Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-25
RIVER WORK.
Maj. Mackenzie's Improve,
ments the Past Season.
A COMPLETE OUTLAY OF sssoooo

1se Object Of the Osrrsssess In TIE Cpprr
Mssaassssss csssses. ssa Exs~ss ee the
ss0e-the Rock IalssA Rspss. Ge, .
Gsoa Site.
Maj. Alex. Mackenzie has COM
Picted his river Improvement opera
tions for the season of 1898. and his
field forces have been called in. In
response To request from THE
ARGUS. the major has furnished an
outline Of the work done. which rep
represents total outlay Of $3.50. 900.
Major Mackenzic's district comprises
that portion Of the Mississippi river
between Minneapolis aud the mouth
Of the Missouri river. The object of
the improvements now carried on is
to secure a channel of suitable width,
and from u Ia q feet depth at en-
IRENE low water. and also to remove
| such ob>tructions a. NAV exist in the
channel in the form of >nag>. wrecks,
lodges of rock. powders. etc. The
season If 1898 was'vcry favorable for
work. and more was accomplished
than in any previous year. 4 por-
tion of the work was carried on by
the government itself. using its own
plant. purchasing material and hir-
ing labor. and the remainder under
contract. The entire district was
divided into number Of sections.
and the work pushed simultaneously.
| Rock I.Iand Rapid.
| The work of Improvement on Rock
Island rapids was resumcd Nav 5.
and closed for the winter Nov. 6.
The plant employed belongs to the
United States. and the work was
done by the government. Two
steam drill boats. with two drills
each. and working double crews.
were operated 2.l90 hours. drilled
Ii. lag lincal feet of holes in the rock
bottom. and broke up approximately
1898 solid cubic yards OF rock. Two
dredges. the Ph1nix and Ajax. were
employed 49, hours. and succeeded
in removing 6.5li cubic yards OF
broken rock from the channel. The
drill boats DESTROYED the large rock
reef at the foot of Duck creek chain
and the large center patch below Mo
line chain. the debris of which were
removed by the dredges. The drill!
boats ais" operated at rock ledge OF
the Iowa side Of lower chain. Al
Winnebago chain. and at upper
. chain. and made very satisfactory
progress in the removal of the oh
. structions at those points. Dredg,
Ajax worked for two months in re
/ vp.as-snsr Mals,,a ako: n
the previous year. All of the rocl
taken up by the dredges was used in
the construction of dams and guide
piers. During the season three win.
dams were built ut Duck creek chain
and the dams ut Campbel's chut,
were paved and strengthened. Thre,
guide piers were constructed. Tint
amount of rock put in the dams an,
piers was: Rp-rap. 25.loo cubic
yards; slopc-wall. LOO cubic yards
and the cost of the entire work wa.
about t5i.50o.
The operations here werein charge
of Supt. j. 4. McElherne. who ais,
had supervision of the work nj Prai
rie Du Chen. while Supt. W. A
Thompson and Lieut.. W. V. Judson
had local charge of operations along
the river.
The Rock Island contractor. A. j.
Whitney. had the contract for i'm
provements from Glenhaven to Du
buque. Mr.. Whitney began opera
tons June IL, and completed his con
tract October ~. Work was done in
the vicinity of Eagle Point and At
Parsons bar. and consisted in the
construction of two wing and fouI
closing dams. and Of 1916 lineal feet
Of shore protection. in which 24,61t
cubic wards Of rock and 2l.lO. cubic
yards Of brush were used. The cost
| Of the above work wa. 81, $50. Much
Improvement is already shown ut the
. points mentioned.
snaggine Operations
/ In smuggling operations between
st. Paul and the mouth Of Missouri
. river. the snagboat General Barnard
in chage Of Capt. G. W. Durham. was
in commission 1873 days. operating
between the points named. The
| work performed by her is thus sum
lmOrixed:
! Lesuire tree. pulled back. .-.-.. $50. a:
| Tsese cut and removed. 70
/ Miles run ''"~
: Surveys, Coassrsrssee sad sepsir Ut Fisnf
Several survey parties were in thu
} field during the season. covering TN
river between st. Paul and Prescott
IL-.- Ns;uo.;sLa and Crooked