Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-31
CITIZENS ARE REQUESTED 70 DE
eide QUESTION OF LENGTH
AND WIDTH OF DAMS AND KIND
or BRIDGES FOR RIVER.
A. c. MILLER Is
VERY OPTIMISTIC
DEs BONES BOOSTER FOR NAvI.
CATION HOLDS CONFERENCE
WITH MAJOR J. s. RICHIE AND
SURVEYOR A. O. RoWsE.

SURVEYOR a. O. RoWSE.
The counsel Of the general public
for the settlement Of two big ques-
lions is urged by the government SUR
teyors Of the Des Moines river. These
two questions refer to the length and
width OF the locks to be placed in the
stream and the style Of bridges which
will be the best for the uses to
which the river is to be put. Major
John 8. Richie, the government en-
Gineer Of Rock Island, who has super
vision Of the work being done on the
river by Engineer A. o. Rowse and
crew preparatory to, opening the
stream for navigation, is now In Des
Moines. and yesterday he held a con-
ference with Mr.. Rowse and A. G. Mil
Ter, the enthusiastic booster Of i'm
provement Of the Des Moines. The
Register and Leader this morning
tells Of the visit Of Major Richie to
Des Moines as follows:
Seeks Information.
1--WE would like to get the views OF
Ill who are interested in the develop
ment OF the river" said Major Richie,
upon two questions that have arisen
in connection with our work. Both
these questions are, in sense, COM
mercial, and upon the decision with
regard to both of them, depends, large
" the success Of the undertaking and
the future course of the government.
1--WE want to know how long and
how wide to make the locks In the
Des Moines river and whether the
bridges shall be stationary and high
enough for the boats to clear, or butt
{ low with draw spans.
"Both OF these questions are COM
mercial. II the Des Moines river is
made navigable 1t will be travelled by
freight boats pulling barges. The
locks should be made wide enough and
long enough to permit complete tow
to pass through without uncoupling
barges and taking them through one
or two at time.
'The size of the locks will decide
their number. Therefore the ques-
ton is a commercial one. We want
to know how much 1t will be wise to
expend upon the Improvement OF the
Des MONIES river"
Plenty Of Water in Stream.
A. G. Miller, who is chairman of the
Des Moines Commercial clubs water
ways committee and Of the state con-
Bervation commission, conferred with
Major Richie and Mr.. Rowse yester-
day, and the three men made a trip
down the river in launch to point
where Mr.. Rowse's corps of engineers
is working on the way down the river
from Des Moines to Keokuk. Having
finished the trip up the river as far
as Des Moines, Mr.. Rowse is now
doing the rail work of the survey,
charting the river and deciding where
are the best places for dana
"The fall in the Des Moines from
this city to Keokuk is 80 feet" said
Mr., Rowse ''This mean that there is
D good deal Of water in the river, al
though the fact does not appear until
after investigation because the cur
rent moves so rapidly that the full
volume OF water Is not appreciated.
with dams at the proper places this
river can be made to develop great
deal more power than could slug
Eish stream which apparently carried
more water"
"The water power is the second
feature of the river improvement en-
terprise," said Mr.. Miller. "The re-
clamation of land and the protection
Of property from food damage Is the
third. Engineers employed by the
United States government are now
making survey Of the upper Des
Moines river with the purpose of de-
termining the possibility of draining
swamp land into the stream. Major
Richie and Mr.. Rowse tell me that
these engineers may probably find
good locations for storage reservoirs,
where water can be allowed to ac-
cumulate when the river is high anu
remain there until under normal con-
ditions the river would me too low for
navigation purposes. Then the water
can be released from the reservoirs
and allowed to flow down the river,
serving two purposes. Not only will
It be kept out of the channel when it
would cause food damage, but it will
be ready for use when it is needed
for navigation and water power"
Water Power Important.
Mr.. Miller is paying particular atten
ton to the water power phase of the
rivers development. He declared yes
terday that there are three distinct
sides to the enterprise now being
started by the government, and that
It is wrong to consider the subject
merely from the standpoint of naviga-
lion.
''In addition to the navigation, there
are two big considerations" said Mr..
Miller. The water power which will
AcT0DIA ror Infants and chldrsp