The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-24
RIVER NAVIGATION.
Its Condition as Shown by Engineer
8aekenzie's Annual Report 10 the
Secretary of War.

In his annual report to the secretary of
war, Major Alexander Mackenzie, Of
Rock Island, engineer in charge of upper
Mississippi Improvements, states that
there is no appropriation for the removal
of snags between St. Paul and the mouth
Of the Illinois river. The work is of
great importance, and some of the work
was done By allotment from the general
appropriation. He thinks there ought to
be permanent provision for this work, 50
that it will not be subject to interference
by the failure of congress to pass river
aad harbOr bill About $50 900 should
be spent for snagging, wrecking, tree
cutting and pulling, clearing the banks,
finding and marking the channel, making
surveys, souudings, and examinations,
assisting boats in distress, watching and
repairing existing improvements, super>
vising work on bridges, collecting phvsi-
cal data, and reducing the expense Of
navigation The operation of the snag
boats on the upper Mississippi should be
placed on the same basis as the canals
now operated by the government. From
1867 to 1882, $500 40 has been appropri-
ated for this portion Of the work.
For improving the river from St. Paul
to the Des Moines Rapids, Sl92,S12 was
was spent during the last fiscal year.
Fortyfye hundred dollars was spent
dredging Muscatine harbor, and nofurther
trouble in this harbor is expected for
years. The last appropriation bill
made provision for the banks at
Winona, but as the banks there
are gently sloping gravel beaches, there
was nothing to preserve, and no work
was done There are fourteen bridges
across the upper Mississippi, and cousid>
cradle labor and expense have been in
VOWED in making surveys and collecting
facts and opinions about the alterations
and Improvements needed to make the
bridges less obstru ctive to navigation.
Plans have been prepared for the bridges
at Hastings, WinOns, La Crosse, Clinton
Dubuque, Burlington, Quincy, Hannibal
and Louisiana. 1t Is to be hoped that the
bridge companies will make the changes
promptly If they delay unnecessarily,
the government Will make the changes al
their expense
The engineer reports that the works
heretofore carried out have continued to
exercise a favorable effect on the lower
water channel Of thc river and the
results have been of great benefit to the
interests Of navigation. The fact
has been demonstrated that as long as the
river can be navigated with certainty and
comparative ease freight rates will be
kept down to very low figure, and it is
belived that no legislation looking TO the
regulating of the freight rates is of more
importance or will furnish more bene-
fetal results than such as will permit the
rapid continuance and completion of the
improvement Of the upper Mississippi.
He advises an appropriation of $1,50O,-
900 for next year. This would be little
less than So, 900 a mile for the portion Of
the river he supervises. There has thus
far been spent between St. Paul and Des
Moines rapids S1,099677 The amount
available for further work on July l.,
1885, was So 12 The ice harbor at
Dubuque is practically completed
During the past year no funds
have been available for work
on the Rock Island rapids The work is
not quite completed. The channel ought
to be at least four hundred feet wide and
six feet deep. The care of the rapids
should be put on the same basis as the
canal at Keokuk. The total appropria-
tons for this Improvement from 1866 to
1881 aggregate 81, 1e6,650. Nothing res
mains to be done in the harbor at Rock
Island. In the case Of the Des Moines
rapids nothing should be attempted un>
der the present project till there is money
enough to complete the work without de
lay. But the plans can be modified by
the substitution Of floating boom in
stead of solid crib pier so as to accom-
plish good results with the money now
available. The major asks for 500, 600 to
complete the dry dock at Des Moines
rapids. For the current fiscal year there