Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-12-23


.n,ut,e -. ,rni Da,is Attrit'srr
A,a meeting held ia Detroit on the
e7tt uI,.. in regard 10 a Canal round
IN. Sui, Ste Marie, Dir. Houghion,
State GruIogisi, made the following re-
marks:
The committee having retired. the
Hon. Douglass Ilough,on responded TO
the call of the meeting by expressing
his gra,ifica,ion at being present AZ so
large and respectable meeting Of his
ielow-eiiizrns, and The happiness II
would afford him TO communicate any
information in his power which might
tic supposed to have tendency to Il
waken attention, or in the leaS, ight-
en- the public mini upon the inp"r-
tani su ,jrct under consideration HIS
duties. connected with the Geological
and Topogr,phirai Surveys "i Mirh'-
gan. had often brought the conpara'i.e
merits "f the question before ms mild'
and he was convinced that no nne, ui-
i,.s he had ex, nined the matter CLOSE
lv. could BE- aware of The small amount
~
Of expendi,ure r, qulr,d I" ,feciually
overcome the barrier obsiructing me
oaviua,iou of the Ste Marie's river -
From his own survey aud estimates,
he sai,; canal round the Falls need not
exceed 4 800 feet in length. that IN no
place does the ground rise more 'han
six or eight feet above the surface OF
the water al the head OF the FATS, anu
there can ne M deep cuttings required
that about Que third of the necessa
ry excavation will be through sand and
gravel, and the remaining two-thlrdS
through moderately soft red sand
stone. in layers varying from one TO
eight inches in thickness, which can
be easily and cheaply thrown out; and
though, this sand stone, when exposed
TO the combined action of the elements,
is subject to disintegraiion to such
degree as TO render it UNFIT Tor use as a
fac:n. to the locks, there are an ahun-
dance Of large bowlders of compact
granite near to the line of the proposed
work which can be readily applied to
such use. The elevation TO overcome,
he stated at fraction over eighteen
feet, which for safety, willrequire three
locks Of six feet lift each.
No situation can he more favorable
for the CONSTRUCTION Of such work,
and when once constructed il will not
be subjected to accidents from foods
nor floating ice. nor in fact decay, ex-
erp,ing that produced by the ordinary
action of the elements; and the cost oil
cunsiruciion of this proposed canal,
sufficiently capacious To allow the pas
sage of the largest steamboats, upon
our lakes. after making liberal allow
anre for contingencies, cannot at thr
utmost exceed Two hundred thousand
dollars
Il then remains, said DIR H., to ascer-
tam whether the benefits Ia be derived
will Justify the expenditure of this a
mount of money, and if so 'vheihrr
the work caa he regarded as nationa
one. He fell assured that in no portion
vi ouI ttbt1 Shfdat ot
expenditure of money open 10 the en-.
ierprisc "f our people So large dis
triri "t country, being mo less than the
whole b'rdcring upon that imnens,
body Of water known as Lake Supe.
rior. A simple canal of ouiy SOC
feet thus opening an uninterrupted nav
igation for distance uf NOR. than 4SC
miles, aud opening an avenue for ali
the proiucis ii thd soil. the minerals
t1c 10 pber. the fi>h and The furs Of thai
vast region of country.
H.. wa. well aware Of The prejudi.
ees viii n existed IN relation 10 the
climate AMI the capabiiirirs of TN
cnuniry in relation TO agriculture, a.
also of The long time which II mus
take TO eradicate those impressions: Tor
the Soysgeur who has passed along II:
sandy aud It's rock bVund coast IN his