Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-09

ton Of the great waterway and what
a big advantage the canal is to be 20
this section OF the country from
financial standpoint.
I'VE will ship out soft coal, plows,
farm supplementary, firearms, oil cloth,
stoves and numerous other cOmmodi-
ties and will ship in lumber, fruits
and other articles BY shipping by
v alter instead of rail there will be a
remarkable reduction in shipping
rates. said the speaker. Steamers .
will bring cargoes up from New Or .
leans and deposit them right al our .
doors. In lumber alone where the
rates are now from $50 TO $50 per
1000 feet, the price will be reduced .
to- from $50 TO $40 with other COM !
modities in the same ratio"
CREDIT ISLAND BATTLE.
More historical data was given in
the talk on The Battle OF Credit Is
land" by George r. Baker. Credit .
island is better known as Suburban
island. An early expedition to this
section under command of Lieutenant /,
Campbell had failed and another was
Zachary Taylor, later president Of the
United States, who left St. Louis
Aug. u, 1914, for the north. He as
cended the river in reel-boats and
when he arrived opposite the mouth
of Rock river found a large force of
British and Indians under command
OF a British officer ready to give him
battle. The feet was anchored out In
the Mississippi river near Willow is
land, about a half mile above Rock
river During the night artillery was
planted in range of him on the shore
below the city of Rock Island and
early the following morning opened
fire Major Taylor could not return
the fire, having no artillery on board
and was compelled TO retire, with the
loss Of several men. This expedition
practically closed the war in the west,
peace being concluded in 1914.
BELT LINE RAILROAD.
The great advantages to be derived
from the establishment of belt line
railroad in this city was discussed by
J. Green. He told something of the
history Of the organization of a local
company TO put through this project
but declared that II had not been sue
cessful as yet because of the lack of
funds and inability TO secure right of
way The speaker mentioned the fact
that business Industries do not care
To locate il a territory served by only
one railroad, as it placed the concerns
al the mercy of the road. With an
So,
tories in the tri-cities. a belt line had
been proposed which would permit all
railroads to have access TO the terri
tory in question. The fact that a
right Of way had been purchased from
Eighth to Seventeenth street was men
toned. strip Of ground 30 feet wide
was secured at $50 per front foot,
while the railroad had paid but SIS.
He said land was now being privately
purchased and that the establishment
Of a belt line seemed a certainty.
FLOOD TIMES.
The last OF the addresses on the pro-
gram was given by Ralph f. Koerber.
whose subject was Flood Times in
Rock Island" The speaker stated
that the Mississippi had behaved itself
until 1851, when the flood stage was
reached In June, 1859 the dam was
forced out and factories were forced
Jo suspend business In 1861 high Wa
or was again a menace and in May,
1866, the river stage was 1853 On
March g. 1868. an ice gorge formed at
ninth street, causing much damage
and on March 10 at 9 o'clock in the
evening the water was 1T.3 above low
water mark. The water came clear up
Nineteenth Twentieth and Fifteenth
streets and many people were nearly
oaugut iu the rushing tCr-en'. The
speaker stated that a republican eau,
Gus was being held at Fourteenth
street and Second avenue at the time
and that so absorbing proved the DELHI,
erations that no attention was paid
.C Tn. water until the politicians art
ed TO go home and found they had "a