The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-16
MAJOR NJ. MEles.

MAJOR M. MEiGs.
ME and others. or sent them to st.
Paul by rail.
We found on the little Louisa, draw
ing only about two feet. a good deal
OF difficulty in getting to st. Paul. At
Minneiska. or Teepeepta point, there
was q collection of four or five boats
aground in the one place where the
water offered any chance for nayiga-
ton and some of these boats had
been there several days working with
capstans and hawsers and with their
spars, which all boats carried in
those days. to get over. When we got
above the lake our difficulties incrsas-
ed and my first acquaintance with
Captain John Kittern was made at
bar some miles below St Paul when
our two boats spent the night togeth-
er below a bar which we could not
get over.
The Louisa finally arrived In ST.
Paul after humping over the bars
and, our work accomplished, we left
st. Paul on Sunday and had gone only
about ten miles when we stuck hard
and fast right In the channel. We
worked all that Sunday afternoon in
the water trying to lift the boat over
by using tenders as levers and pry-
ing her along while some members of
the crew worked on a capstan rota-
ted by hand and pulled on line at
tached to a tree below the bar 1t
was all in vain and night found us
still roosting there exhausted and
hungry. Before going to bed an an
Choir was attached to rope and
thrown overheard in case the boat
Should work loose in the night and
! float away.
An Ancient Example.
Next day we prepared to do still
greater stunts Of sparring but to our
delight the water rose and we were
soon enjoying the pleasant sensation
OF gliding down the current under
steam. We had rather expected this
would happen for we were told at st.
Paul and | had observed it on the
/ river gauge that on Sunday the water
fell ten inches or more owing to the
closing down of the mills at Mime.
apolis and cutting off the water sup
ply These mills produced a regular
tide in the river even in those ancient
days, but at low water there was 50
little navigation that the river men,
while perfectly acquainted with the
fact seemed not to object so very
much but timed their departure or
arrival at st. Paul SO as to take ad.
vantage of it.
Looking back to those days it seems
/ impossible that any one can question
the good results that have followed
the scheme of improvements which
+ has been pursued by our engineering
corps.
I Lacrosse has long since ceased to
be the head of navigation for the
larger boats Indeed when the river
is troublesome down at this end from
low water the navigation of the st
Paul river is often far easier and bet
ter, although so shoal in the old days
The good navigation there is simply
the result of completed system oil
Improvement by using dams and 1t l:
regulated to an even width of about
four hundred feet.
In this part of the river the regu
lation is far from complete. 1t is q
vast work done here to build all the
dams needed for complete regula
ton. Where the dams in the ST. Pau
river are from 300 to 400 #. Ions
down here they are 1000 to 1900 1T
4 long. Where the height on the uppel
river is 6 to 10 IT, down here the
height is from 6 to rs IT.
But the principle is the same Tn,
contraction of the channel to wi1tl
chat will give sufficient depth for +;
six foot navigation and except for th;
size OF the works, just as good results
are assured down here as up there.
is question merely of building dams
Every nov and then some one get
IN and curses the style of govern
rnent. They propose come othe
method not very clear generally, o
like the Adams fume," a periectl.
Impossible one. / think 1t very luck.
fiat our improvements started ris-
with the wing dam method of con
. strucaon instead OF that by long trsil
ing walls nearly parallel to the threat
Of the stream.
Use of Wing Dams.
The French originally worked TO
wears on their rivers with the trailin