Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1907 — DREDGE DELAY OF A MONTH. [ARTICLE]

DREDGE DELAY OF A MONTH.

The big dredge which was plying thru the rock so satisfactory and which came to a halt because it reached a place that had not been blasted; has now backed up to the bridge at the upper end of the rock bed, and as the channel does not meet specifications in depth by from 1 to 3 feet thru the part of the rock bottom so far gone over, Sub contractor Moore has erected a barge on which will be placed an engine for the operating of five drills, and it is hoped to be able to begin this drilling by the last of this week. When the drilling was done last year the holes made about 14 feet deep in the belief that that would make it possible to dredge out 12 feet of rock, the specification depth, but it has failed to do so and seems quite possible that the entire rock bed will again have to be drilled and blasted again. ZZ : _ It is therefore probable that the delay wuich started two weeks ago will continue at least two weeks longer and that after they have lowered the bed along the 1,000 feet so far traversed that the progress will be very slow. All last season and a very favorable one it was by reason of the dry weather,

Contractor Moore was engaged in the drilling and blasting and if it mnst be done over again it will take all this season or nearly all, and the dredge may not reach the College street bridge before Christmas, which, indeed, is the time set by one of the contractors for reaching that point. W. F. Sternberg, one of the sons of the contractor, who has been in charge of the work here a great part of the time, took several of the dredge hands and started for Vandalia, 81., this morning, where they have another contract. Several of the dredge employees had previously been taken to other places, and apparently the contractors are not expecting to keep very busy here for awhile. Edward G. Sternberg and wife returned yesterday from Council Bluffs, lowa, where he has been in charge ot one of their big contracts. They are stationed at the Comer House, and he is iu charge of the contract.