The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-03-06
VOL. VINO. 81.

ieet anu 'he T!Ver requires no I'M
provement for this distance.
From tie mouth of the Sangamon
river TO Lagrange a distance of II
miles, there is i continuation of
sboal water; the amount of excava-
ton required for dug channel be-
tween these points is 20;34G cubic
yards at La Grand is the place Sc
lected for the location of the fourth
dam and lock, the required height
of the dam, above low water is 6
feet this height will give three and
a half feet upon the bar at the mouth
of tire Sangamon river, the length of
the dam will be 900 feet, the aver
age depth Of water 5 feet making
the total height of the dam I feet;
the east bank is nine feet in height,
the west bank 10 feet the bottom
appears to be hard clay with a few
feet Of sand upon the toy; timber is
convenient; stohe can be had from
the bluff a quarter of mile from the
site of the dam, and gravel can be
procured from the same place; this
dam will afford over five feet of wa
ter upon the Beardstown bar.
From La Grand to Florence a
distance of twenty-tlIree and half
miles, there is a succession of shoals
one after another, so thickly that the
river is almost filed Throughout this
distance to within few inches of
the surface of the water except
narrow channel ; the amount OF ex-
cavation required in this dis
lance for dug channel is 39,l33
cubic yards at Florence is the To-
cation for the fifth dam and lock
the length of the dam at this place
will be 1900 f., the height above low
water7 feet, depth Of water Aft; total
height of dam IL feet; the bottom
is a hard packed sand and gravel,
and the foundation of the dam is
more favorable there than any other
point upon the river that examined;
the height of the east bank is 5 feet,
the height of the west bank l6 feet,
rising gradually to the bluff, the
base of which is about 500 feet from
the bank of the river, timber is con-
venient on both sides of the river;
stone and gravel can be had from
the bluff; this dam will give over 6
feet Of water upon Naples flats, and
sufficient upon all tie bars above
that place.
From Florance to Apple creek
the river is again filled with shoals
and bars the whole distance; the
distance between these two points
is 10 miles; the amount of eXcava-
ton necessary for dug channel be-
tween these two points is 32,44l GU
bic yards at the mouth of Apple
creek is the proper place for the
sixth dam and lock; the length Of
the dam at this place is 400 feet,
the hight necessary to flood sufficient
, water over the bars above will be
: six feet, the depth of the water 3 it.,
| making the total height Of the dam
! 9 feet; the height of the banking is
Is feet, the west bank rising gradu-
t ally TO the bluff one eighth Of a thile
from the river; the bottom is Soft
mud, but for a greater part Of the
, distance covered with hard pack
: sand, gravel and muscles timber is
: plenty on both sides of the river !;
, stone and gravel can be procured
r from the bluff on the west side.
The river from Apple creek to its
} moth is almost a dead level, the
f current being so slight that it is al
most imperceptible except at few
; places from the mouth of Apple
, creek to tile French bars there are A
r shoals which will reqtiire excavating
to the depth of inches, making
4 1882 cubic yards, that on the upper
= and lower French bars 3,777 cubic
e yards will have to be removed, max
n ing in all $500 cubic yards, below
, this the water varies from A to 20 #.
e liz depth. -........
e The French bars have been exca-
t waited, the lower one has remained
n open, so there not being less than 1
t feet in the channel, this channel is
S but 30 feet in width, and crosses
= from the island to the eastern shore,
= which makes it difficult to hit upon
A on account of its narrowness, this
; channel should be widened, the up
per bar has been partially excavated.
If the bars between Apple creek and
a mouth Of the river were eXcavated 1t
| is probable that they would remain
1 so for Il long time; as there is very
!, little current and the deposit would
+ take place very slowly, a dam at or
+ between these bars would be very
e expensive as the river is very wide,
= the banks low, and the bottom Of the
: river ,ini'avorable for good iounda-
Il ton. Y,..
IL Eollnvinr is an estimate of the cost