated
for the improvement of the river between
Cairo and the mouth of the Illinois river,
and 100000 between the mouth of the
Illinois river and St Paul, and for the
improvement of the river between Cairo
and the head passes such sum of money
money as has been named by the Missis-
sippi river commission in its report to the
secretary of war now before the senate as
being necessary to further the prosecu-
ton of the work going ON in that destrict
under their supervision. 1t is further
recommended that these as well as future
appropriations for the Improvement of
the Mississippi be made the subject of a
bill embodying the general appropriation
for rivers and harbors.