Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-21
land in Iowa

land in Iowa.
i Notwithstanding the cheap charae
ter Of the five or six wooden dam
they created steamboat channel an,
developed a great water power a
far up the river as the work was com
pleted. The dams demonstrated tina
the system was correct. do not ge
this from hearsay. l was residen
of Bentonsport during the fifty's anl
saw the steamboats, passing UP ant
i down and the many mills using the
water power. This portion of the
river was used by the boats up tt
about 1864, when they were shut out
by the low bridges. When the river
was at good stage the boats would
! go on above the dams to Ottumwa and
Des Moines The engineers who re-
Gently completed the survey followed
the general plan of the old company as
to the location of the dams.
In this case the government will do
the work. and the dams will be perma-
nent built Of steel and concrete, and
when the government starts the work
it will be completed. 1t never quits
job. AS against assertions and
opinions from those who have no
knowledge Of such improvements, |
will introduce little expert testi-
mony.
'The Des Moines river is now nav
igable as in the days when the Miss
issippi river steamers were passing up
and down it. The only distractions to
navigation are those placed there by
man, the dams and the bridges" said
Major Montgomery Meigs, engaged in
river Improvement since 1865.
"Give ME stream of water with one
half Of the discharge of that in the
Des Moines river and l will agree te
make a steamboat channel anywhere
through the corn fields of Iowa. On
account of its great fall between the
city of Des Moines and its mouth and
rapid discharge of water the Des
Molnes is one of the best water power
streams in the country. l should be
pleased to use it as q sample to show
the people what can be done through
the use of water and electricity" said
Major w. S. Richie, United States en-
gineer graduate Of West Point, with
forty years experience in river, har-
Dor and lake work, who built the Miss
lsslppi canal through the corn fields OF
Illinois which now has stationary
stage OF water Of seven feet.
AS to water power, seven of the
tWenty-three dams on the Des Moines
river will develop sufficient power to
turn all of the wheels in all the prin-
cipal cities Of Iowa. Through the use
OF electricity such power can be trans
mitted to any part Of the state or to
adjoining states,'' said Major Albert
Q. Rowse, who has been engaged in
river work, canal and coast work for
thirty years.
The proposed dams on the Des
Moines river will create the steam
boat channel, and develop an enor-
nous water power. If all the power
rom the two dams can be leased at
he present prices, the money received
rom such rental will pay the entire
cost OF the work in seven years. said !
Major w. A. Jones, U. S. A., over 60 I
Years Of age and who has spent his
entire life in this class of work.
The testimony of these men who
lave spent a year in the examination
Ind survey of the stream ought to
,l1nch the matter. 1t certainly does
With those who have been advocating
ne improvement Of the stream for
he past five years, and they will 20
light along with the agitation and |
lght it to finish