Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-23
DRAW WORKS WELL
Government Bridge Swing Given
First Trial Since Close
Of Navigation.
ICE IS FAST FADING AWAY
Gorge In Front of City All That Re-
mains-Little Damage
Has Been Done.

The draw of the Rock Island bridge.
which has been closed since the end
ing of the steamboating season last
| fall, was given a trial swing at 10: 80
o'clock this morning to make sure
that all would be in readiness for the
first craft that puts her nose in that
direction and whistles for a passage.
The draw. despite its long period of
languor, showed in first class trim
and will respond with its old-time
alacrity at the first sound of a
steamer.
The river was clear today. with the
exception of a gorge out a short dis
lance from the Rock Island shore and
extending from Seventeenth TO TWEEN
tieth streets. This is expected to move
| along shortly. 1t will disap-
pear without working any damage,
unless it should bring up against the
Crescent bridge in a heap, but river
men say the ice has been made so
brittle by the warm weather that
when it strikes an object of the re-
sistance of the lower spans it will dis
solve like a mountain of sand.
Logs Are Recovered.
The nine brails of logs held in re
serve for early spring operations by
the Rock Island Sash & Door works in
the Sylvan water just above the wa
terworks, carried away when the
water receded yesterday afternoon,
have been recovered mostly. Five
brails lodged against the gorge in the
middle of the river and were swung
in against the Rock Island shore,
where they were tied up. The remain
der of the logs continued on down the
river, but the mill managers state that
very few will be lost, boats being put
at work at Andalusia and Buffalo.
Six charges of dynamite were used
to loosen the gorge at the Crescent
bridge yesterday afternoon. The tres
tie leading to the bridge proper from
the Davenport side is said to have
been weakened. Only passengers and
light freights will be permitted to
cross the bridge until it is strength
ened.
The combination barge and sand
elevator of the TroDp-Darling COM
pany was torn loose from its moor
ings in the triangle. The elevator rig
ging was wrecked while passing I'M
der the viaduct bridge. The barge
dropped into pocket near the TWEEN
tieth street depot of the Rock Island
road and was tied up. 50.
Record for go Years.
The river was closed this year from
Dec. Is till March %, or 9S days. This
record has been exceeded a number of
years, according to the account kept
of the dates of closing and opening
of the river by the late Capt. George
ii. Carr, of lie Claire, who kept ac-
count for 90 years, beginning in 1888
and ending in 1898. The dates at lie
Claire would vary but a few days from
those at this point. According to
Capt. Carr, the river has been closed
nine times more than 100 days since
1888.
In 1S42-1s43, which is counted the
record brea king winter in GOODNESS,
the ice bridge formed Nov. 90, and the
river remained closed for 1873 days, the
ice moving April S.
In 1SSO-1SS1, the length of the dura-
ton of the ice bridge is even more
remarkable. The river closed Nov. 81
and the ice moved out April IL, giving
us a closed river for 142 days, or nine
days longer than the winter of 1912
43, or four and one-half months of
solid wintry weather with an ice
bridge between shores.
Other years in which the ice bridge
remained here for over 100 days are
excepted from Capt. Carr's record as
follows:
Winter of 1s71-72, during the build |
ing of the original government bridge, |
ice formed a bridge Thanksgiving day, |
Nov. 80. and the river broke up and |
cleared March &c, liz days.
The next winter, 1S72-1S73, the ice
bridge formed on Thanksgiving day |
also. and continued until March IA, |
when the ice moved out, after a clos
ed season of 1O4 days.
In 1SS7--1ssS the ice bridge formed |
Nov. % and lasted until March 10, a
period of 116 days.
In 1s9s-1S99. which is the last rec
ord kept by Capt. Carr, the bridge
formed on Thanksgiving day and con-
tinued until March 30, during period
of 112 days.
In 1s56-1s57, the year in which the
Antonio LeClaire. the first locomotive
in Iowa. was taken across the ice, the
river closed Dec. 5 and opened March
), 10 days.
In 1s66-1S67, the span was 104 days.
the bridge forming Dec. Is and break
ing up on All-FOoIs day, April /.
In the following year, 1s67-1s6s the
river tried an encore, fseezing up for
the ice bridge on the same day, Dec.
Is. but ii lost time in the breaking up.
missing it by one day. April ,, los days
being the period of the closure.
There were two years in which the
river did not close, which might be
termed open dates. The first was in
1855 and the second in 1s77-1S7S.
Blair Starts Monday.
Capt. Walter Blair has. announced
that the Helen Blair will make its ini-
tial trip for the season next Monday