Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-31

lie Claire canal with one lock now in
course of construction II also in
cludes the Hennepin canal with its 33
locks and 104 miles of naVigable wa
terway, destined to be a large COM
mercial factor when the canal from
! Joliet to La Sale Is rebuilt with eight
! foot navigation and cost of $4,000, 900,
provided by the state OF Illinois, also
/ the Galena river improvement and
( snagboats which receive annual appro-
/ priations. There are a large number
of harbors and levees which have been
benefited by government funds. All
of the work in the Rock Island dis
trict is in charge of Alexander Mac
kenzie, Major General United States
kenzie is also division engineer of the
northwest division, which comprises
the district engineer offices at Rock
Island, Chicago. st. Paul, Milwaukee
and Grand Rapids.
| During the last fscal year the ex
penditures were only Sl,04S.640 This
district is one Of the most extensive in
4 the country in hired-labor work, en-
ploying at times 2,000 men. but this
figure does not include a very large
number of men employed as light
keepers and in caring for buoys and
other aids to navigation. nor does it in
4 clude 1000 men getting out rock and
brush.
General Mackenzie has charge of
the thirteenth lighthouse district, EN-
braeing the Mississippi river from
head of navigation TO the Missouri
river the Illinois river from head of
navigation to its mouth; the Missouri
river from head Of navigation to its
mouth: Lake Traverse St Croix riv-
er and lake, and the Minnesota, Gas
conadC and Usage rivers. The ag
gregate miles Of rivers in which lights,
buoys and day-marks are installed by
this Office are / ,612. of which 65S in
the Mississippi river and the number
4 of aids. consisting Of lights, day
marks and buoys 1,453, of which on
the Mississippi river between mouth
of Missouri river and ST. Paul, IS2.
The Rock Island district has large
plant and several bOatyards. capable,
with the usual supplies of brush and
rock furnished by material men. of
economically expending in building
and repairing dams and shore protec>
tons and dredging. at least 81 500, 600,
and with the aid of contractors $780,
= 600 more.
The floating plant now laid up in
winter quarters at Saltwater, Fouu-
5 tain City. Black river. Hennepin canal,
Keokuk, Quincy and Alton slough. con
- sists Of eight hydraulic dredges with
!. IS pontons each, FIVE dipper dredges,
e one drill boat, ~ launches. 90 quarter,
= office and store boats, Isl barges,
1 building boats and coal fats, Is tow
e boats and a large. number of miscei-
= laneous pieces There has been ,ex-
r pended on floating plant from com
f mencement of improvement in 1873 to
S Dec 81, 1916, S2,95S,026 and its valu-
o alton today is 1862 .246, In addition
70 to above there is a large floating plant
5 belonging to the Hennepin canal, used
5 in protecting and reinforcing banks
r dredging. etc
The total tonnage on river within
the limits of this district was in 1916
1.573,357 tons, about one-fourth o
}. which was government material; val
! uation, $97 422037.
y During the season Of 1917 for abou
u fivemonths, dipper-dredge Davenpor
J, was employed in deepening the six
d foot channel to the Twin-City lock ant
c dam. This lock and dam furnishes six
IA foot navigation to Minneapolis, max
ID ing that city the present head of navi
= CATION. Pipeline dredges Geyser ant
" Pelee were engaged in deepening tht
q channel at various points between
Il Newport and Winona.
10 Hired-lab0r work was performed be
II tween foot of Lake Pepin and Winona
u resulting in the construction OF tw
1t dams, extension of six and repair 0
lie three, all in vicinity of Chimney Rock
Between La Crosse and Genoa fou
dams we're built. three extended an
one repaired. Riyer-line dredge We
go suvius was employed for about fou
4 months in removing sand from tn
channel at various points betwee
Winona and De Soto. The six-f0ot i'm
- proyement from Winona to De SotC
sc So miles. is now completed, and wit
ID reasonable appropriations the full im
;, provement of the division, Winona I
Wisconsin river, sc miles, will b
u completed in about two years. Goo
a. progress is being made all along tn
s. river, bat the section above mentione
is the longest regulated, althoug
q there are several long and shol
- stretches where no improvement wor
~ will ever be necessary, as in -thei
natural state a siX-foot channel
- available.
" Between Wisconsin river and hea
VI of Gutenberg channel, hire-labor OF
~ erations were carried on, resulting
VI the repair of one dam and six piece
te of shore protection. Two pieces {
10 shore protection were constructed an
~ one piece extended. By agreement
aA this division two pieces of shore pre-
Us lection were completed in vicinity
Is Dark Slough. BY contract, betwee
Bellevue and Sabula, built eight SPIT
II dams. one closing dam and two piece
o. Of short protection.
Id At the Rock Island rapids good pr
Oh gress was made on the lateral can
en- to provide six-foot navigation ovt
n that part OF the rapids from lie Clail
ne to Hampton pool, about three mile
ST. The government has already provide
ar a 200-foOt channel four feet deep cv'
II. the entire rapids, but the above-me
OIL toned work is intended TO increa
this depth to six feet, and in CONNIE
X ton with the deep water in HamptC
m pool, rock excavation at Campbell
he Chain, the Moline lock and pool al
m additional rock excavation at Low
,er Chain, to carry the six-foot improv
Id ment over the entire rapids. On q
ill lateral canal (so-calted LIE Clal
he CANAL progress has been made
} follows: Barrack buildings and sho