The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-01-23
WABASH AND ERIE CANAL.
IN SENATE OF THE U. S.
FarpAY. DEC. 81. 1874.

cOmlng up IN Its order
Mr.. Haywood moved that the third read
ing be deferred for a few days. in order that
a memorial from citizens of Vincennes in re-
lation to this canal and to the improvement
of the river Wabash, might receive the at
tention and consideration of the Senate, pri-
or TO its final action on the bill now before it.
Mr.. White said that no decided remon-
STRANGE from any part of Indiana or else
where had been made against this bill. 1t
was true that a very small interests Vincen-
mes and its neighborhood were anxious for
the improvement of the Wabash river, and
were unwilling that the completion of the
canal should cause any risk of this improve
ment being lostsight of. If the riyerreally
admitted of anyimprovement-that is, if inn
%provement were reasonably praelicable-he
would be in favorof it instead of the canal.
But this was not the case. The improve
ment by slackwater navigation is altogether
impracticable, if for no other reason, on ac-
count of the immense expense which would
attend it.
Besides the cost of dams TO an amount not
nable length. of leTees would have to be
constructed TO prevent the inundation of the
river bottoms, which from Terre-Haute to
the rapids are from 3 to 5 miles wide, and
below that point from 5 to 7 miles-and with
banks and bed of sand, such inundation
would cause the loss of millions of acres
now in cultivation, and prejudice the health
of the country for miles around. 1t was be-
cause of the great width of the bottom lands
and of the spring floods of the Wabash, ris-
ing from 20 to 40 feet, that the route of the
canal was made TO leave at Terre-Haute the
valley of the Wabash, and 10 pass over the
table land to the valley Of White river, and
thence over another narrow isthmus TO the
vale of Pigeon creek, through which it de-
bouched into the Ohio at Evansville.
The canal when completed will be $50
miles long, a considerable part of it so feet
wide, and from 4 too feet deep, and alto
gether it will be the most useful as well as
the most magnificent work in the Union
Passing througha region where supplies and
transportation are cheap, it has already solv-
ed the problem that bulky articles may be
cerried at a profit along its whole length.
A great business was already doing on that
part which was completed. The Wabash
river was ~navigable for only three months in
the year, and even then the navigation was
uncertain. Mr.. White then went at length
into the topography and description of that
river, and also into those of the canal. The
completion of the latter, he said, was easy
the improvement of the river, as a substitute
for it, altogether impracticable under exist
ing circumstances. In the part of the river
required to be improved there was a fall of
800 feet, and TO cause a s~lackwater naviga-
ton % dams would be necessary: and, when
the breadth of the river and other circum-
stances were considered, the immense ex-
pense attending their erection would be APP
parent. A considerable part of the canal
had been completed and was now in opera
ton; funds were in hand for the completion
of ninety miles more; and / it was to grant aid
10 complete the remainder, of about ninety
miles, that the bill before the Senate was
introduced Indiana may have been charg-
ed, he would not say unjuslly, with IMPROVE
dence; but in the execution ofthis canal she
has been eminently prudent and economical:
it has been constructed at less expense than
any other canal in the United States. The
canal has already contributed largely 10 the
commerce of the Union, and swelled the
mighty stream of business at the city of
New York. There were now 100000
acres o fland in the valley of the Wabash ly-
ing uncultivated, and they would remain so
until this work of internal improvement was
completed. The State asks for aid 10 finish
the canal through the richest agricultural dis
trict in the world, and connecting two most
important points.
AS one proof of the beneficial effects of
this canal, he would mention that Kenawha
salt, which formerly sold at from 4 TO 6 dol
lars per barrel, was nov superseded by salt
from the State of New York, which sold at
the same points for 81 374 to 81 IS per bar
rel. No doubt SOM part of the difference
arose from the drawback allowed by the
State of New York, but 1t arose principally
from the facilities afforded by the canal.
A gentleman had mentioned to him that
he had seen in Charleston, corn which had
been raised in the valley Of the Wabash,
which had been reshipped from New Orleans
10 Charleston.
This trade is destined to be extended a.
long the Gulf and Southern Atlantic coast.
The products of the Wabash valley will
soon pass in TO the bay of AIbemarle, leay-
ing 10 the Pine regions of the South, the pro-
, ducts which nature has more appropriately
designed, whether they be rice, sugar. cot
ton, t~urpentine, lumber or tobacco. BY the
contributions Of the great staples of lie, we
shall gladden. at their own fre-sides the
hearts of many of our distant countrymen
sending them corn and olives in return 70
the l~uxuries with which their climate a
bounds.
Nothing could be urged against the ma
, tionality of this measure--nothing whateve
against its utility. All that had been said il