The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-27
REPORT IS MADE
ON RIVER WORK
Major George HOFFMAN Tells Of the
Years Activities, Along
the Uppsr Mis-
sisslppl.
OPERATIONS ON CANAL ].
Illinois and Mississippi Was Open to
Navigation 2s7 Days and the
Cost Was
$4,000.
OPERATIONS ON CANAL

corps Of engineers In charge Of the
Rock Island district Of the Mississip-
Ipi river has completed and published
his report upon the years activities.
Touching upon the operations on
| the Illinois and Mississippi canal for
the year. the report says the canal
was open to navigation 2S7 days and
the operating expenses were for the
main canal $90.76S and for the Milan
section $14.6S1. or total OF $104, 450.
All the locks, thirty-three In number.
and all other appurtenances are in
excellent condition. improvements
are to be maintained and continued
during the year. For 1915 the num-
Der OF passengers on the canal was
24,358 and the ton-miles were 1885,.
1852. The value OF the shipping was
$96,s2S.
Discussing the LeClaire canal pro-
ject, the report says:
when the project for, the six foot
/ channel for the Mississippi river be-
tween the mouth Of the Missouri ana
Minneapolis was in preparation. it
was decided that lateral canal was
preferable to further deepening OF
the existing open channel improve
ment which provided four-foot depth
on the upper section of the Rock Is
land rapids from Hampton pool to
| LeClaire.
"The improvement Is known as the
LeClaire canal. 1t viii be formed by
a longitudinal dixie or wall, beginning
at the upper end of the Rock Island
rapids, just below LeClaire, Iowa.
emile 349). and extending downstream
roughly parallel to the Iowa shore to
| the head Of Smiths island. The island
then takes the place of the dixie with
the channel between the island and
| the Iowa shore. It will terminate In
a lift lock and closing ). dam at the
lower end OF the island. The total
length IL about three and one-half
miles.
"The longitudinal wall will be con-
/ structed to a height Of Go foot
stage in the river at the head OF the
| canal on level for distance OF APP
In.cz::a::ss.:ssi.;y- two mites. It viii then
be raised above high water for the
remainder OF the distance to the
head Of Smiths island {about one
half mile). The upper portion will
act as spinway and will be protect
ed from erosion by concrete apron.
Some inexpensive leyee construction
will be necessary on Smiths island.
THE lock will lie next to the Iowa
SGOGc with q SlOSln6 o6hA Va PuuaACu
fill and riprap connecting with the
lower part OF the island. 1t will have
chamber dimensions OF 80 feet width
and 35O.feet length to correspond with
existing locks at Moline and Min
neapolis. The maximum lit will be
about six feet at low water. Mltef
gates will be used, operated by cleo
trical machinery"
1 The Moline Lock.
A traffic statement for the Moline
| lock for the year 1918 showed $50
commercial lockages UP and 26S
down with So government locdagcs
I'D and IS down, with total number
of S07 lockages. In ell there were
I sS2 steamers and 424 barges through
the lcck. and !s2.- launches launches Uasseti
through. In all there were 27,718
passengers through and 1927 tons
OF freight.
There were employed during 1915
between Minneapolis and st. Louis 22
! 1874 pleasure boats (not including
small motor skiffs), with a gross
! tonnage OF about 1919 tons. In ad-
ditton to above there are about $50
unregistered bargee used for trans.
porting miscellaneous freight and
construction material. The principal
steamboat lines on the upper Missis-
sippi river are the Streckfus, the
Eagle, the Carnival City, the W1sherd
and the Northern. The number Of
passengers carried by the boats Tin
Guiding the ferries, 779,008) in 1915
was 2,0Os,56O. The quantity Of
| freight carried By a, boats. ifclud
ing the rock, brush, lumber and heav-
Ter material and supplies loaded on
! barges and used in government work.
and also including logs and lumber
f1oated down the stream, - shown in
the report.
lMASONS WILL