Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-09-01

the Illinois side was the same and after
working a broader bed for itself at the
expense of thousands of acres of valu-
able farm lands in Illinois, the river be-
gan working straight course for itself,
and slowly but surely ever since then
the eating away Of the land has gone on
| in ceaSeleSS silence.
Two years ago the river threatened
to turn it's current upon the Missouri
shore and had already begun making
great inroads upon the banks opposite
Clearyville. When this was found to
be disastrous to the towns on the ILL
nois side of the river efforts were made
by the business men Of those places
which resulted transportation being
made by the government and work be-
ing done on the river at that point.
The work had the desired effect and
since then little attention has been
given to the river at that point. But
now a picture most disastrous in its
| execution is spread before the inhabi-
tants of the towns along the river from
| st. Genevieve to lockwood. The fate
| Of lockwood threatens to be the fate
| of Chester and Menard. The same ter
| rible fate of historic old Kaskaskia
| hangs gloomily over Clearyville and
| Boise Brule. These villages lie along
the rivers bank all oblivious of what
seems to be the inevitable.
The serious and rapid encroachments
| Of the rivers current upon Kaskak1a
island at point directly opposite the
Southern Illinois prison has caused a
great sandbar to form along the Illinois
shore Immediately above the prison
The gradual growth of this bar has
been continually watched by the prison
officials for the past ten months, 1t be-
ing interesting to them from the fact
that it was seen that as soon as the bar
had pushed itself sufficiently far
enough down stream the water supply
Of the prison would be shut off.
The further into the island the cur
| rent ate the further down the stream
the hoary-headed bar pushed it's way,
and month ago all hopes that the bar
would not advance to dangerous po-
sition were abandoned by the prison
officials and preparations were made
for new supply to be in readiness
when the other was shut off. Recently
the bar manifested its destructive work.
The prison pumps refused to work
The sand had reached the point where
the pipes entered the river and they
had become clogged.
About mile above the prison the
river makes great bend into Kaskas-
kia island, forming half moon-like
depression, which has existed ever since
the river cut across from it's old bed.
The current makes great sweep along
this depression and the frail soil is ran
idly washed away and sand bars from
continually along the Illinois shore,
During the past year almost a mile OF
land has been washed away from the
south end of the island by the hungry
waters and they are yet unsatisfied.
The current is working a straight
course for itself and this is what makes
the gloomy picture to the prison Off
Gals and the inhabitants Of Chester. ST
Masys, Clearyville and Boise Brule
The current in the Strengthened course
Will strike the Missouri shore abon+
half mile up the rivers old channel
and once more the river will begin IFS
strengthening action, but this time r.
Will be much more acpalnrafod aaxr;rr.