Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-19
MOLlNE'S HARBOR,
What Major Mackenzie Re-
ported on the Subject.
NOT OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT


ACT OF congratulated to Report AZ to
whether THE Proposed improvement
was Worthy in Practisal Sense He DID
So In Accordance With His Best Judg-
ment
moline paper recently made per-
s"nsl and insulting attack on Mai. Mac
tei e. head OF the government engineer
c'rvs in this city, because he failed 10
report the proposed hsrbor at hat CITY as
worthy OF government aid. Those who
know haj. Mackenzie and are scousin,ed
with he zeal, fsirness and Consciousness
he always exerts in looking into every
Ting that pertains TO waterway i'm
pEOvement will be surprised at the
"ohne papers attI ude toward him, and
iHE ARGUS is satisfied that had full
l9qury been made into the facts guiding
The majors course, the cri icism of him
would have been withheld The major
is not the sole judge OF sll matters re-
ferred to him. All things are not in his
hal DIS He is directed to look into
matter from the position Of an eugin>
eer, as he was In this case, sud to pre-
sent his report from that standpoint, and
regardless of personal feelings or of VIVA.
Influence may be brought to bear or OF
wat interests may be ut stake.
This Particular Instance.
| 10 this particular instance congress sim
ply directed preliminary examination,
not survey. Congress authorized the
expenditure of no money for the survey
and estimate. 1t merel asked for pre-
liminsry examination TO ascertain if the
harbor " worthy of improvement. The
directions are different from those usu-
silly given regarding the investigation OF
matters of this kind. Heretofore provi-
sion has been usde fer the preliminary
examination and survey il the same ac,.
In this case the preliminary examination
is sll that is asked for.
The Majors Report.
The majors report in full to Gen.
Schofc'd, dated Nov. Z, is appended:
The river and harbor act approved
July 13 1929. provides for q preliminary
examination of "Herhor ST Moline. ILL.,
nois." Such examination is assigned 10
me By letter dateG Office Chief OF Eagin-
GERS. July "A 1899
The river and harbor act OF August / /, ,
1888, provided for an examination of
moline City EaTbor, Illinois," with q
! view 10 determining whether or not such
hsrbOr was worthy of Improvement bv
| the general government. Such exsmtha-
ton was mace by me. and reported on
under date o. Dece mber p, 1888 which
report is found in the report of the
chief of engineers for 1889. pages 1777-
1881 My conclusions were that under
| the conditions then existing, and eOnsi5-
ering cost, the hsraor was not worthy OF
Improvement by the genera government.
since the former report vas submitted
the only conditions which have been
changed are, that under the supervision
o. the ordnance department, I army,
the channel cut in the rock bottom to
| permit freer flow OF water tC the water
poWer pool, has been wide1ed materially
in its upper portion. This cut as it now
exists, while having an elbow not favor
able to interests OF navigation, is no.
where less than 200 feet in width and is
used even at low stages of water by boats
drawing "a to 80 inches of water and car
rying building rock. sand and occasionally
brick and tile, into Moline hsrbor
Small size raftbosts also have inside use
of the channel as far down as the Moline
bridge.
1t is understood that the channel and
harbor desired by the city of Moline is
now-as when my last report was SUBJ
mitted one that will permit of all
classes OF boats to come down, at
all stages of the river, from the
head OF the wster-power pool to the main
shore above the Moline bridge. at point
set aside by the city as public landing.
While the rock excavation recently car
ried OFT under the direction of the COM
msndsnt OF the Rock Island Arsenal re.
duces somewhat the former estimate of
cost, it still remains smy opinion that the
cost of work necessary for completing
such channel is rot justified by the in
terests of navigation involved.
For further details concerning the
work l would respectfully refer to nv
report of December 7, 1885, There
b We been but few changes in condition
since that report was made, and such
changes are not such IS to alter the
opinion formerly expressed. that the
harbor is not worthy of Improvement bv
the general government after the manner
proposed and desired by the city of Mo-
Ii e And. 80 far as am Informed, it is
the city only that has any material in
terest in the work desired.
Detailtd surveys Of the hsrbor were
made in connection with 'Developme I
work in water-power pool Mt Rock Island
Arsenal" and no further surveys are
needed
| Tho d in Truta