The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-22
WESTERN WATERWAYS.
Memorial to Congress from the Steam
boatmen of the Mississippi Valley.
.-.Other River News.

ley, and is receiving the signatures OF all
steamboatmen and pilots:
GENTLEMEN:-We, your memorialists,
citizens of the United States and inhabi-
tants of the Mississippi valley. seeing the
necessity OF having our western rivers
properly improved, and having watched
with interest the efforts made by the
United States army engineers to improve
it, and seeing their complete failure, also
recognizing the fact that the experience
gained by them in relation to the navigas
ton of our western rivers can be of no
value to them nor to the country in their
profession as soldiers. and furthermore
believing that since the introduction OF
steam as motive power to propel war
vessels, it is possible for an enterprising
naval officer acquainted with the pecu-
liarities of river navigation to carry his
vessels into the heart Of the enemy's
country where there are navigable rivers
and thus increase the efficiency of the
navy, and that this knowledge can only
be acquired by practice on the river is
well known to every officer of the navy
that was engaged on the river during the
late war
Hence we, your memorialists, in view
of the above reasons, would respectfully
petition your honorable body that you
take steps to have naval officers substi
tuted for army engineers, as being more
in accordance with the objects to be ac>
complished, to wit, the more efficient ed>
ucation of our naval officers and the bet
ter improvement of the river. which they
being educated in the study of currents
may naturally be supposed to better nn>
derstand than those whose education is
purely military. We believe that the
studies of both West Point and Annapo-
lis IN regard to the science of engineering
are the same up to certain point, and
where they diverge the one goes to purely
military engineering and the other to
the study of currents and winds, or what
may properly be termed aquatic and hy>
draulic engineering Hence the i'm
provement of our rivers should be
placed under the control of the
navy, as being the only officers of
the government whose professional train
ing fits them for such duties, and also as a
means of educating those officers in a
branch of their profession that would be
of inestimable benefit to the country in
case of foreign war, and particularly as
such change would incur no additional
expense, and whilst doing no injury to the
army would be of great service TO the
navy and of incalculable benefit to the
country from the fact that our young ma.
val officers, having spent one or two
years on the river learning and studying
its peculiarities and afterwards in the
line of duty having visited foreign coun>
tries. will be better able to investigate the
improvements they may see, and suggest
valuable ideas in relation thereto to those
being placed in charge of such work al
home. Hoping these suggestions may
meet the approval of your honorable
body we, as citizens of the Mississippi
valley, sign our names and residences.
RIVER BIPLETs.
The elegant packet Sidney, Capt. Best,
is expected up this noon.
The palstial Pittsburg, Capt. Killeen
will be down tomorrow.
The river is rising fast, in consequence
of heavy rains above here.
The Josephine took an excursion of 15(
from Rock Island and Davenport to Gin,
ton yesterday. She left here at $40 and
was back again at o'clock in the even.
irg. The return trip from Clinton to this
city was made in the fastest time on
record, the forty miles being made in
two hours and forty minutes The 10,
sephlne will bring an excursion from
Clinton to this city next Sunday.
The government steamer, Gen. Bar,
nard. Capt. Durham was at the levee or
her way north this morning. She is en-
gagged at present in clearing the river
channel of snags and other impediments
to navigation. She is accompanied BY
the government light house boat Louise
1t is said that the democrats of Galen,
would be willing to see Capt Girdon re-
tain his Office under this administration
to which he was appointed during Lin
coins second administration. There ar,
others, however, who believe the captain
has had his share of office holding and
should be willing to give some one else
chance
The first pilot on the upper Mississippi
, was Paul Bissett. The first boat sunk OF
the lower rapids was the Mechanic. il
1927, from which circumstance the boul
der lying on the Iowa shore between Mon
u trose and Nashville was named. She wa
raised and proceeded on to Nashville ant
landed where the present lock pit is
where she laid through the winter ant
: sank again, when she was wrecked The
{ first steamboat built at Jacksonville, Ind
was the United States, in 1919; sole own
er, Edmund Forstall of New Orleans
master, Samuel Hart measurement, 656
1896 tons. She was foated to New
Orleans, where she received her engine
WHICH was built in England. Accordin!
P to old papers, Mr. Vanduzen, of New
York, was the master ship carpenter ant
: builder. He brought out from New Yorl
/ fifty ship carpenters and mechanics to tn
n work.
b 1t will be remembered that rumo
T. gained currency several weeks ago tina
U. s. Inspector of Boilers Scott had beef
: displaced from office, and gentleman il
Galena named Whetmore appointed il
| his place. The report of his removal wa
premature and unfounded as is shown b,
a recent and reliable telegram sent from
st. Pault to the st, Louis Republican
e The telegram says: THE report in th
% Globe Democrat that United States In
X spector of Boilers Scott was to be re
Is moved and .Mr. Whetmore put in hi
place, is without foundation Mr.. Haye
says he will retain John Scott. Messrs
It Hayes and Scott both are here, and leav