The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-05
cooiey's Plan Of improving the River
is sfmiIs to the Way This IS
Bel ns Done on the
River Nile.
sTICKNEY's SUGGESTIONS
He Would Like 70 See Dam suiit at
ST. Louis just Like the One
Which keokuk is Going
to Have.

4 St. Louis man IN favor OF dams
along the river similar to the Keo-
kuk water power dam, compares the
Mississippi TO the Nile and believes
Coolers scheme would be practicable.
The Giobe-Democrat savs:
On January Is, 1908, aIr. william
A. stickney, president OF the William
A. Stickney Cigar Company. wrote a
letter to the editor of the Globe-Dam-
ocrat, In which be advocated the con-
struction of q dam On the Mississippi
river to regulate the fow and water
supply 3fr. Stickney, after writing
the letter, upon consideration. decided
mat he was not familiar enough with
the subject ard threw the letter into
: drawer in his desk, from which he
recovered it about three weeks ago.
Last Tuesday Mr.. Stackney heard
Lyman E. Cooley's address before the
Business Mems league and learned
that the engineer on technical grounds
was in favor of practically the same
thing. and Mr. Stickney thereupon de-
cided 10 express his views. which
follow, IN part.
In a trip up the Nile, some three
years ago, it suggested itself TO me
That dam, similar to the one at the
drst cataract. just above assoran.
would possibly remedy the uncertain
ty OF our water supply. The As
souan dam as 1t is called. was bnIlt
by the English government, though
nnlsned by American engineers. It is
stupendoHs structure Of solid ma
sonary- have not the figures of its
dimensions at hand. but 1t is long
and high enough and strong enough
to hold IN check the waters OF the
Nile-the overflow above the dam
making beautiful lake md partly
covering the ruins OF PhiIea. These
ruins, the most beautiful of Egvut.
were partly sacrificed in the interest
OF the water problem. This dam has
great number of openings or sluices
that can be opened and closed at
VIII. thus regulating the water supply
OF the Nile At the time / was there
only six Of the openings were flowing
which was all that was necessary to
maintain a navigable channel frnu,
Assouan to Cairo. passed in
small boat from the lake through the
canal and locks into the river below
the dam. The locks appeared large
enough to admit of our Missfssinni
steamboats, to pass Commemorative
through-thus navigation would he
taken care of at least, our present
navigation.
II Il foot channel to the gulf is
fnture necessity see no reason WIN
the building OF a dam or dams would
IN any way interfere with its construc-
ton. On the contrary. it would an
pear more feasible and more ecoro-
mical to build channel while the
water was under control.
Naturally the first thought would
De to locate dam above st Iouis.
put could it not be located below the
city? The back water would give
sufficient depth to cover the intake
pipes OF the waterworks at all times
- SA4S lanai VIII Tie lOcES. or If
necessary canal on both sides of
the dam would settle the river trans.
portat1on question, and it would sion
arguments OF the structure giving
away and flooding the city at anv
time. though the danger from this
source is very remote. water
power plant might also be establish.
ed of sufficient magnitude to furnish
light and power for the entire citv's
needs, in fact, possibiHie OF such a
project give free rein to the magma
ton
In Mr. stickney's views, ii would
be mostly farm and that would be
required. and the owners could easily
be compensated for the sacrifice thew
might make. and the owners of the
land skirting the artificial lake cans.
ed by the dam could raise no obiec-
tions, for they would be greatly bene-
fitted. Mr. Stickney also pointed ont
how ST. Louis could thereby get
beautiful and picturesque lake within
easy access by rail, trolley. auto or
launch. where "boat races could he
held and where the air has an on
portunity and the mosquito lingereth
not