The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-05-24

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Detroit, to Chicago, on Lake Michigan
which is the nor hern terminus of HI
canal and is 1900 miles from Boston.
Mr.. Davis, in short time, took th
southern route, through New York, Phil
adelphia, Baltimore, Wheeling, and Gin
cinnali, TO St. Louis, on the Mississippi
! river where lie arrived on the oath o
November. being the same day Capt
Swift reached Chicago. From thence h,
assembled the Mississippi and Illinois riv
ers, to La Sale, 2l00 miles from Boston
and met Capt. Swift there, at the southern
terminus of the canal, on the LIST day o
| December, he having on his route from
Chicago examined in a cursory manner
most of the line. We found that our ap
proach to each extremity of the canal, by
different routes, had proved to be more adj
vantagcous than we had anticipated, a,
| it enabled us to understand the charac
ter Of the connecting navigation, which
will hereafter appear to be quite essen.
liaI.
On the second day Of December, we left
La Sale, and passed up The line to Ottawa.
From thence, we diyerged, and assembled
the valley Of the Fox river, some sixty
miles, to ascertain its capacity, as a feeder,
to be introduced upon the summit; aud
then crossed to the Des PLANES, and es-
tablished our headquarters at Lockport,
that we might have access to the canal Of
fee, and interviews with those officers
who had had charge Of the work.
Before entering more into the details.
involved in the several propositions, we
will invite your attention to the general
character Of the enterprise. The object
to be attained by a canal one hundred
miles long, is a union Of the great north.
western lakes, which scperale the pro-
vince Of Canada from the United States,
and pour their waters into the ocean,
through the Gulfof st. Lawrence, with
the waters Of the Mississippi, which is
The vast valley Of the same name, aud
discharges itself into the Gulf of Mexico,
1000 miles distant from the mouth Of the
ST. Lawrence.
Chicago is near the head of lake Mich
igan from which the navigation for YES
sells of all classes is uninterrupted to the
great Falls Of Niagara. about 900 miles.
Artificial works are now either in con-
slruction, or completed round obstruc-
tons, from thence 10 Montreal and Que
bee. On the American side, the nayiga-
ton is continued from Buffalo on Lake
Ere, and 0swego on Lake Ontario, to
Underwater at Albany on the Hudson
River.
La Sail is upon the Illinois river, a tri-
batary of the Mississippi, and steamers
may ply between il and New Orleans :
but the character Of the navigation will
be more particularly noticed hereafter.
1t is Obvious from this geographical
sketch, ihat the site Of the canal combines
objects Of unusual interest, as it is the on
| ~ broken link in continuous navigation.
or interior highway Of wafer, of unparal.
le'cd extent; and unites points which, in
! process of time, must become the ,horough-
fare Of very great trade and transportation
This truth seemed to the state so plainly
revealed, that she was tempted to engage
IN the enterprise at too early day. and
upon ascalc disproporlionate to her pop
ulation and resources. The earliest voy-
ayers, Marquette, Foliol, La Sale, &C.,
found this an ancient trail Of the aborig.
ines, who passed from Lake Michigan, a
few miles up the Chicago river, and
thence, by an easy portage Of some seven
or eight miles into the valley Of the Dcs
PLANES, which is the northern fork oI the
Illinois, and when swollen, so as to pass
It's banks, flows down through this low,
level portage, aud ming'es its water:
with the Chicago.
The near approach Of the lake, and the
DesPaines to the same level, indicated the
facility with which the navigation could
be united ; and the central position in the
vast valley Of the Mississippi indicated
lis great future importance.
Encouraged by such considerations
and by very liberal grant of public land,
from the United States, Illinois seized
upon the earlies, moment to prosecute tho
enterprise, believing that her growing
strength and resources ware adequate iC
its accomplishment.
To combine several objects deemed
important, which will be severally hereaf
ter noticed, she passed law, requiring
that the canal should be fed from Lake
Michigan, by conducting the waIe
through into the valley Of the Des PLANES
a, a point below the level Of the lake
which made deep cut of thirty mile!