The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-02-29
WABASH AND OHIO CANAL

WABASH AND OHIO CANAL.
We made some remarks last week tend
ing TO show the impracticablity Of mprov-
ing the Wabash; and the consequent neces-
ssty there was of giving the Canal 10 Evans
vile liom Terre Hau;o the preference, as
Tie best means of accomplishing the origi-
nal intention of Congress in granting lands
to the State for the construction of the Erie /
and Wabash Canal We stated that the Ca |
nal, if finished, was CERTAIN of fulfilling the
design of the original grant-but on the con
tray, ifthe River were selected with view
10 make il a part of the great thoroughfare, |
that there were just grounds for believing
the attempt would prove failure. We gavel
as eur belief that ALL the Reports eyerI
made witfregard to the Wabash had express
ed doubts of the success of any plan for i'm
proving lis channel materially, and we
lowed from the character of the River that
t was untitled for such Improvements, and
altogether unlike those rivers of the west
which had been successfully benefited by
art.
The possibility Of 4 failure in the applica-
ton Of the slack wafer principle to the Wa
bash, or IN the use of wing dams, deserves to
be well considered before it is determined to
skpend the proceeds of sales of large do
main in mere experiment, and especially
when a certainty is offered as an alternative;
aaszs6 IS j d47a1a Pfsbsfy t to fs 1
the varmest friends of the River would be
constrained to admit that the preference was
unqneslionably due 20 the Canal No one
en- doubt that the latter-will accomplish all
that r1sg be expected of if constructed,
and no one, ON the contrary, can doubt the
uncertainty both of The success and also the
psnnanency of any river improvements
because if wing dams are built 10 wash offbars
and deepen the bed by narrowing the chan
mel of the river, there is no assurance. as be-
fore stated, that bars will not form imned-
aiely below, while in seasons of high water
the dams themselves may become a source
of great danger to descending boats Furth-
ermore, If dams with locks are made, it is a
fair and legitimate presumption-co consider
ing the lghtness Of the soil and the general
want Of high and rocky banks-ihat the cur
rent would, during the frequent and general
inundations which must ensue in the spring
season, force lis way around the works, sap
ping the foundations, and in the end perhaps,
destroying the whole These results have
been experienced and form the chief diff
Guilty on rivers where the banks are far bet
fer adapted to the construction OF dams than
those of the Wabash, and every crcum-
stance connected with the character of that
river confirms the belief that they would
prove an insuporable barrier to permanent
success.
We come now to consider very briefly the
reasons why the citizens of Indiana, and es-
pecially the Indiana delegation in Congress,
should be unanimous in favor of the Canal
70 US they seem so apparent, and at the
same time SO conclusive, that we are at a
loss 10 account for the opposition which the
canal project asreceivcd. It is computed
that there are in the Land District through
winch the Canal passes more than 1900
coo acres Of vacant lands, or about one third
of the whole. mostly unsettled and unproduc-
tive, and all ofitnot subject TO taxation, COM
prising an aggregate of over seventy-one
townships, and embracing territory large
enough to form SIX SUCH COUNTIES as PosEY,
GIEsos, OR WARRIcK. The soil is &C
knowledged TO be ofequal fertility and value
with the average of lands in those counties,
and capable of sutaiping az dense popula-
ton. Posey, the largest of them, is sup
posed TO contain a population of 10000
souls, lin 1910 it had $685. and it is a very
reasonable supposition that if the Canal were
undertaken and eventually finished, the
wliolo ofthese lands would be taken up and
settled upon by Industrious, enterprising fam
lies, within period ofsix years, making
= thus az addition Of sixty thousand souls, or