The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-19
PINE RIVER DAM
READY R "a IN SUMMER M
s4sg s .e.s:iS -
GOVERNMENT WORK PROGRESS
sa ING RAPIDLY. +s
Masonry Will Stand Twenty one Feet
High and Be 233 Feet Long-What
Has Been Done for Improvement Of
the Mississippi Between Brainerd
and Grand Rapids. .. T.. T..
Special to The Journal.


Brainerd, Mimi, April 19.-The work on the
government dam at Pine River, about thirty
miles north Of Brainerd, is progressing rapidly
and has reached stage of completion which
gives some Idea Of the finished structure. Tho
abutment wall on the south side of the river
and seven channel PIERS covering more than half
of the width Of the river, have already been
built The old dam. has been entirely removed
and big moulds are being set up, scaffolds built
and track laid ready to put in the concrete
piers Of the remaining portion of the dam. 49,
The shape of the dam will be different from
any thing in this part of the state, but 1t is
difficult to describe the finished appearance.
When completed 1t will have thirteen sluice-
ways, arched, and wagon bridge will cross
the top. The railing to the wagon bridge will
be of cement relieved by large number of
small arched openings Some portions Of this
railing already completed and they indicate
that the structure will be harmonious and hand
some. r. - = = '.']
| The engineer says the masonry part Of the
dam will be 233 feet long and twenty one feet
high 1t will contain 5000 cubic feet Of con-
crete Of the most approved materials and pro-
portions. 1t is expected that the work will be
completed by midsummer and the engineer hopes
to have it SO far along that it will be out Of
the way of danger from high water and so will
| not interfere with the work Of the luNbermen.
Improvement Of River.
! By the rive and harbor act of june 1902
| congress authorized the ex penditure of $4,000,
|
the river between Brainerd and Grand Rapids.
| In the fall of 1908 the work of removing over
hanging trees commenced at Grand Rapids and
continued down to Aftkin, and during the open
water Of 1904 and 1905 the work of removing
snags, etc., was carried thru from Grand Rapids
| to Pine Knoll At that place freezing weather
caught the party, the boats were tied up and
! the work carried on by men working on the
| Ice and river banks. The crew, which lived
in tents, came as far as the sluicing booms
nine miles above Brainerd The channel. work
| will be done by the boats down to the same
place. commencing as soon as the river is clear
of Ice.
So far the crew has cleared out 4s, GAG over
hanging trees, 344s6 bushes, 2,457 snags and
q, 6sS logs. Overhanging trees and bushes are
what rivermen call "sweepers''; ''bush'' Is
any tree less than six inches in diameter. Clear
ing logs does not properly belong to this work,
but where the snags and large low sweepers
| are the logs accumulated and must be removed
before the real obstruction can be reached.
| The work was begun at Grand Rapids because
between there and Aitkin is the stretch of
river most important to the present navigator.
The removal of timber is also usually more eco
nomically done by working downstream.
| After the timber work Is done it is proposed
| to do some work to protect the caving bank %and
prevent the river making "cut-offs'' and form
ing new channels to the detrtment Of both the
farmer and navigator. =. t''F
Uncle Sam is in the habit Of helping those
who help themselves. and, the matter Of further
I appropriations for the improvement Of the upper
Mississippi will depend almost entirely on its
! use as a highway Of transportation. It is UP
| to the cities along its banks to rise to the
opportunity. :. =. r. *. .
Red River Presbytery Meets. '">
1 The Red River presbytery and the Ladies'
Presbyt erial Home and Foreign Missionary so
ciety Of the presbytery closed a successful two
days. meeting last night. The presby terry in
cludes the churches in the counties Of Becker
Grow Wing, Clay, Cass, Hubbard Douglas
Grant, Otter Tail, Wadena and Wilkin. Dele
gates We're present from Fergus Falls, Maine
i Western, Evansville, Wheaton,, Moorhead, Elbow
Lake, Bemidii and Baker. Rev. J. F. Mcleod
Of Brainerd elected as moderator and W. l.
Wilson Of Maine as clerk.
Everett Marco, a popular young man. Of Eas
Brainerd, died last night of appendicitis afte
sickness of five days. An operation was
performed as a last resort, but was ,unavailing
. A. L. Baker, organizer for the State Fedora
ton Of Labor, IS in the city and held an en-
thusiastic meeting last night. He will remafl
here some days and try to resurrect some o
the defunct local unions. e.. -
,, Babe Accidentally Shot.
The infant daughter of George Brundette,
farmer living In township 1928 in the northern
part of Crow Wing county, came to- her dealt
in peculiar manner Tuesday Mr. Brundett
was hunting on Monday and set his gun, %
! caliber rife, beside the door. 5-year-old so
picked up the rifle, which was loaded and tn
father told him to take it into the house.
= AS he entered the door the rifle was dis
d the forehead Of the girl, who was about 1 !
:, years old, and lodged in the base Of the brai
> at the back of the head. The babe lived abou
4 twenty four hours.