Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-18
A PORTABLE JETTY
Another Effort for Its Introduc.
ton in the Mississippi
River.
TO TRY IT ON oBsTRUCTING BARS
Some of the History in This En-.
deayor in Past
Years.

Il
| ton of obstructive bars in the chan
mel of the Mississippi, is not a new
thing, but it comes up in new form
brought to the notice of congress
again, this time by John w. King, a
well-known river man of Cairo, III.
He appeared before the congressional
river and harbor committee. and eX-
| planned the scheme, told how il would
work, what ii would cost, and what
could he done with it, and why it
should be supported by congress
without delay
As Argus readers viii remember,
the portable jetty proposed is moth
ing but II floating fence; a tight board
fence, which. instead of standing
erect from the barges that float it in
the water, drops down into the water
from those barges, so that it rests
upon the bottom. The effect of this
fence, it will be easily seen. will be
to defect any current of the river
that comes against it. The bargeS
can he placed at will by means of
anchors, and so Il fence can be run
across any bar. ON which there is
even a low stage of wafer, i'm any di-
rcction desired. The effect of this.
as experience has shown i'm every
case. will be To make the current eX-
cavatc Il channel just where it is
wanted. Once cut the channel will
not fill up again, or if il does fill will
do so tardily and slowly. The cost
of half mile of portable .ictty would
not he very many thousand dollars.
il all being rough work, and the ma
teriaI cheap. But with that device.
as has been sufficiently tested by the
practical experience of river men
themselves. leaving the engineers al
together out of the question, the
river can. in the course of single
season. be corrected, as to channel.
for a space of many miles, and there
is every reason to believe that once
such channel is made it will remain.
It'll Practicable.
This is not a matter of theory. The
steamboat captains who are well
known here have nearly all, at some
time or other. had Il chance to test
the truth of the theory. accidentally
or otherwise. The grounding of a boat
ON q bar, i'm such "a position as To set
the current to work alongside of il,
has resulted i'm securing out several
feet i'm depth i'm the course of sim
gle night. and not only making n
channel into which the boat could
slide sidewisc, and through which il
could get away, but channel that
remained through that season and
the next, the low water route for all
boats that passed there. This thing
happened within few miles of the
city. There have been other instances
of this kind.
1t is the belief of most of the river
men on this section of the Mississippi
that the portable jetty will settle the
sand bar question, and they are all
anxious, to see it tried. Congress did.
several years ago, appropriate $780,
900 for test of the device, but the
engineers dallicd and DELAYED the APP
plication of the fund so long that il
was almost forgotten about, and il
was finally absorbed in other ways.
The river men believe that the en-
gineers purpOsely worked this thing,
in order to prevent this cheap, elf
cient and satisfactory method of
channel Improvement coming into
general use. 1t is held that they were
afraid that they would have nothing
to do if ever the portable ietty got
chance To show what il was capable
of doing. That suppsition may or
may not be true, but it is true that,
with repeated efforts made through
years, the portable ietty has never
yet had test. and So persistent and
mysterious have been the hindrances
that have prevented this that it is
guessed that there is some such in
nuence at work.
May Get Trial.
But il may be that one of these
days the scheme will get trial.
There are bars not far from this
city ON which il is needed. and which
river men say it will cure. There are
plenty OF others. both above and be-
low here. where il is needed. Capt.
King can get a good deal of assist
ancc i'm his efforts If he will apply
to the river men OF the upper Mis-
SisGitpi