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<br />:\USSOl.'RI RIVER,' KANSAS CITY, KANS., TO FLOREXCE, NEBR.
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<br />the I'h'el' 111'1.' mostly sand and silt, easily eroded. The rivel' carrie:, a
<br />lal'ge alllount of sediment und is ,'ery active in.cutting uwuy exi~tlllg
<br />banks, building new ones, Ilnd building und l'enw\'ing bars. Therc I
<br />al'e about 70 miles on this sketch where the l'ivel' flows alollg the I
<br />high bluffs, )\'avigation is obstructed by three bridges at 011 Jahn,
<br />t\\'u at Ll'an'n\\'orth, and one each ut Plattsl\lollth. l'Iebmslm Clt,\'.
<br />Hlllo, St. .Joseph, lInd Atchison. FOllr of these un' dl'Uwbridgc'~ allO
<br />six are high bl'idges that do not ha veto be opened for bouts. The
<br />Ic!west )loint of Sllpel'l;tl'llct~Il'e of the hir!l bri{!ges ":tries f.runl ~~.;~ tu
<br />r.3.9 feet ubc)\-e stundllrd hIgh water. J he WIdest spans JJI thl' lug-h
<br />bridges Yllry frolll ~aH tel 3l)~ feet. The dl'llwlJI'idges lire all of the
<br />dOllble clr'aw-span t."pe, with widths of dl'llw opening ,",lI'ying fl'oJll
<br />L-,;) to :la, feet.
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<br />~, 'York oil tlri~ ;;tl'l,tl'h of rin'r has h!'l'll ('aITie(1 on fl'OIll thl' <latc
<br />of the earliest etfOl'ts at improving the I'i"el'. )\'0 project ha,- ereI'
<br />be{'n adopted hy ('ong-n'ss. hilt \\'ork ha~ be!'n done at many localities.
<br />the most important of which are ]\:ansas City, Quinduro, Purb'ille.
<br />Lc'an'nworth. .\Il'hison. St. .Joseph. ~chl'Uslm City, PlllttSlllllllth,
<br />, FolsOlll. ()lIwha. ('olln('il BIlItfs. and Flon'nee. .\t sOll1e of these
<br />IOl'alitic~s 1I111l'h l'xl'erilll{'fltal \\'OI'k was clone, ,,'hieh aided in de\',.J"p-
<br />ing 11~C'fld t.'"l'c'~ of ~tl'lll'tllre~. !.1It. \\'as IlOt itself of pC~l'lllanent \':1 I Ill'.
<br />The total alllOllllt I'xpC'neh'd OII thi,.; P'll't of tIll' ,'in'r to March t
<br />l!llr,. is al,ollt $:!.700,OUO. TIll'l'e J'c'mains to show for this eXI'('lllh.
<br />tlll'C' ,,;ollll'thinl! like Li Illilc',,; of I.i\'l'l' I'l'lltl'ctp,1 hy dikes al\ll I'(.,,>!-
<br />IIlc'nt. ~llllll' of thesp SII'II('1l1l'e,.; ha ,'e dl'tl'l'iorated (',on~idel'llhh' :lnd
<br />\'{'fJllil'e fn"lIlplI1 \l'ol'k to I,,'l'p thl'Il1 ill repail'. Owing to 1:I','k of
<br />flllllls. dikl'~ ha"e hC'l'll 11,.;,,01 in IlHIIIY pla{'e,.; whl'I'l' IlIore sntisf'\I'tory
<br />IlIlt III 0 1'(' pxpPlIsin' jlrotP(.t.ioll of hald" ('ollld han' h('PII se('III'eel \I'lth
<br />I'C"'Pt II1l'nt.
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<br />!I. ThC'r!' is no 1>I'c'~elIt "OI\\III('I'I'C' of allY l'on~ic1PI'ahl!' alllolllJl (HI
<br />this ~trpl<'h of rin'I'. Then' al'p a fc'\\' salld ('Olllpllllil's thnt dig "IIHI
<br />hU1l1 thc' ri,'C'r for 1I~l' in the to\\'II~, {'sllnIlv the s"nel is chI" ..I(\,e
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<br />to \l'hc'n' it. i~ pl:ll'!'d Oil th!' hank fol' sale. Th('rC' an' sl"'C'ral {"I'I'Il';
<br />IIse,1 to tralIsport P"SS('III!C'I'S. "nil\\"Is. .Hlll \'l'hil'll's across tlw ri\'('I',
<br />'1'11(,1'<' i~ 110 I'<.glllar hoat lim' in ojwratioll 011 this part of thl' ri \'t'r:
<br />10. FOl'l\\el'lv the ri\'el' WaS extensi,'elv USI'(1 fol' CO\llmel'ce. Fig'
<br />IIres arl' not a~'ailal,IC' ns to the. amollnt (;f this C'Olmne.ITC. tIll' fl'('i~ht
<br />rate,.; ('h,ll'gl'(\' and t.lw difli('1I1ties 1I111]{'r whieh it WRS l'arriC'd "II.
<br />Froll1 the nllmher of \\Tl'cks that occulTed on the river it 11I:'.\' ht'
<br />tale('1I fur gl'allt,'d that tIll' riq.,. \Va,.; ollstl'l\('IC'(l hv 1"11'''; 'lIId ell:l,!!;'
<br />and that !.oats '\"('I'e slIbjeet to gl'l'at d{'la.'"~. Th{.re is also no dllllht
<br />that high height I'lItl'S l'oll1p{'nsatl'd for th{' dela~'s amI 10";";('''; illCI'
<br />(lC'nt to the' hnsinc'ss. BC'fore the u(h'l'nt of rnih'oads the l'in'l' 1I:ltll'
<br />, ra 11.\' was the main artery of traffie for the tenitor,'- acljn(,l'nl tll it.
<br />its navigation ~ing. in spite of nil its (h-awhacl,s, far slI]leripr ~n
<br />lancl t!':lIlsportation. The rnill'Oacls nppear to han' clri\"cn the tl':Illir
<br />f,'om the riwl' ],y reason of their lowl'r freight rates. their !!I'(':~t
<br />sa\'i~g of !ime for pl1sseng~rs, thl' r~llsonabl~ reglllar!ty of t Irel.r
<br />ser\']ce, theIr all-yellr opel'atlOn llS agamst thl' mtelTllptlOn of 11:1' J'
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