St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-12
WILT OBSTKUCT ,
Interesting Correspondence on Eh'
BurLington,s improvements.

seiVed considerable ATTENTION VI ldte, 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 navigable channel of the river
at that point. fear that possible en-
croachments of the river upon the
West st. Paul bank, resulting from
a 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, i'll 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
matter. The gentleman was also appealed
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-
eippi improvements, and wrote that gentle
man the following letter on the subject:
IL.
Charge of the Mississippi River Improvement,
Rock Island, Ill.-Dear Sir: My attention has
been called to what some persons think may
be an obstruction in the Mississippi river,
east of Broadway in this city. / called Maj.
Aliens attention to the matter, and he re-
terred me to You as the one in charge of that
department. Some railroad company is at
work with quite a large force of men, and is
grading or widening out on the east bank of
the river, ut point near the big bend in the
river II may it may not be an obstruc-
ton 10 the navigation Of the Mississippi river,
but thought it best to call your attention
10 the fact that it would seem to be outside
the jurisdiction of the city.
GATES \. JOHNSON,
Chairman of the Committee on Streets.
AS will be seen by the subjoined reply.
the communication received prompt cOnsd-
Grafton:
United States Engineers Office, Upper Mis-
siSsippi River Improvement, Rock Island, ILL.,,
Dec. aid. Gates A. Johnson, Chairman
Committee on Streets, st. Paul, Minn.-Dear
Sir: Your letter Of Dec 3, relating to OBJ
structions to navigation of the Mississippi
river near st. Paul, is ut hand, and 1 would
express my thanks for the Information. There
is an excessive bend i'll the Mississippi
ut st. Paul, and the width OF the river
opposite the lower part of tue city is
much greater than at and below Daytons
bluff. The bend here referred to can be filed
ont rinl II 81 w Y n
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, Il tracing, showing
by red lines the outlines of a proposed low
water channel in front of the city of St. Paul.
This was for use in connection with the es
Establishment OF dock lines. NY individual
view Uf the matter was that so long as filing
in the concavc bend did not project beyond
this line the interests of navigation would not
require any interference of the government.
] an also in receipt of q cutting from a st.
Paul paper referring to the action of the
West Side Citizens union on the subject of
'.Encroachments 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 cant eXpress.a positive opin-
ion, but feel safe in saying in general way
that reducing the concavity of the bend Civ
ing the river Il more gradual curve and max
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.
hope and expect that within a month my
duties will permit me TO make Il personal ex-
animation of the work of which complaint is
made. In the meantime will refer the mat
ter TO my representative in st. Paul with a
view to its investigation. Very truly and
respectfully. a. MACKENZIE,
Major of Engineers.
Mr.. Soutlall of the engineers Office, when
called upon at his oflics 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
ii. 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 encr0ach in a disastrous
manner upon the opposite bank, and that
their opinion was that any. such change or
shifting of the river would, in addition to
injuring them, be Il serious impeachment to
navigation.
Mr.. James Dillon, large property owner
in 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
VALUABLE PIECE OF LAND,
acquired without purchase that would be
worth at the least calculation to the city,
to whom it rightfully belonged, 50, 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 Entertainments of the river, that is a
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 & 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