The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-01-04
OHIO AND ERIE CANAL.

mo. contains very just and liberal notice oil
the importance of this great work, not only
TO the. State of Indiana, but to the Union,
and sets forth in a strong light The duty of
Congress with regard to it. Coming from a
quarter moi Immediately interested in it, ii
speaks volumes IN favor of our claims, and
will be remembered by our citizens as kind
ness which every one of them will strive to
repay 1t is thus that we of the West should
hang together in all matters elfecting our
Improvements. We have been too long neg
lected by the General Government, and for
the reason that we were not united among
ourselves. Hereafter five desire to improve
our condition We must Danish all sectional
feeling, and enter upon the work with
single beart-knowing our rights and deter
mined TO enforce them. We commend our
friend Prentice's article to the careful peru
sal of the Editor of the Vincennes Gazette.
"THE WABASH AND LAKE ERIE Canal
Petitions are in circulation praying Congress
TO grant the unsold and refuse lands living in
the Vincennes district to the State of Indiana,
to enable her to complete the line OF canals
connecting The waters of Lake Erie with
those of the Ohio. As the State Of Indiana
is hopelessly in debt, she, of course, cannot
command the necessary means for the com
pletion of this great work. The only hope is
in the wisdom and liberalty of Congress;
and we trust that when the proposition is
submitted TO that body, enough intelligence
and sound policy will be found to carry out
the original intention as TO this great Nation.
al enterprize. IF Congress refuse TO aid the
State in this work, vast amount Of none;.
vssich d y beth * ss1fzz1u
lost; those portions of the work that are ex-
ecuted will fall into decay; and The intefl-
ton of the Congress of 1927 TO establish
great National ihoroughflre between Lake
Erie and nayigable point on the Western
rivers cannot BE fulfilled.
.sThe history of this work is as follows =
By an act of Congress, approved March I'd,
1927, certain quantity of land, equal to
one-half of FIVE sections in width on each
side of the line ri the Wabash and Erie ca
nal, reserving each alternate section of land
10 the United States. was granted to the State
of Indiana, for the purpose of aiding the
State in opening a canal to unite, at nayiga-
points, the waters of the Wabash river with
those of lake Erie By the first section Of
said act, it is provided, "That said canal,
when completed, shall be, and forever re-
main, public highway for the use of the
Government Of the United States, free fom
any toll or other charge whatever for any
property the United States or persons in
their service passing the same''
'sThe lands granted by this act have been
applied by the State, and canal has been
finished, extending from Lafayette, on the
Wabash, TO Maumee Bay, on Lake Erie
Now, il is very well known that Lafayette is
far above what can be considered a nayiga-
bic point on the Wabash; and SO the Aito:-
ney General of the United States has decid-
ed. He decided that point to be at Terre-
Haute, and, in accordance with this decision
and the TENS Of the original grant, a guam
tify of land, equivalent TO that granted by
the act of March, 1927, was selected TO be
applied TO the construction of The canal to
Terre-Hause. This portion of the work is
all under contract, and will be completed in
two years. Whenit is completed, there will
be a continuous canal from Teue-H aue 10
Maumee Bay, distance of about three hun
dred miles. In the system of internal i'm
provements, adopted by the State of Indiana
in 1886, it was proposed to connect the Wa.
bash and Erie canal with the southern Dor.
ton of the Central canal, by means of the
Cross-cut canal, from Terre-Haute to the
feeder-dam on White river, at the Town Of
: Newburry, in Green county. The south
= ern portion ofthe Central canal terminates
at Evansville, on the Ohio river. In the
prosecution of this undertaking. large
amount of money has been expended by the
State, both on the Cross-cut and the Centra
: canal. I'm the Cross-cuf, from the dam oil
Eel river to Terre Haute. distance oftwen
y-five miles, most of the work is completed
~ including the dam, and as the contractors OF
he Wabash and Erie canal, from Lafayette
TO Terre-Haufe, have contracted 10 finish thi
work also, in addition to the Wabash ant
Erie canal, between the points above men
toned, there is no doubt that their operation.
will be Simultaneous, and that the portion o
she Cfoss-cut, from the dam on Eel river tc
Teue Haute, and the Wabash and Erie CO
nal TO the same point, be finished at the SAME
time; thus afording an internal navigation
from Toledo, on the Maumee Bay, 10 ths
feeder dam, On Eel river, in Clay county In
dana
SThe distance from the feeder-dam, o.