Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
John King, Julius calhoon and Shell

John King, Julius Calhoon and Shell
don Ruby.
1.-THE hills are there and the grand
old river still flows onward toward
have been made In the stream.
Through the plans and skillful work of
tie u. S. engineers Col. Durham Maj.
Richie, Major Meigs and others the
rivtl has been Strengthened and the
channel deepened. There is now
low water stage between st. Paul
and st. Louis of four feet. With the
light draft boats a profitable business
can be done on four feet during the
low water period of sixty days.
Propose to Increase Depth
1.-THE engineers now Propose to in
crease the depth to six feet, With this
idea in mind, the upper Mississippi has
been divided into six districts. and q
fleet of boats and about one hundred
man are now at work in each district
Four of the fleets are owned and OPP
Grated by the government, and in the
other two districts the work is done
by contract Captain A. Y. Fetter is
orc of the contractors. He has a S4o,-
900 contract near Ft. Madison. He has
about 100000 invested in boats and the
engineers speak in the highest terms
of praise of him and his work 6
"There on the big river where the
bed and the banks are dirt and sand.
this concentration of the water and
deepening of the channel is done by
the use of timber and stone dams, and
bank protection. All of the island
chutes upon one side of the stream are
| closed with these dams and the water
is forced to the opposite shore. Here
and there some dredging is done also
The engineers say that when this work
| is completed there will be six feet of
water over all the high bars, during
| the low water period. Six feet is suf-
ficient and all the steamboat men are
asking for. They are doing very well
now on feet.
| Government Erects Crossing Boards.
/ another feature is the marks upon
the shores, introduced and maintained
I by the government. At every crossing
nre boards some ten or twelve feet
I high. painted white. At night lamp
is placed upon these boards. BY fol-
flowing these lights and boards the pill
OTIS keep their boats in the channel. AS
compared with our system in the SOS
and T0's it is q snap for the pilot. In
/ those days the only work in progress
was the pulling of snags. Pilots estab-
litheG their own marks upon the
shoals at crossings. A huge tree, the
head of an island. slide in the hill
a low place or notch in the line OF
timber. Any kind of an object upon the
shore that would mark crossing ex-
cept a hay stack.
1.-THE steamboat business is picking
up on the river. The Quincy, st. Pau
land other fine boats are doing fine
business between st. Louis and st
Paul. Then there are short packets be-
tween the different towns and cities
With five boats, Captain Blair ha:
!, quite completed q chain of these pack
cts between Davenport and Quincy
and they are making money The Sc,
cret of their success is in the fact tina
the merchants and shippers along thu
river own stock in all these boats. Thi
brings freight and passenger business
to the boats.
!, The Waterway Question.
Il talked to a number of steamboat
Y men in reference to the improvement
: of the rivers. They have some yer.
: positive ideas in reference to this ques
, ton.
Q "They fully endorse the action of tn
Y u. S. Engineers in turning down tn
Ideer waterway and ship canal iron
Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico The,
: insist that there is no demand for sue
: an Improvement at an expense Q
. $129,000000 That would be like build
: ing q standard guage railroad wit
. narrow gauge connections.
: Their plan for the improvement Q
{, the waterways is this: The improve
/ mGnt of al the rivers, giving them a
: q uniform depth of 6 to s feet Whe
i this part has been completed, throug
. the construction of canals, connect a
. OF these rivers, thus creating a com
n Eriete system, a network of waterway:
> all over the United States. so that on
producers and manufacturers ca
;, reach the home market by an all waite
Il route, the cheapest method of trans
a portation known, the foreign, or ocea
y trade being a secondary matter.
+ THE operation upon this. system
q waterways. river steamboats, an
: barges, light swift draft steamers fc
! passengers and passengers only, to
" run up in schedule time. Steel hull to-
ef boats and barges for freight only.
Should Construct River Boat Channe
THE building of a sufficient numb'
of these steel barges SO that they ca
o be left at the different landings, al
d there loaded under the direction of tt
: steamboat agent. thus saving. Il
cost of building large warehouses ar
1t the expense of handling in and out
is such store houses. Receive and di
lie charge the freight at and from Il
ls barges. The tow boats to pick up the'
a loaded barges and haul the freight
Id its destination. as the freight trail
a pick up the loaded cars at the railros
ce stations. Good landings at every pal
eff floating docks to be built and mail
of tanned by the towns and cities. The ri
r er boats and barges to handle all t
ut business upon this system of waite
ne ways. Connection by steamboat cha
IN mel with the lakes and ocean ports al
IS the transfer of passengers and freig
I'D at such ports as the two classse
t. service cannot be combined. the de
he and the shoal water navigation. T
a river boats cannot be used upon t
Id lake and ocean and the river is
he place for the deep draft, clumsy la
n and ocean steamers. 1t is impracti
s. able
ep This is the position of the riy
er men and the U. S. engineers and tn
ng are supposed to know more about
RI than the average statesman and
ed politician. They believe that the S12
tn 100000, the estimated cost of the de