Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

the improvement of the Des Moines
river there has been considerable dis
cussion among the people and the
question is frequently asked: Can it /,
be done?" AS steamboat man Of
ten years. experience and having a
very thorough knowledge of the pres
ent government system of river i'm
provement | would answer this ques-
ton in the affirmative. Men and
money will do it and know of no pub.
f, lie Improvement which would be of
such great benefit to the people as
| this. Under the present system of do
! ing such work, it is very simple
matter, easily explained to those who
are not familiar with it. The govern
ment plan of measuring the depth of
shallow river, is TO concentrate the
water. To close ali island chutes and
stone wing dams; to straighten the
channel. reduce its width, and in
crease its depth. For illustrations
we will suppose that at certain
point the Des Moines river has a
width of 800 yards and that the aver
age depth of the water Is Is inches.
Now, throw this water together or pile
4 it up into channel ten yards in width
and you have four and one-third feet
of water or more than the average
stage &C the Mississippi during the
summer months. The largest class
of steamboats, between st. Louis and
st. Paul have a draught of but thirty
inches. BY towing barges and lead
ing them even with the steamboat,
they can do large and paying business
; on 31la feet of water. There is suffi-
cient water in the Des Moines river
every year, to make it navigable for
tugs and barges as the gentleman sug-
gests, if concentrated and controlled.
The engineers engaged in such work
will tell you that there are two ways
to do this, either one of which will &C.
complish the desired results. First, a
canal and system of locks from Des
Moines to the mouth of the river. Sec
, ond. dams for holding the water and
: concentration of the water above
the back water If two dams are ten
: miles apart, the back or dead water
would extend up the stream about
: one-half of the distance From this
/ halfway point to the next dam, the
$ brush and stone wing dams would be
r thrown out from the shore to concen
$ trate the water and increase its
:. depth.
: It can be accomplished by either
!. system and the saving in freight
S charges to the shippers and farmers
! of the Des Moines valley would soor
f equal the entire cost of the work
l. Once completed, the work would BIZ
. permanent for the reason that for the
n greater part of the distance the bee
t of the river is solid rock and there
a would be no cutting or shifting of the
t channel.
s And this improvement could b.
d made cheaply for the reason that thu
v two necessary articles to do the worl
O are close at hand, the stone and viii
d lows. On the Mississippi and othe
streams the material is often brough
a distance of fifty to one hundred
# miles at a heavy expense for trans
q portation.
! This movement should receive thu
!. encouragement of the people and whel
r. the legislature meets this winter, thu
# members of that body should asl
9 congress to make an appropriation t
= start the work. Water transportation
: is the cheapest method known in tn
{, freight business. Any railway mana
II ger will tell you that his road canno
~ compete with it. SO that the more W
!. have of it the better. xxx.