Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-18
MAJOR MEiGS NEARS
END OF RIVER CRUISE
CONTINUED From Page 1.)
Meigs much and will be of consider
able value to him.

Dams the impeachment.
The chief impeachment to navigation
on the Des Moines, may be said to be
confined to dams and low bridges.
These removed, the river at the stage
it showed yesterday, and that was not
unusual, is fully able to float the aver
upper Mississippi between Keokuk
and Ottumwa. Immediately below the
Market street bridge, the boat got a
little too close to the north shore of
the river and here 1t showed depth
Of two and half feet. Elsewhere all
along the river to Eldon the depth of
the stream averaged from five to
twelve feet, leaving no doubt about
the navigation possibilities of the
stream except for the bridges and
dams that are located at various
places along the river between Ottum-
wa and Keokuk.
Reach EIdon for Lunch.
Eldon was reached at 1:40 p. M,
where the party took lunch after which
they left for Keosauqua continuing
their trip down the stream. The
Courier representative left the party
at Eldon, returned to Ottun1wa and the
party shortly after lunch began again
on their cruise toward keosauqua
where they spent the night. While
Major Meigs would not be quoted as
to his opinion Of the stream until his
report had been properly filed with
his superior it was evident that he
was satisfied with the condition he
found as we'll as the information given
hi i'm HiyhiIn ;y, A
ped occasionally showed that with the
canalization of the Des Moines. navi-
cation would be very practicable along
the stream and new shipping facilities
given Ottumwa.
Tour About the City.
Saturday afternoon, accompanied
by the Waterways committee of the
Commercial association, the Meigs
party boarded autos at the Ballingall
hotel about $3.50 and tour of the
city was made. The motorers first call
ed at the boat house where Major
Meigs and his assistants made sound
ings of the water at various places in
the vicinity of the Oarsmens club
house and took the stage of the water
going over the dam. They then turned
the, cars again toward the city and
made a trip to the Dain plant, where
they went through the plant BY this
time the hour was too late to give a
very thorough visit to the other con-
Germs called upon and a trip to the J..
H. Merrill home, corner of East Fifth
and Green streets, was made, where
the party rested for fifteen minutes,
while the major conversed with Mr..
Merrill.
Brought Stock Up River.
Mr. Merrill lent an historic interest
to his memoirs of the river by relat-
ing to Major Meigs and party his early
experience as settler in Ottumwa.
He stated that fifty years ago he
brought to the city his first stock Of
groceries from st. Louis. The trip
was made by way of the Mississippi
river to the mouth of the Des Moines,
from where the trip was continued on
a fat boat to Ottumwa by way of the
Des Moines river. And incidentally he
stated that the boat was ballasted with
salt that cost IS cents per barrel and
ballast, was sold for So per barrel in
CItunWa. ~ ne party tRSH cdlleQ at atne
home of Major Samuel Mahon where
more data of the river was given Ma
jor Meigs. and then trip through the
nice residence portion of Ottumwa
was made About $50 the party
brought up at the high school, where
Major Meigs complimented his pilots
upon the grsndness of the view, say
ing it was the grandest he had seen
along the trip and one of the most
beautiful he had ever seen. The salts
faction of the party was expressed by
Major Meigs for the excellence of his
reception in the city.