Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-01

The excursion down the river on the
steamer A. j. Whitney Yesterday after
noon and voyage into the mouth of the
proposed Hennnepin canal proved
most delightful affair. 1t was entirely
Informal given through the courtesy of
Capt. A. j. Whitney, master of the boat.
and f. W. Baker, purs er, to the repre-
sentative citizens of Rock Island and
Davenport. The invitations simply read /:
Sept. 80, 1890, p. m. Steamer A. j. Whitney.
Compliments
Capt. A. j. Whitney and, Z. w. Baker, purser.
At the hour named in the above u mum
Der of Rock Island citizens assembled on
the river bank at the foot of Nine
teenth street where the Whitney,
with the national colors flying from
the mast head. was coaliug up for
the trip. The boat was in command of
Capt, Whitney, Purser Baker welcoming
all at the gang plank, while Tony Lie
Clsire was in the pilot house. After re
ceiviDg her cargo of guests and fuel the
boat steamed across the river to Daven-
port where large number of citizens had
gathered in acceptance of the same invita-
ton. They were quickly taken aboard
and after greetings and an exchange of
compliments the boat started on her de-
lightful voyage
UP THE HENNEPIN CANAL.
The complete roster of those on board
contained the following;
ROCK ISLAND.
Mayor William McConochie, Judge
LucIsn Adams, Capt r. J. RobiuseB
Rev. r. F. Sweet, Maj Ii. G. Connolly,
DR.. G. g. Carter, Dr. W A Paul,
Messrs. 4 Champion W. B Ferguson.
T. J. Medill. Jr., q. Z. Case, r. J. Full
erton. Phil Mitchell. Geo. Lamont, W
II. Pierce. J. L. Danforth, J. S. Gilmore,
II. W. Dusenberre, a. NJ. Blake.ley.
Walter Johnson, of the Union, and an
= ARGUS representative.
DAVENPORT.
Mayor G. A Ficke, City Clerk J L
Hebert, Engineer Thos Murray, Street
Commissioner B. II. Lahrmann, CITY
Physician A W Cautwell. W D Peter
son, II. T. DeDison. DR.. c. T. Lindley,
DR.. W. o. Kulp. Hon J. H. Murphy,
Gen. Add II. Sanders; Messrs. NJ L
Marks. W. II Forrest. W. K. White,
Beik Peters, W. G. Putnam, J. II. Pres
ton, G. Beiderbecke. Robt Krause, W. c.
Wordsworth. A. Fl. Sanders, 5 F. Smith.
J. II. Hass, J. ]. Humphrey, H. Egbert.S s.
w Reece, J. A LeClaire, w. J. McCul-
Tough. A. J. Hirscnl. Henry Schnitger, A
Ochs. John Ruch, w. S Cameron. Marsh
Noe, JAS Thompson, II II Andersen, f
5. Carl. p. Roddewig. NJ Frahm. D. Ry-
an, DR.. Richter. OF Der Democrat. Ralph
Cram, of the Democrat. w. NJ PURGE, OF
the Tribune. T. A. Carr, of the Boston
IraTeler and j. w. Swigart, of the Ma
quoketa Sentinel, Chas Francis, of Rock
Island arsenal and Hon. l. ". Stuart, of
Jackson county, Iowa.
The run down the river was quickly
made, the little craft rounding into the
mouth of the canal Rock river at a few
minutes before 4 One of the crew was
sent to the bow of the boat to make sound
ings. The stage of the water al
first registered eight feet, then seven.
then eight again, then back to seven, Ia
five, and from that it declined until after
the boat had run a half mile when the
pole registered three and half feet
Capt. Whitney called halt here and or
dered his pilot to turn about. The voy.
ayers had given expression to their JOY at
the realization OF their long cherished
hopes OF seeing the Hennepiu canal in
entering the mouth nature had afforded
for the great waterway. and when the
boat stopped all broke forth with one &C
cord in three cheers that resOunded
through The woods in manner that
brought several of the natives down to
the bank to investigate. The whistle on
the pilot house sent up three shreks of
delight and then there were calls for Hon
j. II. Murphy. The ex>congressmau
gracefully sckno wledged the compliment
and stepping to the center of the group on
the boats upper deck. he made "a few fit
ting remarks
The joys that were in mis- breast on this
occasion, he said could not be expressed
in words Those feelings were only in
tensified by the happy expressions on the
faces before him. He then spoke OF the
difficulties encountered in the early stages
of tie work for the canal, the struggle at
the s.. Louis convention in which he,
together with Capt. Robinson, of this
city, the late Geo II French. of Daven>
port, and Edward Russell the former ed-
tor Of the Davenport Gazette, and now of
Minneapolis, after being first frozen out
of the convention were finally after I'M
yielding exertion, were readmitted as DEL
egates, and the result was the conven-
ton gave the canal one of the finest en-
dorsements it had ever received in a.
waterway convention. He enumerated
some of the great benefits that would come
to commerce by the construction of the
canal. gave statistics TO show the great
reduction in freight rates that would re-
suit from water transportation; for in
stance, that the cost of shipping a bushel
OF wheat from New York to Liverpool
was no more now than the rate from Rock
Island to Chicago. AS an another illus
tration he cited the fact that it costs fifty
cents per ton to ship anthracite coal from
Erie, Pa, to Chicago, distance of eight
hundred miles by water, whereas the