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Show 1836- 1837J Fogg's Far West 161 summit of the " Big Mound/' of which I have spoken, in the northern suburbs of the city. Far away from the north comes the Mississippi, sweeping on in a broad, smooth sheet, skirted by woodlands; and the rushing of its waters along the ragged rocks of the shores below is fancied faintly to reach the ear. Nearly in the middle of the stream are stretched out the long, low, sandy shores of " Blood Island," a spot notorious in the annals of duelling. Upon the Illinois shore beyond it is contemplated erecting a pier, for the purpose of throwing the full volume of the current upon the western shore, and thus preserving a channel of deep water along the landing of the city. Within a few years past an extensive sand- bar has accumulated opposite the southern section of the city, which threatens, unless removed, greatly to obstruct, if not to destroy, the harbour. To remedy this, an appropriation [ 135] has been made by Congress, surveys have been taken, measures devised and their execution commenced. 1" Upon the river- bank opposite the island stands the " Floating Dry Dock," an ingenious contrivance, the invention of a gentleman of St. Louis, and owned by a company of patentees. 11* It m About 1817, when the first steamboat arrived at St. Louis a sand- bar began forming at the lower end of the city; by 1837, this had extended as far north as Market street, forming an island more than two hundred acres in extent. Another sand- bar was formed at the upper end of the city, west of Blood Island. In 1833 the city authorities undertook the work of removal, and John Goodfellow was employed to plow up the bars with ox teams, in order that high waters might carry away the sand. After three thousand dollars had been expended without avail, the board of aldermen petitioned Congress ( 1835) for relief. Through the efforts of Congressman William H. Ashley, the federal government appropriated ( July 4, 1836) fifteen thousand dollars- later ( March 3, 1837) increased to fifty thousand dollars- for the purpose of erecting a pier to deflect the current of the river. The work was supervised by Lieutenant Robert £. Lee and his assistant, Henry Kay-ser. Begun in 1837, it was continued for two years, the result being that the current was turned back to the Missouri side and the sand washed out; but dikes were necessary to preserve the work that had been accomplished.- ED. m The dry floating dock was patented by J. Thomas, of St. Louis, March a6, 1834.- ED. |