St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-12
WILT oBSTRUCT /,
Interesting Correspondence Ola tn
BurIington.s improvements.

seiyed considerable attentlOn OF lale, anu
the citizens of West ST. Paul are being
awakened to the matter. They have dis
covered, or think they have, that very
serious injury will result both to their own
interests and to navigation, in the construc-
ton of the roadbed of the Chicago, Bur
lington & Northern Railway company along
the river front at the foot of Dayton's bluff.
They view with alarm this proceeding of
the railroad officials in dumping into the
river SO large quantities earth. and, i'll addl-
ton to serious question OF Obstructlng or
changing the nayigable channel of the river
at that point. fear that possible en-
crOachments of the river upon the
West ST. Paul bank, resulting from
change of current or narrowing
the already narrow channel at this point
may prove very detrimental and damaging
to their property interests, especially dur
ing the period of high water. With this in
view the Citizens union recently adopted
strong resolutions, which were printed at
the time, in regard to the entertainments of
the river. A number of citizens of the
West side. who considered their property
interests in jeopardy and that the matter
demanded Immediate attention, called upon
AID. johnson, chairman of the committee
on streets. ana asked his assistance in the
To BY property owners in the Fifth ward
who considered their interests at stake by
the filling in at that point.
Aid. johnson, acting in response to their
solicitations, referred the matter
TO MAJ. M'KENZIE,
the engineer in charge of the upper Missis-
sippi improvements. and wrote that gentle
man the following letter on the subject:
Mai Mackenzie, United States Engineer in
Charge of the Mississippi River improvement,
Rock Island, nl.-Dear Sir: lily attention has
been called TO what some persons think may
be an obstruction IN the Mississippi river,
east of Broadway in this city. L called Maj.
Aliens attention to the matter, and he re-
ferred me to you as the one in charge of that
department. Some railroad company is at
work with quite 4 large force of men, and is
grading or widening out on the east bank of
the river, at point the big bend in the
river It may it may not be an obstruc-
ton 10 the navigation of the Mississippi river,
but | thought it best to call your attention
TO the fact that it would seem to be outside
the jurisdiction of the city.
GATES A. JOHNSON,
Chairman Of the Committee on Streets.
As will be seen by the subjoined reply.
the communication received pcompt cOnSid-
Grafton:
United States Engineers Office. Upper Mis-
sissippi River Improvement, Rock Island, ILL.,,
Dec 5.-Ald. Gates a. Johnson, Chairman
Committee on Streets, st. Paul, Mnn.-Dear
Sir: Your letter of Dee. 3, relating to OBJ
structions to navigation of the Mississippi
river near st. Paul, is at hand, and l would
express my thanks for the information. There
is an excessive bend III the Mississippi
ut ST. Paul, and the width of the river
opposite the lower part of the city is
much greater than at and below Dayton
bluff. The bend here referred to can be filled
out materially without i'll any way interfering
with the interests OF navigation. presume
il is such work that is referred to in your
letter. Last summer gave Mr.. Rundlett,
city engineer of st. Paul a tracing, showing
by red lines the outlines of n proposed low
water channel in front of the city of St. Paul.
This WIS Tor use in connection with the es-
Enlistment of dock lines. NY individual
view OF the matter was that so long as filling
in the concavc bend did not project beyond
this line the interests of navigation would not
require any interference of the government.
| am also in receipt of cutting from st.
Paul paper referring to the action of the
West Side Citizens union on the subject of
'Eucroachments of the Mississippi River
in connection with the washing away of the
southern bank. Without further personal
examination and exact knowledge of what
is being done, | can't expresss.a positive opin-
ion, but feel safe in saying in general way
that reducing the coucavity of the bend Civ
ing the river q more gradual curve and max
ing its cross-section more uniform, ought not
to have any serious effect on the banks. But
whatever the effect might be the government
would have no power to interfere so long as
interests OF navigation are not involved.
l hope and expect that within month my
duties will permit me to make a personal eX-
animation of the work of which complaint is
made. In the meantime will refer the mat
ter 10 my representative in st. Paul with a
view to its investigation. Very truly and
respectfully, A. MACKENZIE,
Major OF Engineers.
Mr.. Southall of the engineers office, when
called upon at his office in the army build
ing yesterday afternoon, had no Informal
ton to give in the matter. and would not
even admit that he was cognizant of any
correspondence or complaints in regard to
it. From outside information it was learned
that already some attention had been paid
the matter, and the work would be watched
carefully to see that the navigation of the
stream was not interfered With.
Capt. Starkey, who has extensive prop
erty interests on the West side. was called
upon by GLOBE reporter, and merely said
that the prevailing opinion among West
side property holders was that it would
cause such alteration OF the channel as to
cause the stream to encrOach in disastrous
manner upon the opposite bank, and that
their opinion was that any such change or
shifting of the river would, in addition to
mjurng them be a serious impeachment to
navigation.
Mr.. James Dillon. a large property owner
i'll the Fifth ward, stated to the reporter
that the filling in OF the water along the
bank at the foot of the bluff and across the
bend of the river near there would not only
change the river 'front.' but give to the rail
way company a
VALUABLE PIECE OF LAND.
acquired without purchase that would be
worth at the least calculation to the city,
to whom it rightfully belonged, So. 900, 900.
However, speedy action Is anticipated in
regard to the matter, and if it should be
found that the work is any obstacle to navi-
CATION the engineers department will at
once attend to it. If it is no obstruction
and the fears of West siders should be real
lied in regard to it being the cause of any
future damages to their property, arising
from encroachments of the river, that is
question OF responsibility between private
parties, and with which the government
has nothing to do.
NO HARM INTENDED.
A visit was made to the general offices of
the Burlington IL Northern road but the
general manager, George B. Harris. was in
Chicago. and his opinion consequently could
not be obtained. AT the offices of the chief
engineer. however, the reporter was in
formed that they had received no intima-
ton that any indignation had been aroused
over the filling in of the embankment along
the rivers edge, or that any complaint had
been made to the United States authorities.
The work which the road is doing is only
to widen the embankment of the Milwaukee
road so that another track can be placed
there. They claim that where the filling
occurs is not the channel and that if it has
any effect whatever on the channel it will