Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-01-18
EDWARDsyILLE, ILLINOIS, I

head of the river S miles r rom this
point there is portage OF miles to the
flyer Des PLANES. They then descend
ed the Des PLANES so or SO miles, 10 It's
mouth; where uniting With the Kan-ka
kee, considerable river from The south
east, lis source being in the country with
those OF the Wabash and ST Joseph, the
river Illinois is also formed; thence
down this river 10 its confluence with
the Mississippi $50 miles thence down
the latter eighteen miles, to Alton, the
place from whence they had departed.
II Is source Of much Satisfaction for
the Commissioners to be enabled to
/ state, that the result of this examination
! eyentuated IN the conviction, that from
| the mouth of the Illinois river, TO the
Lutte VermilIioD, handsome stream
10 or 5 feet wide, disc harging its va
,ers into the Illinois river CD the west
side, and about tour miles belew the RAJ
pids OF the Illinois, there is oct the least
obstruction to the narlg ation, excepting
IA two or three places below Spoon III
YER, IN extremely low stages oil water,
whore small sand bars show themselves,
oat which, hewever, can be easily re-
mayed
Perhaps no rlyer On the continent sur
passes TIE lIinais, III the facility and
s,iety OF Us nsYg5uer, the current be-
'ng very gentle, 4Ld here bel6g but lew
islands IN llle civel.
From Tic moath Of the Llte Eermii-
non, above relorred 10, neither tie Hi
nois nor the Des PLANES, 5 nagiss6ie IN
NV Stages OF water, as they are frequent
y Intercepted BY Rapids out nc serious
obstacles presents them selves, III effect
lne can5l navigation from tie mead OF
tie navlgab'e waters OF The Illinois RI
yer, 10 Lake Michigan tie valley OF the
rivers iilnols and Dcs PLANES, being an
nc lined plane, and he country between
The Des piaines and tie Chicago river,
smooth, Tia prairie, with aonlle llcii-
nation towards the Like.
The country bsing, as already re-
marked, uninhabited, the sprmg seasons
extremely wei, and 10 summer he grass
extremely bish, the Commissioners con.
Guided the proper time 10 make ne re
qaislts surveys and levels, would be in
the tall OF the year, as the work could
the0 be performed more accurately abb
expediliousy, ahd with much less ex
pense than al aUy other time. Under
these considerations, preparations were
made 10 begin The surveyio and level
ms, as eatiy IN the autumn OF 1871, as
the grass and vegetation could be de-
stroyed by fire; this being an lnsepara-
bic and preparatory act for the CON
DencemenI OF the work. To wait for
this period necessarily involved further
consideration, that there would not be
lime sufficient tor one Engineer to per-
form the work il season, 10 enable the
Commissioners to make a report OF
their proceedings to the General AS
sembly al It's present session; il there
lore became necessary o employ ano-
Their Engineer, 10 assist IN executing the
levels, surveys, dra1ghts, and plans, sud
accordingly Col. Rene Paul, OF Missou-
ri, was selected by The Commissioners
Tor taA purpose.
Inc Engineers, with one Of the Com
miss:ohsrs, e>oceeGed accordingly win
tive eompanles, several OF The Numbers
OF which were occ asionally left behind
by reason OF sickness. One oil the com
panles 70 Chicago, on the shore Of Lake
Michigan, and the other TO the raplds OF
The river Illinois, win a mutual under
standing to confine their operations OF
dwelling 10 the north side Of the Illinois
and Des PLANES, and the valleys of those
rivers. The party hi Chicago, after
sounding and examining the depth of
water on the Lake shore, near the Chi
cago river, and sounding and meander-
ing that river to its head, (the waters Of
which were found stagnan,, and on a le-
vel with the waters OF Lake Michgan)
proceeded levelling in direction to the
ford OF the Des PLANES, where it ap-
proaches, in its nearest point, 10 The Chi.
cage river; then crossed that stream
AID descended on the north side, until
the company, which had commenced
dwelling and surveying at the foot OF the
rapids, intercepted them.
The object OF the surveying and le-
Yelling, being to ascertain the summit |
level aud inequalities of the surface of
the country, between the Illinois river,
at the foot of the rapids and the Lake,
and to ascertain the inc lination from
the summit level to both the Lake and
the river, as well as the courses and dis
tances, TO enable the Commissioners to
consider the practicability and probable