The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-09
ROBERT ELEE SAVED
/ RIVER TO ST, LOUIS
Prevented Mississippi from Be-
ing Diverted from City
GREAT ENGINEERING FEAT
River Started to the East in 1897 and
Left Sand Bank for the Mis-
souri, Metropols-crlsis
for City.
GREAT ENGINEERING FEAT

Known to the present generation that st.
Louis In a large measure. owes her nine
teen miles of water front TO the skill and
wisdom of Gen. Robert E. Lee, the idol
OF the Confederacy, who, when a lleuten-
ant In the United States army in 1887.
came here and by a feat of remarkable
engineering prevented the Mississippi
from straying far over to what is now
the Illinois side.
In 1897 the great river had with no ap-
parent cause, begun a slow but steady
movement to the east, cutting into the
Illinois shore and leaving a huge sand
bank between is waters and what had
been the levee of St Louis.
St Louis was a river town in those
days. Its commercial life depended al
most wholly upon river traffic. It was
the mart for the fur traders of the north
and the ancestors of many wealthy peo-
pie of st. Louis made the foundation for
their fortunes in this commerce.
Between st. Louis and New Orleans
steamboats, afforded the only means of
transportation, and when the river sud
denly changed its course, leaving ST.
Louis high and dry, as it were, many cit
izens at that time looked into the future
and saw deserted village, instead of
great metropolis that should guide the
commercial destiny of the southwest en-
pire.
War Department Gives Aid.
The business men of St. Louis petitioned
the war department for assistance. and in
response the secretary of war delegated
49,. L rfsRaa -iFafr
ebrps and Lieutenant r. E. Meigs to go
70 st. Louis and devise means to divert
the threatened DETECTION of the main cur
rent of the Mississippi
Protected by a congressional appropra-
ton, the young army officers departed
from Washington early in June, 1897, AMI
began their long and tedious journey to
St Louis. Lee made nearly all of the trip
BY water and passed through many dan
Eerous and exciting experiences. At
louisville he found a small steamboat,
eaptained by John Moorehead son-in-law
OF the famous Captain SchreeYes, the in
ventor of the snagboat and builder of the
boat obtained by Lee.
Lee recruited and QUILTED a crew of
practical river men, many of whom were
experienced surveyors, and, accompanied
by Lieutenant Melgs as his assistant, pro-
ceeded to st. Louis, arriving here late in
August 1887.
Lee lnspects River.
Aiter short lnsPeO'iUti "a ~ - a.
lne Of LOUIS mar nc ,.'a. sot,,
eidea that ne coulu pet'ei 800, az,
" ol PieNentlns VIC - - -, -
current aiter .oui VI tNe 2 g.,
the city. According he assembled as far
north as Des Mones rapids.
Upon his return to ST. Louis, the city,
- sish VI 10 10 @ 80
apu me eng in na apiiits' 1,..,t.
pfoplia'loil % si''uVO a''o So t,,a,,,,,s hos,
I've the rlshV " uSe II 90 80, aI.s1g,,,., -
sihe seoBiaphy ~ potii '"e .'.,l AZ
llllhois BANKS Oh me Il'ei M"e p 49,, "
lFreht lroin Wial ~ 20 ~" - 80 e.
lahd' now 'ne business seo'eo4 ~, u -. i
LOUIS, nay III VIZ - -, go,
Tar from the limos shore as !. was I,,, soia
Inc missouri Between II anu 'ls -
pahk ran the man, Vnailiiei - 80 a,,,i
ieaVlng the Water pe-weeii 'i,e t -
the CITY ot 81 i1ouls a'il ,N,sa, 9'''s
fapidly niiins up WIN 49,, -. ,,a a
In aadl'ioh 20 Ills ls,'nu -, go
large sahu oahh' Nv az 90 20 - ,aI,
pylhg the FORMER pos.eio - ~ ~ 1--we,
chahhei, anu ie"VunS -
part OF the CITY, Whlen ~ s s 4 ~ 49,.
.he CITY "nlcn !. s'lus -. uus aa,,th
pank' TO point '"o ii'iieS
Talked of Deserving City.
r,,,,, contingent Was divided A norton
- W. ,eon,e were in favor of deserving
the present site of the city and choosing
some location on the Mississippi which,
by the structure of the banks, would rem
der its harbor front Interchangeable. But
such men as the Chouteaus. the Ashleys
and the Sanfords. fur traders Of wealth,
with their principle offices and stores in
st. Louis, counselled against the change,
and their influence won.
After months of surveying and the con-
eideration of plans submitted by others,
Lieutenant Lee, In a report to his COM
nanding officer al Washington, outlined
his plan, which was so gigantic in its
scope that it evoked much free criticism
and adverse prediction by the people.
Lees plan was TO force the current back
to its original channel by driving piles and
constructing cribs and wing dams. The
eddies. which result as the water flows be-
tween the piles, were expected to cause
a deposit of sediment to be made between
the dams which would gradually fill up
the place where the washout had occurred
with solid matter and divert the unsteady
stream back into its original course.
Lee planned to make use of the velocity
with which the Mississippi flows after It's
tuncture with the Missouri In his work of
making the channel on the west side of
Bloody Island, the principal channel of the
river.
Had Confidence In Lee.
,-, 49, ,....-., -. -,
-, hs, ~ r,t,, Assa Ills aoi',aa
vote OF confidence, and authorized to pro-