The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-28
RIVER RIPLETS.
Some Facts of Interest Ab0nt What
Boats Have Been Doing i'm the
Season Now Closed.

Navigation has closed on the Father of
waters and brief summary of the
business done by the Saints line and the
Diamond 10 line is now in order and will
be found interesting That the season
has been prosperous one was evident
long before the season closed. The sea,
son was opened and closed at St. Paul by
the Saints line.
The first boat to make landing in the
spring of 1894, was the St Paul. 1t
reached its dock April 16, bringing up
what proved to be one Of the largest loads
of the the season. The opening asst sea-
son was made on the Goth of April the
Mary Morton, of the Diamond 10 line ar
irving that day. The close was made
November 14th by the City OF st. Paul
nee Aunt Betsy, going into winter quar-
tiers just above the upper levee on that
day
The same day the Pittsburg of the Dia
mond 10 line went up rs far rs Winona
and there transferred her freight, tie
water being too low for her to reach ST.
Paul. This season there has been plenty
Of water right along and the season
would be prolonged week or two were
1t not that neither company cares to run
the risk of having its boats caught in the
ice, which can now be expected 10 form
in the river at any time. The lowest stage
of water reached during the season was
feet S inches and the highest feet 10
inches. The total number Of arrivals and
departures during the season at St. Paul
was 11S, against $50 last year, decrease
of 80. Last year the average tonnage to
a boat was 225 tons, while this year it
was 800 tons.
The diamond 10 company opened its
season April Is, with the steamer Pitts
burg. The company had running in the
st. Paul trade five boats These were the
Pittsburg, Sidney, Mary Morton, LibbIe
Conger and Josie. The total number of
arrivals and departures was sixty nine
During the season 26, 900 tons Of freight
were taken into St. Paul, and 10000
taken out. The passenger traffic was II,
600 into St. Paul and 5000 was taken
out. The large increase in the company s
passenger traffic is due to the fact that
the company made extra provision for it.
A large share of it originated on the var
| iOus railroad lines in the northwest, in
all the coupon tickets of which Diamond
DO tickets are on sale. One particular
feature of the business was the large ill.,
crease in Chicago travel, the company
selling through tickets in connection with
the Northwestern railroads Travellers
by this route were carried by water to
Clinton, Iowa, and there transferred to
the railroad. The company also secured
a great amount of passenger business by
selling through tickets via river and rail
to all points in the lower country.
Commodore Dawson intended last year
to make things interesting for people
along the river this year. but the destruc
ton of three of the best boats in his fleet,
the Gem City, Minneapolis and Grand
Pacific, hindered his plans greatly The
scarcity of boats of course caused fall
ing off Of business. The accidents oc>
CURED last winter and spring and thus
prevented the Saints company from nj
once securing new boats to take the place
of the ones rendered useless. As IA con-
sequence but six of the company's steam
ers reached St Paul during the season.
These were the St Paul, White Eagle,
Fannie Lewis, Il. r. Springer Centennial
and Flying Eagle. Principally there were
only two boats regularly in the trade
the st Paul and the White Eagle. Out
of total of forty eight trips. thirty five
were made by these two vessels. The
total tonnage carried was Up stream
1890 tons; down stream, 1890. Tho
passage traffic was $500 in and 1925 ont
The Flying Eagle was devoted exclu.
slvely to the coal ana lumber trade She
carried no passengers either way to speak
of. Next season it is the intention OF
the company to put on two more passen
ger boats. The company will purchase
two boats if suitable vessels can be found,
if not, will build two new side vince
steamers, which will be devoted exclu
sively to passenger traffic. The condition
of the river is much better than it has
been in former years. This is particularly
the case between st. Paul and Hastings
where the government improvements
under Major Mackenzie have made grea