St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-11
report of Maj. Allen Showing Important
Improvements in the Northwestern
Waterways.
Tie Work of Building the Palace Of Ice
Has Begun, in Spite of Warm
Weather.
a Little Surprise at the Antf-Pro-
tective Tariff VI eeting--WestS st.
Paul Legislation.
Doings by Sunlight and Gaslight III
the SANITY Ctty--News From
Many Sources.
WATERWAYS IMPROVED.

Summary of the work on North
western Waterways Done This
Season Under Charge of Maj.
Charles J. Allen.
Mai. Charles. j. Allen, government en-
gineer. in charge of the improvements on
the upper Mississippi, its tributaries and
other Northwestern waterways yesterday
gave the GLOBE an interesting summary of
the work done during the past season. Maj.
Allen says:
Among the appropriations made by con-
gress at its last session, by act approved
Aug. ), for continuing works for river and
harbor improve ment, were the following:
For improving the Red river of the North,
$4,000; for improving the Chippewa river,
Wisconsin, SIS, $50; for improving the St.
Croix river, $500; for continu-
ing work upon reservoirs, $4,000.
Although II was late in the season when the
appropriations became available, the works
of Improvement for the three streams were
vigorously pushed. The principal work this
season on the St. CrOiX was at the Hudson
and Catfish bars, between Saltwater and the
mouth OF the river; the former was deepened
so as to facilitate the passage OF steamers and
RATS. At Catfish bar formerly one of the most
formidable Instructions at low water stage to
the passage of the fifty or sIxty tow-boats
plying the river below Saltwater, a depth of
means Of dredging for the past i've seasons,
aud steps have already been taken to con-
struct training dam of brush and stone, to
project from the west bank, to concentrate
the flow of the river into the improved chan
mel. and thus to maintain the depth al
ready gained Generally, the work done for
tae Improvement of the st. Croix has resulted
in good channels where, before improvement
was undertaken, navigation, during periods
OF low water, was almost impossible. Some
few crossings between Saltwater and Taylor's
Fails should be further improved. On
the Chippewa river, the principal
WORK under the new appropriations
at Eau Claire, and at Five mile
3lun bar, where dams are under construct
ion 40 concentrate the low water volume into
practicable channels. The improvements
carried out on the Chippewa in past years
1ave resulted in great beueit to raft naviga-
non. The jetties, At the mouth of the Chip
pewa, have been worth, to the public, many
times the cost of their construction.
. On the Red River of the North,
the work of dredging channels through
the clay bars was resumed in September, the
dredging machines working simultaneously
above and below Grand Forks. Five miles in
length of the river was improved during the
short season. which, added to the excavation
of former years, gives eighty miles of i'm
proved navigation between MOorhead and
Goose Rapids and forty-seven miles of i'm
proved river below Grand Forks.
No new reservoir work was undertaken
during the past season. Adding the Pine
river reservoir work, completed IN October,
TO that previously com pleted, gives four res
ervors with total capacity of 10000, 900, 900
cubic feet, the annual supply being little
more than one half their capacity.
FROM THE RESERVOIRS
During the low-water period of 1885, the
reservoirs at Lake Winnebagoshsh, Leech
lake and Pokegema falls, furnished for
seventy days. nearly three-eights of the water
flowing past st. Paul. During the past dry
season The same reservoirs were drawn upon
heavily for 16S days, and there is no doubt
that, from the middle Of August to the close
Of navigation. the additional water from those
reservoirs maintained the stage OF water at
St. Paul about one foot higher than it would
have been without their aiG The
GUNNER and fall of 1885 witnessed
unusual drought in Minnesota. Da-
kota and part of Wisconsin. The Red
river, at Grand Forks, was a foot lower than
over before recorded. The Minnesota river
furnished very little water TO the Mississippi.
and many of the tributaries of the latter,
above Minneapolis were almost dry. Nc ap-
preparation has been made for improving the
Minnesota river since 1878, and none have
been made for several years past for improv-
ing the Mississippi above the Fails of st. An
Ehony, or for preserving the falls. Congress,
Dy act approved March g. 1873, appropriated
the sum OF $25, 900 for commencing the con-
gJructiOn of a lock and dam at Meeker's Isl
and but with the prOviso that the money
should not become available for the work
until the right to the lands granted by con-
gress TO the state, in 1868. 10 aid in construct
ing the proposed lock and dam. should be
fully relinq uished to the United States. The
REIMBURSEMENT has not been made. Among
the examinations or surveys authorized at the
last session Of congress were the following:
Red River OF the North, from Moorhead to
Fergus Fails Mimi; Red Lake river, from
Grand Forks to Red Lake, Mimi; Mississippi
river, between st. Paul and St. Anthony
Falls. NJ IN; Minnesota river, with view to
its Improvement by locks and dams; harbor
at Hudson, Lake ST. CrOiX, Wisconsin; Chip
pewa river, Wisconsin, to ascertain the causes
o. its extraordinary Overdows and what
means, if any, can be adopted to prevent
their recurrence. Preliminary examinations
OF these localities have already been made
and the reports upon them will be rendered
in time for consideration by the present con-
greSS.