The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-11
Army Engineers In the HIxby Report
Hold That a Nine Foot Chan.
mel VIII Take Care Of
Water Commerce.
1S YEARS ARE NEEDED
Detailed Outlines Of Plans by Which a
II Foot Channel Could be
Secured BY Outlay
Of s12s,ooo,ooo.

WASHINGTON. June 11.-A blow
was administered to the lakes-to-the-
gulf deep waterway project by the
engineers corps OF the army in the
report transmitted to the house yes
terday by Secretary Of war Dickinson.
Not that the 14-foot channel sought is
not feasible, but that an s or 9 foot
channel will take care Of all the wa.
ter commerce for the present and
future Of the Mississippi valley, is the
pirport of the reports, in some fea-
lures OF which the Bixby survey
board and the reviewing board differ.
It remains for Brig. Gen. William L.
Marshall, chief of engineers, to say
that the report Of the survey is in
complete in that it does not contain
estimates for an foot and 9 foot
channel. when Ia foot channel was
what has been sought. Gen. Marshall
states estimates on these two chan
nels will be submitted before congress
adjourns.
Demand, II Says, Appears Unreal.
One startling announcement by the
Bixby board is that "the demand for
increased depth appears to be more
conjectural than real I" The board has
received very littla information as to
the prospective conmerce which will
require a IA foot channel, it says, and
refers to the claim upon which the
demand OF the Mississippi valley peo.
pie are agitating the deep waterway,
that commerce will follow the facii.
tiles. The total estimated cost Of a
ia foot channel by combination OF
methods" is given at SIPS, 100000 by
the board Of review, to which esti-
mate must be added the cost Of com.
pleting that portion above st. Louis,
which is over $30,ooo,oo0.
The resolution of congress Of
March, 1907. gave six specific instruc.
tions to guide them in the survey.
The engineer board of review for riv-
ers and harbors agrees with four OF
the findings on these six features, but
disagrees with the fifth and sixth.
The chief OF engineers approves the
opinions expressed with respect to
the methods of improvement consid
cred, with the exception that a lone
study of the conditions existing on
| the sediment bearing Mississippi
river leads him to believe 1t will not
| Io ton 1a fr ~ INT m, ,,t,1
depth of Ia feet of water between st
Louis and Cairo by means OF locks
and movable dams.
"The structures might be built" he
says, 'sbut their efficiency is profile
matical, and in the opinion of the
chief of engineers the chances of fav
orable operation are very remote"
Ia Foot Channel Not Desirable.
The chief of engineers states he Is
| in accord with the board of review, In
1 the opinion that it is not desirable
to construct a navigable channel oi
IA feet depth. The Bixby board
which made the special survey from
| st. Louis to the gulf, is Of the opinion
that the Mississippi from st. Louis
| to Cairo is susceptible to improve
ment to 9.S foot depth, but to obtair
4 a material increase by regulation
works alone is problernatical ant
without precedent.
The board reports on specifi, lues
! tions of the act Of March 2, 1907, AZ
follows:
Il. 1t is practicable to 'roduc, be
tween st. Louis and Cairo at low wa
4 ter by means of regulation works
a channel of at least 10 feet depth.
i Q. A depth Of at least Ia feet will
obtain in such regulated channel a
the average stage of water for The
year. 1875 on the ST. Louis gauge.
4 8. Fourteen feet depth of watel
(. will obtain in such regulated channe
for at least an average of 163 day.
4 annually
a. The increase of depth whicl
will be obtained by an added volume
of water over the natural flow II
such regulated channels will be mucl
less than the increase in water stage
and between st. Louis and Cairo
this increase in depth at low waite
stage will be not more than inches
for 10000 cubic feet per second
i, while at high water stage the In
crease will be less. Below Cairo thi
increase will be inappreciable at higl
water stage. With the banks reyette,
so that the supply OF material to th'
bars is reduced to minimum, th'