Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-11-19
BRIDGE, BAR AND HARBoR
Engineer Edwsrds Talks OF What 10 Being
Done at QuincJ.

Dome at quincy.
The government engineers heartily
endorse the plan Of the railroad i'm
provement for the shortening of the
river bridge at Quincy by filing in
under the bridge as far out as the
big wooded sandbar. II will narrow
the river, 50 that there will be more
water in the channel, and will hold
the big bar right where it is. instead
Of allowing /: to wash down into the
harbor. Secretary of War Alger will
of course be guided by the engineers
in passing on the petition OF the
railroad company for permission to
fill up that much OF the river, and
with the engineers in favor Of it there
is little doubt but that the desired
permission will be granted.
1.-The proposition CT the railroad
company to fill in under the bridge, ("
said Capt. Samuel Edwards, OF this
city, the officer in charge of that Sec
ton Of the river, to q Quincy Wing
reporter, sis right in line with the
plans of the government for the i'm
provement OF Quincy harbor, and in.
stead o: being possible injury TO
this harbor it would be positive
and decided benefit. 1t would be
accomplishing by the construction of
what you might call high dam
what the engineers propose to &C.
complish by small dam"
when a bar is too large to he
dredged away" went ON Capt. Ed.
wards, sand is il convenient place
to be left. the policy Of the engineers
is to hold it. The plan for disposing
of the bar at Quincy is to tie it to the
bay island by dam aud allow the
inside to fill up. thus making it a
part OF the island. Then protect the
outside edge by riprap, aud that bar
is fixed permanently. The PROPOSE
rion Of the railroad company is right
in line with our plans, for they also
propose to make the bar part of
the island. When l was in Rock Isl
and, Col. King. who is in charge of
this division of the river. asked me
about the railroad project, and l told
him just what l have told you. IF l
thought the filing in would at all in
terfere with navigation l would not
think Of endorsing it. Filling in
under the bridge will at least hold all
of that portion Of the bar above the
bridge right where it Is. and we
would have no further trouble with
it," 4 -au y
Capt. Edwards expressed this op;n-
ion while standing on the new dixie
which he is building across the river
from Quincy. 1t is 1900 feet long,
and is 1000 feet below the old dixie.
The purpose of its construction is to
throw more Of the current over to
the Illinois side and wash out the
sand bar which now obstructs the
steamboat landing. Work on the
new dixie was commenced week
ago, and it will be finished in an
other week. 1t will cost about
5000. but none Of 1t will come out
OF the $4,000, appropriated fol
dredging the harbor. 1t is part OF
the general plan, and the cost will be
taken out Of the general appropria-
ton. Five thousand dollars were
spent last fall in dredging that bar,
and the other 5000 will be spent in
dredging what sand may not be
secured out by the current DETECTED
to this side by the new dixie.
The Wing says: Through the
courtesy OF Dow L. Gwinn,
la Wing man met Capt. Ed
wards on the new dixie yesterday,
and found him q most pleasant gen.
tleman. courteous aud accommodate.
ing, and willing to give all informa
tion in. his possession. He has beer
in charge of this section of the river
for three years, and has his head.
lquarters on the United States steam.
Ter, Coal Bluff" Capt. Edwards WAS
entertained by the Quincy CONNER
cial club the other afternoon.