Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-04-24

y. PLANES. am Indebted to a gentleman. who
has explored the illinois. both BY land and
water for the purpose OF ascerahinS the
,,r.ctieability Of canal, for the following in
Formation:
Ike gaiiet, still water, one quarter of a
nile wide. and fifteen miles long, which termi-
,a,ss two or three miles above this junction, is
20 he psssed through in descending to it. The
AVERAGE descent to the junction is supposed 70
he about four or five inches to the mile, max
inc about Is feet. To Lake Juliet there are
occasionally rippIes and deep waters.
The soils, tor the purpose of excavation, thro'
this part ct the country, are of the best kind.
The upper stratum, which makes the mud, is
deep, rich. and black soil, of about two feet.
The second is loom, or mixture of clay, with
a small portion of gravel, and its depth is to be
inferred from the bottom of the Chicago, where
il is also clay at about 20 feet deep 1t is sup
posed that a sand stone formation now begins
as it fills the bottom of the Des PLANES, with
mixture OF lime stone.
Nafsr this, no obstruction occurs 10 the Kicka-
poo N1 81 miles, or the head of the Illinois
Rapids, S. miles long, which are the worst and
Oay obstacles TO navigation in the Illinois Ri
vs..
The K;ckapoo Rapids have descent of per.
hsps feet in one mile and half The de-
seem ct any OF the other falls does not exceed
tnrec feet and altogether not over 10 or 20 feet
The wafer, from one end to the other Of these
RAPIDS, is mostly gentle and deep where it is
not. It is partly hied with sand, and sand stone,
which easily crumbles to pieces to the bottom.
with the hand, particularly at the Kickapoo
falls In other places, It'll loose and calcareous,
and can be worked up by crowbars. They are
supposed 10 be in the proportion of about
one-third OF this kind of rock and two.thirds
sand.
By this means, the rapids may all be lowered.
and the water combined and thrown together, so
as to make navigation by the natural he'd or
channel OF the river. TO effect this, which can
easily be done by erecting dam across the
Des PLANES, about IL or ID miles from the
mouth Of the Chicago, the whole body OF the
river may be diverted and turned into Lake
Michigan tl.l the rocks and other distractions
to navlgat ion are removed, while the bed of
the river in lett naked for the purpose. On the
goth Sept. 1922, the Des Planes, at the ford,
was about 80 yards wide, anu 80 inches deep.
From where this dam would be thrown across
the Des PLANES. the descent of the river is SO
great that 1t is believed an excavation, begun at
the head of the navigation of the south branch
OF the Chicago, and made about Ii feet deep,
for - OF Is miles, would accomplish the OBJ
iect Guard locks can be constructed, at or
near the lake. where the water could be let into
the canal SO as to limit ii 70 such quantity only
as would be necessary TO sweep away the
noxious vegetables in the lllinoise.
1t is believed, that, if tie canal should be
commenced from the kennamck, it would be
attended with increased difficulties and ex-
pense, from mud and distanIe, especially if the
excavation should terminate at the mouth of
Vermillion River, q distance ofnear 80 miles.
~ HI q.
would be near 50 miles. Whichever plan
should be adopted, whether<ty clearing the
rocks and sand from the bed OF the river, OF
an entire excavation be made, nature seems
to point out the course for 1t from the south
fork OF the Chicago River The ground for
it is good, without any great obstacles to over,
come. Rocks can begot, in abundance, for
locks, walls, aqueducts, &c.
From the foregoing statement, 1t results,
we have Lake Michigan so much at our CON-
mand, that we can make it altogether SUD-
servient to our purposes, either by bringing it
directly into connexion with the Illinois river,
on large scale, or limiting its quantity for lesser
purposes, at our pleasure and discretion.
From the foot of the Rapids to Fort Clark,
distance of about 90 miles, the current OF
the river is very sluggish and dead, and, in the
dry season of 1920, the water was as low as
5 ID feet.
The distance from Fort Clark to the mouth
of the Illinois about 1870 miles by water, and
its width are very uniform. 1t IS generally a.
bout 800 Yards till we come to the mouth,
where it is half mile wide, From the foot
of the Rapids to the mouth, the navigation Is
almost always good for vessels OF 81 IONS, ex-
cept from Christmas till the 18Th of February.
And the general depth OF the water ia summer
is about six feet. Its navigation Is no more
interrupted by rapids from the foot OF the
rapids TO its mouth. Its greatest rise above
the summer level by freshets is about ID feet,
when it overfows from one to three miles in
width, which is the common width or the
fat or bottom. Its rapidly has been ascer-
tanned from and below Fort Clark by Gun
Boat, and by other Boats floating in the night,
10 be about one mile an hour to the mouth,
which is 50 miles from St. Louis. Steam boats,
like those now building on the OHIO, and
drawing two feet water, can easily ascend to
the rapids.
Public attention will ere long be attracted
to this important and interesting section OF the
country, The Indian title is getting fast extln-
pushed, and Is mostly, and the Indians are
clearing out of it. The soil is rich, and 1t is
now inviting the spirit of adventure into 1t.
The enterprise of New York will soon be ava
kened to the adva 1tage OF opening this COM
munication, which can easily be made, so as
TO complete it from New York to New Or
leans.
AS yet but partial and erroneous notices ex-
list with respect to it.. But few men OF science
and observation have yet visited the country, as
the dwelling of white man is not to be seen
from Fort Clark to Chicago. No engineers
have been employed to examine and lay out
ground where the canal should go. The COM
mon opinion which prevails about it is, that