Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-06
THE B.OCK ISLAND RAPIDS.
The Report on the Lateral Canal in
Congress.
Important Information a. 60 Opinion
OF the Hoard OF Engineers I'm Charge
OF the survey-The Most Feasible
Route.

A dispatch from Washington states
that the report Of the board OF engineer
officers of the examination and survey OF
the presen channel of the Mississippi
river at Rock Island rapids. made with a
view to its Improvement. was laid before
the house yesterday afternoon.
The boa ID is of the opinion that the
most direct and feasible route coming
within the instructions for a canal from
the head OF the rapids to the upper part
of Moline is in the river along the Illinois
shore. 1t would be about 102 miles long
and formed as in the case of the Des
Moines canal. by embsnkments in the
river with width of from 200 to 800
feet and depth at low water increasing
from to IL feet, having two locks so
feet wide and 325 feet long. The length
of the rapios from Rapids City to the
Rock Island railroad bridge is about 1871
miles. but between the Rock Island
and Illinois shore at the harbor of Mo-
line and pool of the Moline Water
Power company. the conditions ere
such as to prohibit the extension of the
canal along the water front of Moline,
and 1t becomes necessary, therefore. the
canals connected by a section of the river,
in order to continue the navigation to the
foot of the rapids.
The most direct and feasible route for
this part of the Improvement would be
down the outside of Rock, and Benham
islands. 1t would be about three miles
long and have width of from 900 to 800
feet, with one. and possibly two locks,
the river channel connecting the two
canals being deepened to six feet at
low water. This connecting channel
would open into the main channel of
the river and permit the canal to be
used Independently of the others and
afford an easy entrance to the hsrbor
Of Moline. The total cost of the whole
of this improvement is placed at about
"a. 900. 600. But it being thought prac-
ticable at moderate cost, the report
says. to obviate the many difficulties
existing in the navigation of the rapids,
especially u render them nsviga-
BILE at nigh, the board presents the
plan of the local engineer officer in
which the desired improvement is to be
attained by guide piers with lights, and
day beacons attached, and. in addition,
to excavate and remove the rock at vari>
Gus points so as to widen and straighten
the channel st the crooked Part of the
rapids; also to deepen the channel where
necessary; to build dams where required
to equalize slope and to remove by
dredging the present accumulations of
sand and gravel. 1t is estimated that
such work would cost $3.50, 900.
The report continuing says that the
board is adverse to the construction of a
lateral canal at this time. and is of the
opinion that the existing navigable chan
mel of the Rock Island rapids should be
improved to such an extent as to make
the p passage over them as reasonably safe
by night or da7, as the natural conditions
permit.
The above plan (the second one men
toned which is recommended by the
board to accom- plish this will furnish, the
report says, the relief Immediately called
for in the interests of navigation
Both the chief of engineers and the
secretary of war agree in the conclusions
of the board