Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-07-04
TO NAVIGATE THE
DES MONIES RIVER
kEosAUQUA MAN HAS A PRoPo-
sITIoN IMPORTANT TO STATE
OF IOWA If PRACTICABLE
PLAN SEEMS FEASIBLE

w. E. Fosnot Says That If Motive
Power and Carrying Capacity Be
Separated Less Draft Would be
Needed-Wants Congress to Act.
Can the Des Moines river be made
navigable? w. E. Fosnot OF keosau-
qua think it can and advances theor.
les to back up his arguments which,
he claims to have worked out to his
complete satisfaction elsewhere. The
/ question Is startling one and one of
| vast Importance to Ottumwa, Des
| Moines and other cities and towns
along the Des Moines river. II the
| Des Moines river could be made
navigable stream 1t would link all OF
the valuable country along its banks
with the south and the west and fur
nish much cheeper mode of trans
portation Of freight than has ever be-
fore been the case. 1t would help IN
a measure to solve the car shortage
problem, at least in this part OF the
country, and that question is still one
of the vital ones of the nation. II
| the Des Moines river is made naviga-
BILE it would also link the country
| through which it flows with the far
west as soon as the Panama canal is
completed and in the same degree as
this great project increases the value
and important Of all the laws In tho
4 Mississippi valley, so would 1t also IN
crease the value and Importance OF
the country tributary to the Des
MONIES river for 1t would furnish
means of transportation entirely by
water from this section Of the coun-
try to the western coast cities and
produce for the foreign markets
across the Pacific could be handled
entirely by water, which is a vastly
| cheaper mode of transportation or
freight than by rail, and would require
less handling.
Has Studied the Subject.
Mr.. Fosnot. who was formerly a
Jeweler in Keosauqua and still owns
a jewelry store In that place, conduct
ed by his son, has made study of
shallow water navigation, having spent
four years in Florida, where he owns
and conducts the Lake Weir Steam
er Co., at Eastlake, Florida On &C
count of the shallow water near the
shore of the lake on which Mr.. Eos
not operates his boats he has found 1t
/ expedient to take recourse to a style
Of boats that have but little draft and
this problem has been solved by Mr.
Fosnat by dividing his power from his
carrying capacity, using two boats
where one ordinarily is used. Nm this
way he gets more surface and thus
requires less draft and also needs less
power for the same amount of weight
by reason of not drawing so much wat
er.
Should Interest Government.
While in Ottumwa yesterday Mr.
Fosnot said that the first step in max
ing the Des Moines river navigable
would necessarily be to get the gov
eminent of the United States inter
ested in the matter and also to get
the stream classed as navigable
stream and as such stream to re-
ceive the benefits of government ap-
preparations for the improvement and
maintainence of a channel in the river
He stated that little dredging and
other work would help greatly, al
though by following out the theories
he advances for shallow water naviga'
; ton not over or 8 feet Of water
would be required for boats that could
transport great amount of freight
and other traffic.
Mr.. Fosnot claims that the plan tC
place the freight on a large 1at-bot-
toned barge-shaped boat with the
power located on another boat behind
would also do away with the necessity
for high stacks which have always
, proved a serious problem in the navi
, cation of rivers where there are many
, bridges. Naturally there are no draw
bridges on the Des Moines river anc
. boats with high smockstacks woult
be unable to get under the bridges
but by using the kind of boats which
, Mr. Fosnot proposed this drawback
would be obviated Motor boats will
either gasoline engines or steam coulr
i be utilized and very small engine
) would be sufficient going down stream
, It is his idea to carry freight dowf
stream mostly and return empty o.
!. with slight loads.
Mr. Fosnot has lived in Keosauqut
since 1916 and during the greater par
, of this time has studied the matter O
/ shallow water and slack water nayi
cation more or less. He now proposes
! to interest congress by having !
: brought before that body by the con
e gresham from this district If tn
. matter is practicable and can be work
:; ed out to a successful issue it woul
be of great importance to the STATE
!, of Iowa and to the cities and town
t up and down the Des Moines river.
t ut should be brought before tn
s waterways commission said MI
0 Fosnot, "in order that they may plal
what improvements are necessary.
may be necessary to build a dam o
, two at certain points and the chanre
: would need dredging and certai
;. ;, amount of work and care but the pla
: is entirely feasible If taken up an
# pushed properly. l am willing to d
It anything in my power to assist tn
: project, although l am not directly il
terested except as favoring anythin
: that would be benefit to the countr
: at general"
I DIVORCE SUIT FILED.