St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-09
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
Extracts From Maj. McKenzfe's Re-
port on the Upper Mississippi.
The Needs and Exfgencies of the Sit
uatton Plainly Set Forth.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Aug. SIN the course of
his report on the river Improvements under
his charge, MAJ. Mckenzie, stationed at
Rock Island, says Of the snag boat service,
for which there was no money directly
available during the past year: sit is pro-
posed in the future to operate, in connec-
ton with the snag boat so long as
circumstances require and warrant and
funds permit dredge boat to assist in
moving weeks. tOwheadS and other OBJ
structions or similar nature and for cutting
temporary channels in connection with
works, Improvements and at other points
where no permanent improvements have
yet been carried on" Of the river work
in general he says: at appears to be gen.
orally admitted that the preservation of the
navigation of the Upper Mississippi is u
necessity in the enterest of cheap freight
rates and for the benefit of the general
public, and in considering the Importance
of such works and the amount of good re-
sultIng therefrom it seems proper to con-
slider all freight affected DO river competi-
ton, rather than the amount of freight act
ually carried on the river. The river i'm
provementS make cheap transportation
practicable, and in securing and
MAINTAINING REASONABLE RATES
the object of the improvement is gained ir-
respective of the actual method of trans
portation. The freight received and
shipped at and from St. Louis by upper
Mississippi river boats shows falling off
for five years. In tons it was as follows:
1881, 205, ITO; 1882, FOG, S65; 1888. 1856, $50;
1854, 173, 600; 1885, 165, 740. The number
of steamboats, passing bridges at the points
named in 1886 were: La Crosse, 4, 1855:
Dubuque, 1861; Rock Island, 2, 361; Bur-
lington, 1862; Keokuk. LII; Quincy,
1,509. In general these figures are less
than for the two previous years" In re-
porting on work between the Des Moines
rapids and st. Paul. Maj. Mckenzie says:
''There is now no question that the river
between st. Paul and Des Moines can be
put in such a condition as to make
navigation easy and permanent. To
accomplish this result requires continued
work under liberal appropriations, for some
time to come. The small amount of work
which could be carried on in 1885, and the
impracticability of commencing any work
i'll 1886, is unfortunate for the interest of
navigation, and undoubtedly
MUCH TROUBLE WILL BE EXPERIENCED
at unimportant points during the coming
piODaOIy fOl INV OlQSO VI NdlOl. 1HSSG
troubles, unless prevented by some means
not now apparent, will be all the more felt
this year, for the reason that for several
years. owing to the work carried on by the
government, navigation has been made
comparatively easy. Steamboats, have be-
come accustomed to running through to St.
Paul during the entire season with but
little difficulty. and the reliability of nav
igatiOn has reduced expenses, made season
contracts practicable and improved bust
ness. There is now available, under
this head of the appropriation
but SIS, 500, as an amount of the appropri-
alton that can be expended for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1886. | submitted an
estimate of 81, 500, 900. 1t will be remem-
bered that
THIS IS AN ESTIMATE
for carrying on work over about 500 miles
of river. The existing project for this
work is one of great methods and plans
rather than details. No different estimate
of cost of completion can well be given
In preparing projects for special localities
an estimate of $50, 600 per mile is usually
taken. There has been spent since the
commencement 81, 1872, 62S, OF which
| S72. GAG was spent last year. This report
is accompanied by detailed history of
ant Engineer G. W. Dutchma, filling,
1913 pages of legal cap manuscript Of the
Des Moines Rapids canal. Maj. Mckenzie
says: 1.-The work remaining to be done
consisted of a small amount of blasting and
dredging in the chanael above Nashville,
raising lock walls four feet at the lower and
middle locks, refilling and completing fac
ing of canal entertainments, building two
sluices for removing sediment, building
| office at lower lock, and completing lock
grounds.
THE ESTIMATED COST
| of the above work is S91,745. To this
must be added $40, 600 for pier connect
ing the lower wing wall of the canal with
the Keokuk bridge. Is is very desirable
that the work be completed, as that will
effect reduction in the expenses of oper-
ating the Des Moines Rapids canal" The
total expense on this work from June,
1885, to June 80, 1856, amounts to 81. SOL
| 700. The total cost of OPP
Grating the canal has been
$3.50, 497. The cost of completing the
modified project will be $101,74 The
Des MoineS Rapids canal was open for nav
| igaton during the past year 23S days,
! during which time there passed through ii
| 7S4 steamers and 21S bargeS, carrying
%. 221 passengers, Sc, COL tons merchandise,
| 465. 6S1 bushels of grain, %. 769, 1913 feet of
| timber. 3.195, $50 feet of logs, 1888, 600
| shingles and 1902. 500 lath. A favorable
| stage of water in the spring of 1856 per-
mitted many boats and most of the RATS to
| go over the rapids outside the canal. Ar
engagements for lighting the middle lock
with electricity will be made during the
| coming year.