Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-06
LARGER BOATS NEEDED.
River Traffic is still Active---"h mere
The Difficulty Lies--A Veterans
Ideas.
LARGER BOATS.

Mississippi at all stages of the water
find all that they can do still, and from
a brief interview with Captain ]. B.
Davis of the Diamond 10. Libbie Conger
Yesterday, it is found that during the
mast season the Diamond 10 line has had
more freight to carry than could BE- con-
venicntly accommodated.
The reason the Libbie Conger is laid
up," said Captain Davis, lis because she
is not large enough to do the business.
The three larger packets, the Pittsburg,
Mary Morton and Sidney have had all
they could do the past season, and anoth-
er boat of their size would be just the
thing. 1t costs as much to run the LIB
bic C0nger rs larger boat. yet she has
not the facilities for doing the work.
"Do YOU think Mr.. Reynolds will build
another boat?" said the scribe.
He must do something. He has
been looking around for two years to get
another boat like the Plttsburg or Sidney,
but has not found one that would suit
him, and the prospects are that he will
build one himself after the model of the
Pittsburg. He built the Mary Morton
| and she has proved :he proper design in
every way"
That the Diamond 10 line has the best
steamers for the Mississippi business is
demonstrated in the fact that this line is
the only one that mas succeeded in run
| ming all the past season, and in not MISS
| inc a trip to st. Paul, even during the
| extremely low water which drove all the
| sIde-wheel packets of the st. Louis & st.
| Paul Packet company to the bank and
tied up many rafters. The stern-wheel
boat of the Diamond 10 line is the pres
ent and future packet of the upper Mis-
sissippi, and as Captain Davis says, with
another steamer such as the three the
line is now running from st. Louis to st.
Paul, the railroads will still find lively
competition in the upper Mississippi
steamboat
During the arguments before the canal
) commissioners last week, Congressman
Murphy, who is president of the Daven,
port Dat Meal company, said there was {
vast difference between the freight rate:
charged by the railroads in the summer
7 and in the winter seasons. He had OBJ
, served from experience in the shipmen
of freight, how much less the railroads
charged during the seasons when the rlv
er was open and boats were running
than when the railroads had no waite
} competition in conveying freight it wa
therefore necessary that the
e HENNEPIN CANAL
T shoulI be built as a check to exorbltan
railroad freight rates
+ So it is with river traffic, the steam
> boats serve their purpose, and will finC
even greater demand for larger boat.
when the canal is constructed and ther,
is a direct waterway between St. Louf
and Chicago, and St Paul and Chicago, a.
well as between St Louis and St. Paul
t THE UPPER RIVER.
, The Lansing N.rg3r has taken SOM
trouble to keep its readers posted IN re
gard to the work now being done by tn
s government of Harper's slough. In tn
t first place person would naturally b
I curious to learn how and what the dam
: made of, that it can resist such a grea
pressure of water as is constantly brough
: to bear upon it. Poles twenty feet lon
= are first Joined together the same as in
= raft, and laid in the water. On top q
ie these is placed a layer OF punches Of vii
Ie lows. The willows are also twenty fee
II long, and tied i'll punches foot thict
e GA top of the willows enough rock
. placed to sink the entire outfit -polei
i / NiittNS dutl lt1h- bic OttSo 10 ~ pNh'
IT ed the entire width of the slough, an
Ie will continue until the dam becomes til
u proper heigth. The distance to be dan
10 med is 500 feet. The dam will be
\ shaped when completed. and will be Il
lie feet wide at the bottom, and twenty fe'
is at the top Five hundred poles are use
NJ each day. also six barge loads of willow
Of The shores on both sides the slough WEI
Y ''riprapped" before work on the dam WI
y begun. 1t is expected that work on til
~ Harper slough will be finished this weel
n There are three willow contra Ctors t,
NJ this Job, among whom are Messrs. Mart
'l Thornton aud Thomas Finnega
- of Lafayette There is ere
lf and boat engaged at Lynxville film
e, sloughs and when finished Il
10 outfit will begin work on
:. slough leading to Ferryville, about opp
III site the Capoli bluff on this side Sew
n rock contractors reside ia Lynxville
r is the intention to close a great many
81 these sloughs, as they are a great hun
ur rance to navigation. Among the numb
Bill TO be closed will be Swift slough, opp
site Lansing. The government work "
be continued about here for two mont
90 yet, and in all probability will be resum
he next season.
To- RIPLETS.
The St. Paul will be up Friday nigh
Ii The Mary Morton will clear for
rt: LOais in the morning.
lGN The Pittsburg will touch here on
~, way north Friday night or Saturd
M morning