The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-16
REVIEWS RIVER WORK
Daily Fluctuation in Stage Be-
low Dam Has Not Been
Harmful to Steam
boats.
Especial to The Gate City.l

big keokuk dam AFFECTS the mlssls-
sippi river below very little and that
little in way easily guarded against
by steamboats,, was told the Upper
Mississippi River Improvement asso-
citation today by Major Montgomery
Meigs, the engineer in charge Of the
river at Keokuk.
The address OF Major Meigs was
! Illustrated with many charts based
on great mass of figures gained by
many observations taken of the water
stage below the dam at every hour OF
the day and for long distance down
river.
These showed that there is slight
daily variation, regular as the tide,
but that this disappears few miles
down the river and has become incon-
sequential since the operators have
learned to work the gates of the big
water-power in the best manner. The
address Is as follows:
Criticism Is Unfounded.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of This
Convention:
In the absence Of Major Keller, who
is transferred to another district, and
of his successor, who has not arrived,
it devolyes on me to say few words
today on the work OF the engineer
corps in improving the upper Missis-
sippi river, and incidentally to give
you the facts In regard to the new
conditions which have arisen from
the installation Of the Mississippi
River Power company's plant at Keo-
kuk. The effect on navigation by the
use OF the flow of the river by this
power plant has been much In the
papers and has had some adverse
criticism, both by the press and by
steamboat men, the former knowing
little Of the subject generally, and the
latter without definite data to go on.
which / will endeavor to supply.
In matters of this kind which deal
with figures mostly. 1t is vast help
to have the diagrams and maps where
all can see them at a glance, and |
hope to make myself understood by
the aid Of the magic lantern and
screen.
The history OF the river improve
ments on the upper Mississippi river
begins In the year 1877 when Captain
John 3. Davis of the old snagboat
Montana closed side channel Of the
river short distance below st. Paul
by sinking an old barge across 1t SO
az to throw the water into one chan
mel.
In that year, 1877, the river was
lower than it had been since 1864 Q3
! years. AT the places where authentic
/ low water marks existed, and they
were few but unfortunately widely
separated, the stage stood for several
weeks at nine inches above low wat
/ er of 1854.
It became my duty under orders Of
the late Colonel John n Macomb, U
/ s. A., to 90 In a little steamer called
/ the Louisa, chartered for the purpose
and locate this unusual low water a
1 each town along the river by level
/ ing from the water surface to soma
/ permanent object and locating It;
height for future reference. This lint
OF low water Of 1877 being establish
ed, a line nine inches below that wal
adopted az the best approximation We
+ could get to the actual low water o
/ 1884 and we called 1t the line o
standard low water At all tht
pointg where we had authentic marks
( it equalled the low water Of 1854, thu
| lowest known since
Low and High Water Marks.
Authentic low water marks are nat
uraily hard to get for as they are GOV