Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-25
THOMAS HEARS
FROM COL. RICHIE.
LOCAL RIVER ENTHUSIAST RE-
cEIvEs INFORMATION RELA.
TIVE 70 POWER SCHEME.
BLAlMES RAILROADS
Ottumwan States That Agitation
Against Navigation is Ruse Of
Trunk Lines In Effort to
XIII Water Haul.

IN letter to the Courier written
following the receipt of communica
ZION from It. Col G. s. Richie, U. s. A.
! VINO mad charge Of the survey of the
Des Mo1nes river and reported on the
same to the war department, e. H
Thomas, South< Ottumwa, takes a
| thrust at the railroads. The local river
enthusiast blames the roads for at
tempting to kill the navigation project
by starting an agitation that may re-
tard if not kill, the measure when it
comes before congress. The letter of
Mr.. Thomas and that received by him
from Col. Richie is given in full as fol-
lows
Editor Courier.-"I enclose a COM
munication from COL C. S. Richie, u.
>. A. This Is complete answer to the
knockers, the railroad interests who
have recently raised the cry of scan
dar in order to delay the work and hope
through such delays to eventually kill
the Des Moines river project. AS I
have no orders to the contrary, l
think this letter should be published,
as Col. Richie has received unjust
criticism through the papers. I am in
a position to know that there Is not a
grain of truth in the recent charges
or insinuations made against A. C.
Miller and Col. Richie. They have been
printed for purpose and that purpose
is to hold the thing up in Washington
and through the delay to kill it. But
l do not believe they will succeed for
parties in the capital city are looking
after them.
Yours respectfully,
. "E. H. Thomas"
The letter from Col. Richie is one
of number that he has sent Iowans
In response to inquiries regarding the
river situation. The letter follows in
full:
U. S. Lake Survey Office.
Detroit, Mich, Jan. 10, 1912.
Sir.-Your letter of December, 1911,
to the secretary, department Of the in
terror, has recently been referred to |!
me for consideration in connection |
with the application of the Des Moines /
River Power Co. for permission to
erect IA dams in Des Moines river.
My report on the question of i'm
proving this river for navigation and
plans for same and esti-
mates Of cost was submitted on No
1ember 20, 51911. s... ~. r..
Two plans were made-one for nav.
cation as the primary feature with
east possible interference with exist
ng interests, and with water power
development as a purely incidental
natter. 1t was found that such water
,ower as could be developed under
his plan would not be of sufficient
'alue to enable any help to be OBJ
aimed therefrom toward the construc-
ion of the structures essential for
navigation, and in this plan it was
,lso contemplated that the lands,
easements, fowage rights, ETC., needed
or this improvement would all be OBJ
aimed by local interests and given the
government free of cost
A second plan was also made; it in
olved fewer dams, thus giving a
reater average lift, and made the de-
elopment Of water power the pri-
nary feature without the sacrifice of
ny of the requirements essential for
The dams were made
xed instead of movable, thus involv-
ne greater howage but thereby rem
ering more water power available.
'hese dams were to be built by such ,
as could be found who were
filling to do the work for the sake of
occurring the power that would result, Z
nd in this case the fowage rights, '
ties, easements, ETC., would be paid
or by these companies instead of by
ne local interests.
The power to be developed is not (
any extraordinary value. The lift
t any of the dams is not great, aver S
ging but 161a feet. The river is sub c
oct to great Quotations. Its measured
ischarge at Keosauqua having been &
8 great as $4,000 cubic feet per sec.
nd in June. 1908, and as low as 266 a
lbic feet per second in August, 1911 S
valuable power will therefore fire. X
uently be reduced by lew stages, and
lso by extreme high stages when the "
ans are drowned out. An extensive Z
uxiliary steam plant, or plants, must r
e provided to furnish power to con- v
lmers at times when little or no L
alter power is available. This neces- I
ty very greatly diminishes the value e
the water power. q
The locks projected for the navi- n
alton of the river are quite large, be- n
lg 60 feet wide, $50 feet long be-
veen gates, with 9 feet depth over :
le stills. They will cost in the neigh. {;
orhood of 100000 apiece.
The water power is not of sufficient q
alue to bear this added cost. A re- r
lirement that the water power COM -
anies must build these locks as we'll =
J the dams and power stations would y
e prohibitive. Such a requirement
ould mean that no one would under.
Ike the water power development.
Nevertheless the water power is by
, means without value. It Is thought
lat it's DEVELOPMENT would pay pro-I