Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-26
DISCUSS RIVER IMPROVEMENTS
Major Schulz Calls Meeting to Devise
Definite Plan.
SUBMIT REPORT TO CONGRESS
Plan 80 stop the Erosion Of
the River from, the Illinois CEN
trail Railroad Bridge 60
EIorewee

IN order 70 make report TO the rivers
and harbors committee of congress on
definite project for the improvement OF the
Missouri river from Florence TO South
Omaha. Major Edward n Schulz, chief en-
Eineer Of the War department with head
quarters at Kansas city. called meeting
Of persons and interests In favor Of river
improvements which was held In Omaha
Wednesday morning.
The meeting was held in the engineers
office at army headquarters, Department
Of the Missouri Major Schulz displayed
maps Of the river and plans for It's i'm
provement in the way Of revetmeuts. Jet
ties fascines and dikes The plans and
various propositions were given only cur
Bory examination and discussion because OF
the crowded quarters OK the engineers Of
flee. The meeting was adjourned until 2
o'clock in the afternoon when it reconvened
in the Commercial club rooms.
- The discussion al the morning session COW
cred principally the ways and means OF
maintaining the banks Of the Missouri from
the Illinois Central bridge 20 Florence.
Major Schulz proposed a system of revet-
ments for this Improvement which Is the
standard means Of the government taken to
protect the land along the river banks and
to keep the water in a fixed channel
These revetments.' said Major Schulz.
'are made OF latticed willow work. eighty
four feet wide which forms a mattress that
IL sunk into the river and ballasted with
rocks Revetments are placed at the outer
banks and In the bends OF the river to pre-
vent the current from eating into the land.
The government system Is to put In the
willow mattresses tc extend from the low
water mark down into the water against
the bank, curving out into the water at the
bottom From the low water mark to the
top Of the bank rocks are used as a bal
last for the work and a sort of paving
for the upper part OF the bank.
Il called this meeting" Major Schulz
said $50 we could settle upon a definite
project for river Improvement A bill was
passed in congress asking a report from
me on the proposed improvement which
Is to be made in cooperation with the in
terests here"
Among those at the meeting was j. M
Maher of Fremont. a civil engineer whC
patented a riprap device which was in
stalled in the river near his home town
and which is said TO be proving success
ful in directing the course of the river ano
protecting the land.
Mr. Maher had a means of paying for tn,
river Improvement which he proposed. He
proposed diking districts along the river
which would be taxed as the property own
ers along a street which is TO be paved
are taxed Mr.. Maher also introduced hi
system of fasclnes or rip-rap device, which
he said was more effective and much les
expensive than the system used by tn,
government.
Those who attended the special meetinl
were;
c. O. Lobeck. congressman; J. w. Craig
city engineer; Cooley Brucker. presiden
of the city council; r. j. Maloney, mayo
of Council Bluffs; Il. f. Minnick alderman
of Council Bluffs; IL. r. Clarke, presiden
OF the Missouri Improvement association
j. l.. IAvesey, chief clerk of the American
Smelling and Refining company; w. s
King. civil engineer of South Omaha; ID
c. Hass of the Omaha Water company. ]
w. Mcdonald, assistant superintendent o.
parks and boulevards p. E. Elsasser
county commissioner; George Mcbride
county surveyor +. l.. Thompson, en-
gineer of bridges and buiLssSgs OF the iii
nols Central railroad ]. IL Webster, gen
erRl agent OF the Illinois Central; II. L
Huntley, chief engineer of the Union Pa
oifio railroad II. w. Mool, civil engineer
Omaha; ]. l.. Camper. assistant city en-
Rineer; A. w. Merrlck. civil engineer 9
y. the Northwestern railroad, Boone, la
NCouneilmen NJ f. Funkhouser, Louis Bur
mester, w. S. Sheldon and j. l.. Paxton
Omaha