Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-26
FIGHTING THE MISSISSIPPI.


NIT without protest to the alleged
plan of the United States river engi
neers to cut off the Illinois side of the
Mississippi from communication will
the channel by closing the gaps be
tween the islands at and above Anda
lusia and forcing the water to main
tain a higher level. on the Iowa side
Such a step. in depriving Andalusia
OF water communication and railway
| service through Buffalo. would virtu.
| ally remove the advantages OF the
river from the entire lower end OF
the county, Andalusia being the chief
| port.
I with the main body of the stream
I turned to the Iowa side there will not
be enough water on this side TO float
steamboats, except in the highest
stages. While in low stages even
launches will not be able TO pass
through the Andalusia slough. Depriv-
iLg the Iowa side OF river communica-
ton would not be such a serious mat
ter. for the villages over there are
served by the Rock Island and Mil
waukee roads. and in fact they give
the river packets so little business or
dinarily that often boats pass them
without stopping, even with present
facilities. The Illinois side. without
any railway line. needs the river as n
highway to reach the tri-cltIes, and It
certainly IS to Rock Islands interest
10 see that this highway IS kept open.
4
serious mistake on the part OF the war
department when # was first decided
10 maintain a steamboat channel on
the Iowa side from Davenport TO Fair
port Hundreds Of thousands OF dol |
lars have been expended in a vain ef- |
fort to combat the natural tendency
Of the stream to seek the lowest bed |
and al no time has there been a salts |
factory stage maintained when the |
stream stands anywhere near low wa
ter mark.
In the days before river improve
ment was thought OF. when the river
was the great highway" the Illinois
side was generally used by boats from
Rock Island TO below Fairport. Then,
to give water facilities TO Fairport ana
the government built a
dam below Andalusia. cutting of The
stream and forcing the water through
he gap to the Buffalo side. After some
rears this dam was partly torn out,
channel Of good depth having been
worm in the meantime between the is
ands.
In order 70 keep a sufficient depth
rom Buffalo to the head OF Smiths
sland above, a system of wing dams
vas installed. hedging in both sides {
4 the channel on the Iowa SIDE and to ,
rive the stream between them more -.
ANS were constructed at and above
mith's island, making It difficult for c
oats TO pass down the south side. &
n spite of these efforts when the wa o
n is low the depth on the Illinois side Il
still greater than that in the artih-
al channel and pilots prefer the for
Ter, even though there are no bea- =
ms or guides to follow. Now. IL An = J.
llusia people are correctly informed, .,
lie war department proposes to cut off -
lie Illinois side from navigation alto =,
,ther by erecting barriers which will
aintain a higher level in the north =,
lannel.
II may be true that the Illinois side n,
fers a less direct route than the M
her. but this fact is entitled to little IA
eight in view of the devious wind re
gs which are necessary to follow the d.
annel as now established, not only be
re. but at many points. Certainly Oh
9 end has not justified the vast ex-
nse which has been involved during
these years in attempting what pa
Is almost impossible, TO make the WI
yer wear a channel through the De tn
nian limestone which lies near the an
rface on the Iowa side. From the IN
side It has already been u lie
own that most of the business be he
cen Rock Island and Muscatine en-
I'M this side. be
The people OF Rock Island should he
n with those in the lower end of ga
, county IN an emphatic protest pr
liast the closing of the Andalusia ne
ugh, If such step is in fact contem- su
ted. and. having reopened the sub ne
[, they might go further and insist VI
[ the merits OF the Two routes be iIi1
onsidered with the object OF a pos Ss1 %.
e change I'm the plan OF improve 20
n between here and Andalusia. In
v OF the costly and unsatisfactory ttc
zrieHce OF recent years the war de- IL
ment might be willing TO At least DR.
2 the matter dlAeussed, Or,