St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-29
SAWDUST IN RIVER BED.
Experts Opinions Concerning NaEiga-
tion and Channels.
BUILDING SOLID BANKS.
Garbage and Cher Refuse Should Not
Be Deposited On the Ice
in Winter. -


the chamber of commerce on the Mis-
sissippi river, yesterday afternoon, ii.
c. Castle, chairman: Gen. G. G. All
drews, James Ii. Davidson, w. A. Som
ers. c. II. Lienau and w. p. Murray
We're present. and Mai. BaSSett and Mr..
McMullen, of Minneapolis, were also IA
attendance.
Maj. BaSsett. of Minneapolis, made an
argument to show that SawduSt being
thrown into the river did not alone in
jure navigation by filling up the river
and raising the bottom. He stated that
in 1882 an expedition was formed of
Minneapolis and st. Paul people who
examined the river bottom. In several
places portions of the bed of the stream
were taken up,and no sawdust could be
found. Ii the sawduSt had any effect it
would be to narrow up the channel by
building up the banks. and thus improve
navigation instead of injuring it. Ii
the channel could be narrowed it would
clearly be benefit to navigation. There
are but two mills now throwing sawdust
into the river. and very soon there will
be but one. The other mills have been
moved up the river aud use Steam and
consume the SawduSt.
III. f. StearnS read the report of Maj.
Mckenzie, made in 1881, in which he
stated that Throwing sawdust i'll the
river was very injurious, and impeded
navigation"
Mr.. McNfullen, of Minneapolis, said
that if the atfidayits of the people that
had made them, to the effect that throw
ing
sAwDUsT IN THE RIVER
did not injure navigation, had no effect
upon the committee. he had little conf
dence that what he could say would
have much influence. Putting sawdust
in the river did no harm to navigation.
and Mr.. BasSett and his mills were the
only ones now throwing SawduSt in the
river. The bed of the river was contin-
ually moving and changing. and lie
would pay 81 900 to any one who would
place a rock, he didn't care how heavy,
in the bed of the river and keep it
there. Talk about sawdust in the river
obStructing navigation was all bosh.
At New Orleans The water was great
many feet deeper than it used to be.
The fact is that the Mississippi river is
nothing but a great sewer for the North
west, the same as the Illinois river is
for the city of Chicago. Both st. Paul
and MINNEAPOLIS are throwing tin cans
and dirt into the river, all OF which
helped to fill it up. The only way to
improve navigation is to make the river
narrow. Ii st. Paul wanted to improve
navigation. let it stop emptying sewers
into the river. The time will come
when the government will be called
upon to fill up all the fla on both sides
of the river. and thus narrow the chan
mel of the stream, in order to protect
the health of the people living along its
banks.
Capt. Castle said that. as he under
stood the matter, the question is, does
throwing refuse of any kind into tile
river tend to build up the banks of the
stream, or does it tend to fill up the
bottom of the stream?
The committee was of the opinion
that it filled up the bottom of the riyei,
and does not build up the banks.
Capt. Biakeley read from the report
of Maj. Mckenzie, U. S. A., in regard
to the improvement of the Mississippi
river between st. Paul and the mouth
of the Illinois river III 1884. 1t was
stated that many of the bars are largely
composed of saWdust," and that the
s'promiScuouS depoSiting of saw dust in
the river is a public evil. and liable to
injure navigation" Congressional or
state legislation prohibiting the deposit
of sawdust or other refuse in the MiSSiS
sippi river would seem very necessary"
"A statute or Minnesota provides tnat
no mill refuse other than sawdust shall
be deposited in the river, but SO long as
this disposition of sawdust is allowed a
vast amount of bark, edgings and slabs
will go with it, as glance at the river
at the saving season will sufficiently
prove. A striking example of the evil
effects of these deposits Is furnished by
the Ninnger bar, formed in the channel
III one season of high water, forcing the
channel to the other side of the river
and necessitating expensive works for
its removal. This bar was composed of
80 per cent of mill refuse. and without
the assistance of this material would
probably never have existed. But the
saw mills are hot the only Offenders.
The city of st. Paul has for years al
lowed the deposit of vast amount of
refuse of ali kinds on the ice along the
river front during the winter, much of
which finkS at the breaking up of the
ice. and is gradually but steadily
FILLING UP THE HARBoR.
sfThe attention of the city authorities
and those interested in the steamboat
lines has been called to this matter, and
undoubtedly action will be taken to-
wards checking the evil" Captain
Blakeley briefly related his observations
and experiences during a number of
years steamboating on the river, all of
which confirmed the statements in the
report.
Mai. Bassett said that he had no
doubt that slabs and bark, accompanied
with sawdust, would Obstruct nayiga-
| ton. If the wort sawdust should be
eliminated from the report he would
| favor it.
Capt. Hayes, supervising inspector of
steamboats,. explained how Plat B.
Walker had got up the affidavitS of peo-
pie to the effect that sawdust and slabs
do not injure navigation. He said that
the affidavits were yalueless. as those
who made them were not competent to
give an opinion on such a subject. Saw
dust lmpeded navigation, and he ex-
pressed the belief that he could go down
to Dayton's bluff and take deposits from
the river that would contain at least 25
per cent of SawduSt.
At this point the committee adj
iovaned. and nothing definite as to fut-
ure action was agreed upon.
DELIGHT Ed oOLLEGIANS.
St. Paul Society Greets Them