Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-10-12
WORK ON THE RAPIDS.
The Question as to the Char.
acter Of Their Improve
mcnt.
WATER POWER POSSIBILITIES.

ehsli NseissAssn Alone Bs Considered
or That In Cofeestson With MenufAe-
turing Interests Hero In the Three
GNia-E. w. Boynton's Paper BAfors
the wat-rwAy Convention At DavsDpUrs.
A paper Of particular local interest
before the waterway convention at
Davenport last week was that OF E.
W. Boynton. formerly Of this city,
and now commissioner OF public
works at DsVen port. 1t was read by
Mayor S. Y. Smith, OF Davenport. in
MIR. Boynton's absence, and Ii con-
tains SO much that is of local inter
est that it i. given in full:
"Shall the Improvement OF the
Rock leland Rapids Of the Mississippi
River be Continued for the Promo
tion Of Commerce Alone?
"A prosperous commerce is per-
eeived and acknowledged by all en-
lightened statesmen, to be the most
useful as we'll as the most productive
source Of national wealth; and has,
accordingly. become primary OBJ
ject Of their political cares.
In only two places below the
mouth Of the Minnesota river does
the Mississippi river run over rock
bed; one Of these places is the Rock
Island rapids opposite Davenport.
Iowa, Moline and Rock Island, Illi-
nois. At Davenport. SS4 miles be-
low st. Paul. there are rapids over q
succession of rocky chains extend
ing across the river, and the descent
i. 20.4 feet in a distance of Il rs
miles. The rapids consist of q series
Of pools alternating with rapids over
rocks in places, which crosses the
river in q series of dams. These are
called chains, and there are 10 such
designated on the United States en-
gineer's maps. with the following
names: Upper, Smiths. Sycamore,
Crab Island, Saint Louis, Campbell's
Winnebago, Duck Creek, Moline and
lower chain. The rock forming the
bed Of the river Is magnetism lime.
stone in places. The river here
leaves Its ancient trough and bed OF
soft drift to flow across the country,
cutting a new channel in the lime.
|
Hence the concentration of the de.
scent at the rapids. The slope il
greatest at the lower portion OF the
rapids. about halt of the total fall
occurring in the last five miles. The
Rock Island rapids have long proved
a serious impeachment to the nsviga-
ton of the river, and the United
! hoo .;
for many years in improving them.
The 81 stem used has been to blast
out channel where the chains are,
200 feet wide and feet deep at low
water. The government is now in.
creasing these dimensions to 400 feet
wide aud 6 feet deep, and building
wing dams from the shore out to the
channel.
1.-The first appropriation for the
Rock Island rapids was made in 1866
and g., 166. $50 have been appro.
priated and expended to 1890.
Steam boats cannot navigate the rap
ids at night, and in daylight q spe
cial pilot is required by all boats
passing the rapids. The river at the
foot Of the rapids should be damned
thus producing slack water to the
head of the rapids. and a water pow.
er. A lock and log-way should be
placed in the dam to admit of the
passage Of boats and RATS; by plac.
ing a dam in the river the time oil
the passage Of steamboats, can be re.
duced one hour In the distance OF il
miles. Owing to the improvement,
of the island Of Rock Island by the
government for the purpose Of ar
arsenal. only about Is. 4 feet and II
miles of the entire fall OF the river
will be available for slack water nav.
igation, and as water power. The
low water flow of the Mississipp
river at Davenport is $4,000 cubi,
feet per second; the high water flow
is PSI. 200 cubic feet per second; the
average flow is 62. GEO cubic feet pei
second. Using tho low water flow
of the river, about all of which will
be available. we have 1880 gre g!
horse power. the second largest va
ter power in the world, Niagara
Falls ranking irst) To develop the
slack water navigation. and the wa