Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-02
ONWITHT THE WORK
Last Obstacle to levee Improve
ment Removed.
TERMINAL COMPANY no EXCUSE

WITH 1eo RArt-A Project which Can
Not Possibly BE Overlooked Untn It
Wins.
The last obstacle to the success Of
the levee improvement project has
been removed-if indeed il really
constituted an obstacle-in the ad-
justment of the difficulty between the
Davenport and Rock Island Bridge
and Terminal company and the r. I.
& P. railway over the property rights
at the foot Of Seventh street. While
this was really not serious barrier
to the necessary work on the river
front, the Terminal company claimed
that it was all that stood between it
and doing its part literally toward
the enterprise. The friends of the
Terminal company likewise main
tanned that it was not fair to the new
corporation to assess it for any part
Of the improvement until it could
get into the city, and that further
more it could not be settled until the
Terminal company was given the op-
portunity to lay its tracks, which
was denied it by the barrier thrown
across at Seventh street. Now all
such excuses are out of order, al
though they were really not form.
erly of any weight in the matter.
Nothing t. Do but 60 Ahead.
But the council has only to &c
ahead now with the levee under the
plan OF special assessment ordered al
its recent meeting. With the i'm.
provement OF the harbor provided
for in the new river and harbor bill,
the city of Rock Island cannot fail tc
do its part to keep pace with the
work set by the government in its
realization Of the importance and ne.
cessity Of maintaining and protecting
the inland water commerce OF the
country. There are few cities more
advantageously situated than Rocl
Island is with regard to river front
and that the govern ment knows thu
importance Of the river to the cities
along its banks is shown by the ap
preparations in the river and harbol
bill. Aside from what is done fol
the Hennepin canal in the authority
given the secretary of war to con
tract for the material and work t.
complete the project and to acquir'
all necessary right Of way. to be pait
for as appropriations may from tim
to time by law, not to exceed in tn,
aggregate s5,71O.OOO, an appropria.
tion Of $4,000 is made for the re
moval of the bar in the Mississippi
river on the east side, opposite tn,
city of Dubuque. Other appropris
tions are: $1,000 for the repair an,
Maintenance of banks of the Missis
sippi from Warsaw to Quincy, Ill.
$4,000 for dredging channel q
Quincy bay; $4,000 for removal o
sandbar in front of steamboat land
ing at Quincy; $1,000 for maintain
ing the harbor at Rock Island, an
l$5O,OOO for continuing the work o
tconstruction of the artificial bank be
tween the mouth of the Flint rive
in Ces Moines county, Iowa, an
running along the west bank of tn
Mississippi to the mouth of tn
Iowa river. Provision is also mad
for a survey on the west side of tn
Mississippi river from the bluff abov
Fort Madison. along the west ban
of the river to the mouth of Skun
river. in Lee county. and along tn
west bank Of the Mississippi froI
the mouth of the Iowa river to Mul
catine, with q view to improvio
navigation by deepening the char