The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-13
GUARDS TAKEN
OFF THE LOCK
Hereafter Visiting the Worlds Great
est Water-Power VIII Not Be SO
Much Of Life Work
As Before.
KENNEDY PUSHED ORDER
OFFICIAL Withdrawal Next Sunday, but
This Week No Respectable Per.
son VIII Be Retarded,
Except Fishermen.
KENNEDY PUSHED ORDER

The guards are taken off the gsv-
eminent lock and drydock here, and
people who desire to visit them and
the worlds greatest water power
can do So without spending part Of
a lifetime and the mental work of
a game Of chess in getting to the
power house
All the wartime guards VIII be
withdrawn and will disappear next
Sunday, but, beginning today. there
is no Interference with the proper
movements of any respectable per
son who goes down there.
However, It is emphasized that the
fishing regulations are still in force.
and nobody can fish from the lock
walls. by government order, nor from
the lower end of the power house.
by company order.
Were vitality important.
With our entrance into the war, a
guard of soldiers was placed on the
big lock and dry dock here almost
instantly. The first detail was from
old Company L, of the First Iowa
national guard. which was modified
the same day Later, civilian guards
with army equipment and arms we're
employed.
The Keokuk lock, larger than any
lo~.k at Panama, and the Keokuk dry
dock, only trifle smaller than that
at the Brooklyn navy yard, were two
! of the most important government
works in the west from military
viewpoint. Putting the lock- out of
.l.comrission would have stopped traf-
fic on the Mississippi river for a long
time.
Nobody Could Get Near.
The guarding: under the direct or
ders OF Major Montgomery Meigs, in
charge here, was thoroughly done. 1t
was impossible to get near the lock
and dock without a pass. almost i'm
possible to obtain.
The only way to get to the power
house and offices of the Mississippi
River Power company is across the
lock, and they. too, were cut off from
the world ever since April, 1917.
Thousands OF visitors to Keokuk
were disappointed at not getting 10
see the big water power during the
last two years 1t is hoped that the
news OF the withdrawal of the guards
will be widely disseminated.
1 NSnhSUy bCOh "
This is the last military guard on
the Mississippi river to be removed.
Last January, Major Meigs recon-
mended their withdrawal, but no ac-
ton was taken by the war depart
ment for a long time. Keokuk peo-
Die. who knew OF the keen disap-
pcintment of visitors to the city. and
the thousands Of motorist tourists
who used to come here every sum
n1er, fretted at the delay.
FINELY, Congressman Charles A.
Kennedy was asked to stir up the
war departm ent He acted at once
but the matter got started along the
wrong string of red tape, and Con
gresham Kennedy was later in,
formed that the major general com
handing the central department OF
the army, at Chicago. was very sure
ne never had established a guard
here.
A TanaIe Of Red Tape.
I This was very true-because, the
guards. like the lock and drydock
and everything else here. are under
the engineer officers, with the chief
of engineers of the army at theiI
head in Washington.
Congressman Kennedy returned &c
!! the war department with this lnfor
nation. and got action.
AS soon as the war department go'
its red tape untangled, an order was
issued To withdraw the guards, and
This reached Major Meigs through
official channels yesterday after
noon.