Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-21
ON RIVER WORK.
A Scheme for Special Channel Improve
ment which II strongly Opposed.

A scheme for Special Channel Improve
ment which Is strongly Opposed.
A Washington special of few
days ago to the st. Louis Republic
says:
The committee on rivers and
harbors of the house gave q hearing
to Capt. George Winans. of Wauke-
sha, who represents an association
Of 575 boat owners. whose boats ply
on the Mississippi river from the
mouth of the Missouri to the head
of the river. Capt. Winans came be-
fore the committee to present a
scheme prepared by this organiza-
ton of boat owners for the improve
ment of the river course.
His argument began with
rather severe criticism of the work
Of the Mississippi river commission.
He did not blame any of the officers
in charge. and spoke with par
ticular favor OF Col. Mackenzie,
for merly stationed at Rock ISL
and, but he held that the work
as it is now being done under the
direction Of the government, is done
from q scientific rather than from a
practical basis, and was because of
general carelessness in supervision.
so bad that unless some new steps
were taken, there would be no boats
running on this section of the river
at the end Of the year.
The proposition he submits con-
templates that the work shall be done
by the association of boat owners
which he represents, and they offer
to take charge of the channel for five
years from Rock Island to Lake Pepin
for 500. 900 year aud to keep the
channel in the best condition posi-
bic. They propose to use some NOV
able jetty system. At the end of
five years they propose to turn over
to the government all the barges and
machinery for carrying on the work.
The committee took the proposition
under consideration"
This item has a strong local inter-
est. In the first place this city is
within the district that Capt. Wi
mans wants to take in hand, and in
the next place steamboat men here
do not wholly agree with the state
ments that are charged to him in
this special. Capt. Winans is q
steamboat man of long experience.
and he is well liked and generally
respected on the river. but he is &C
credited by his acquaintance with a
large degree Of enthusiasm, and is
said to be apt to make a statement
stronger than most other men would
make it, in order to make an impress.
sion with it.
Does Not Approve Of It.
Capt. John Mccartney. of Daven
port. enters strong objections to the
representations made by Capt. Wi
mans, of the system of river improve
ment conducted by the government
Capt. Mccartney is a river man of 3;
years experience and he represent:
a large number in the position he
takes. He said yesterday:
.'In the first place, the statement
made by Capt. Winans, as reported
is false in many regards. He is rep
resented as saying that if the presen
work OF the commission is kept up, a
the end of the present year Their,
will not be q boat running in thi.
portion Of the river. Capt. Winan!
knows better than that, and if hi
made the statement he did it for ef
feet. Last season we had as low :
stage of water, il not the lowest, or
an average, that we have ever had
and l do not think there was boat
upon the river that did not max,
money. which never occurred before
There must have been some bcnefi,
derived from the work done by the
Mississippi River commission. / an
personally acquainted with Col
Mackenzie and all of the men thai
were engaged under him. and 1 know
that they were at all times ready t.
take suggestions from the river mer
and to do all in their power
to follow up these suggestion!
for the betterment of navigation. /
Capt. Winans represents S75 steam
boatmen he must have counted il
the .roosters'. There are not half o
375 steamboats, between Rock Islant
and St. Paul. The present perma
nent Improvements have tendenc.
to make more water in the channe
as they fill up the sloughs with sand
which under the portable jetties avs
J tenn would again find its way int
the channel further down. So far a
l can see the river men have beel
greatly benefited by the system
adopted by Col. Mackenzie, and
they will look back to the years be
fore the improvements that they will
not hesitate to indorse the work tina
has been DONE"