Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-22
LOCAL LAW MAKERS.
An Unusually Interesting Meeting
of the City Council.
The Annual Appropriations Voted
UpOn---AnOther Message From the
Mayor---PrOVisIons Made for the
Improvement OF the Levee.

regular session at 3 p. III. Mayor Blaut
ing presiding and all the aldermen pre-
ent except Scott. The mayor submitte
To the council the following special CON
munication.
Gentlemen Of the City Council:
AS a matter relating to the general we
fare of the city. the recent events cor
nected with the most extreme rise {
water in the upper Mississippi for MOI
than quarter of n century last past al
deemed by me worthy OF a special con
munication.
To large proportion of the preseI
citizens of the city, this eXtraordinar
rise in the river is Unprecedented, an
has naturally awakened feelings of ex
IRENE concern, and to 80 me extent cause
excitement and alarm for the safety q
life and property. The point of immi
nent danger was felt TO be largely con
nected with the uncertain stability of til
embankment of the Rock Island 1
Peoria railway, at the extreme west en-
of the city, which constituted the prn
cipal barrier to the flooding of the low
lands in that locality. The Immens
volume of water and sudden rise, whicl
followed the giving way of the govern
ment dam at Moline, wildly indicates
the disasters which would have resulted
from few hundred feet of creyasse IL
the railway embankment had this sud
denly given way, and an inuDdating rusl
of waters swept backward and upward
through the inhabited portions of the adj
iacent lowland. The consequences oil
such an event are scarcely to be estimated
and frightful to contemplate. 1t was
therefore an all important consideration
to prevent such a catastrophe, and every
effort was made to strengthen and hold
intact the railway embaDkment upon the
preservation of which mainly depended d
successful resistance against al inundat>
ing flood. Other precautionary measures
were adopted from time to time as neces-
sity seemed to require, but from the ma
turc of the situation and the more menac-
ing danger of an inundatiOn at the west
end of the city, these subsidiary measures
were but secondary to the great and pre-
eminent Importance of preventing a de
wasting influx of rushing waters through
Il crevasse. The character of the work
and the scarcity of material available and
suitable for the purpose made the pro
gress of repairs difficult and the result at
times doubtful and uncertain.
The city is greatly indebted to the I'M
faltering eXertions and assistance ren>
dered by Superintendent II. B. Sudlow
and Roadmaster J. Il. Breckenridge of
the Rock Island Il Peoria Railway Co.
who promptly and continuously gave aid
by furnishing gravel and other material
at points of impending danger with con
struction trains and by their many valu-
able suggestions in regard to the man
agement of conduct of the work.
The labor performed and results ac-
complished for the protection of life and
property in the low lands by the voldn-
teer force from the mill yard and vicinity
operating under the charge of MessIs.
Roth and Schreiner in the construction
and maintenance of dixie along the
summit of the divide between the first and
second slOughs were most timely and
beneficial and justly entitled to great
Commendation.
The unceasing efforts. skill, experience
and vigilance of George II. naWnaS. the
street commissioners able assistant, and
the efficient and faithful support ren>
dered by the several foremen under his
immediate direction, as well as the
steady and dilligent work Cheerfully and
laboriously performed day and night by
the city employees in various parts of the
city, deserve special mention in this
communication and their service should
be highly appreciated.
The successful results of sewer drain
age by the agency of the pump located at
the lower end of Fifth avenue sewer have
exceeded in the present instance the most
sangulne expectations. Under the press
sure of the emergency, the whole ma
chinery was compelled to do much more
work than the original construction was
designed to accomplish, consequently
constant fear was felt that it might give
out entirely and leave the sewage system
in that locality at the mercy of accumu>
lating surface and seeping waters.
The amount of pumping and skill in
the use of the engine were carefully and
handsomely managed by the engineers
and others connected with the manage
ment, and elected from every intelligent
observer expressions of decided approba-
ton and approval.
Doubtless numerous instances not gen.
orally known have occurred when work
has been done by citizens of their own
accord for the protection and safety of
property in threatened localities, which
has been of public utility, their services
of a cOmmeldable character, and both
labor and results such that it known
would be duly and gratefully appreciat
ed.
Fortunately, so far as known. not a
single life has been lost through accident
from the high water in the city; though
instances of individual hardship and in
jury to property, of Inconvenience, dis
comfort and perhaps suffering, unques-
tionably exist, the actual destruction of
property has been comparatively small.
There has been expended in this emer
gency for preventive measures in all
parts of the city as appears from the
labor pay roll the sum of 81, 50447,
while bills for sand bags and other ma
terial not yet audited will probably in
crease the total amount OF expenditure
to the sum of about So 1000. Had the
preventive measures failed and a general
inundation from crevasse in the railway
embankment taken place the loss of prop.
erty and damages to the inhabitants of
the lowlands would have been many
thousands of dollars in excess of the
amount which the city has expended for
protection in all the several localities.
The loss to the laboring class by the sus-
pension of mills and manufactures,
though unavoidable, will be severely felt
and is much to be regretted. The patient
endurance of this class of our fellow citi-
zens under such trying circumstances is
truly admirable, and such loss of en-
ployment with its Incident hardships
commends them in an especial manner to
the earliest consideration and active
sympathy of all industrial agencies of
the city which employ wage labor.
On behalf of the city the mayor ten
ders thanks and makes grateful acknowl-
edgment for the valuable assistance and
noble labors of each and all who have