Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-05-27
AN OUTING.
A Pleasant Jaunt TO Hennepin, Black
Hawk, Etc.
Scenes ana Incidents of Capt. e, w
Bakers Expedition Yesterday
AfternOOn-A Rock Island
and Davenport Party.


who enjoys a reputation locally speaking
a. least, of originating and successfully
C frying out unique expeditions, party
O. Rock Island and Davenport gentlemen
enjoyed pleasant jaunt to Black Hawk
tower yesterday afternoon. The affair
was strictly informal, gotten up it might
De said on the spur CT the moment by
Capt. Baker, who worked. up the excur-
sion, sent out the invitations and engi-
neered it through. 1t will be remem-
bered that two years ago Capt.
Baker arranged party and took it down
! the river to the mouth of Hennepin. The
! event proved so enjoyable that Capt. Bs-
ker was congratulated and told to come
again. He did yesterday. He got together
q party OF Rock Island and Davenport
! gentlemen to visit the scene of operations
/ on the Hennepiu canal and the watch
! tower Improvements. The route of the
! expedition lay over the Rock Island &
Milan rosd. leaving Rock Island at p
{
| guest, President Louderback took charge
| Of the train service, and on reaching the
| barns, rad special motor and trailer
! placed at the disposal of the party, which
was composed of President Jackson, of
the Rock Island Citizens Improvement
association, R. Champion, J. E. Mont
rose, D. f. Louderback and an ARGUS
omtassaGor from Rock Island, and from
Davenport; W. G. Wadsworth. ]. J.
Humphrey, John Gould, J, P. Van Pat
| ten, D A. McGugin, J. NJ. Eldridge, H.
| =. Denison, Gen Add. H. Sanders, Will
! Forrest. of the Tribune, Warren Teele,
: w. Stewart and Ralph Cram, of the
I Democrat
/ Capt Bakers itinerary took the party
direct to Milan. Capt. L L. Wheeler's
quarters were the first scene of attack and
/ the ca plain taken by storm. He was in
the midst of some important correspond
/ once but he was at the disposal of the
visitors vt once. With the assistance of
Howard McCulloch, DR.. Matthews and
/ Rev. J. H Kerr, he entertained the Wis
! Tors with maps. diagrams and sketches
Of the work so fer accomplished about
, The mouth of Hennepin.
WHAT Is NOW UNDER WY
and what it is proposed to do this sum-
mer. To the members of the press the
captain chstted entertsiningly. High
water had interfered with the work. a
large part of the adopted right of way is
under water, as q consequence of which
there has been much delay in sinking
posts and erecting fences along the route
of the canal. By July l the captain
hoped TO have the contract paced for
the first three miles of actual construc'
ton. Already a considerable part of the
right OF way has been cleaned of under
brush ind trees, and to accomplish the
removal of many of the trees dynamite
has been used successfully. The captain
regretted that he could not give the par
ty an exhibition of blowing up stump
but the ground was too dam to do it sue
cessfullv. Five miles from the Mississippi
a guard lock will be placed. which with
another five miles further back, will insure
slack water for eight miles in Rock river
of sufficient depth for boats and render
the work of canal building for that dis
lance quite simple, In the first five
miles from the Mississippi the river will
be utilized some and Clear Lake, body
of water half a mile long, will render ex
cavation unnecessary for that distance.
Capt. Wheeler and his assistant ther
took the party oyer part OF the route
of the canal explaining where it would
be established and the work 10 be done
this wear The captain is thoroughly
familiar with every detail of the WORK
assigned TO his charge and his explain
ations proved very instructive anC
comprehensive.
TO THE TOWER.
The party then boarded its specia
car and was conveyed back to the tower
, junction and hence by mule power over
Mr.. Louderback's new right of way
, 20 the summit OF the tower, Capt
Wheeler accompanying on this trip
The track is to be double for prac
tically the entire distance of the ascen
, and while one side is done and thu
overhead construction is not completed,
yet it will be by Sunday and electric
} car service established on that date
Yesterday, as said before, the first tril
was made with mule power and tn
new line proves in every respect vas
improvement over the original route
Civil Engineer Charles Sheriff VIII
updartook the emitting out of the new