Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1848-06-17
ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL.

ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL.
7, has bccu announced in several of the public
papcrs that this important work. OF great interest
TO the north western part Of the Union, is completed
and has been lately opened for the transportation OF
merchandise and produce.
This nagnifccn, work forms nav igablc commuui
cation through the State OF Illinois, between the great
Northern Lakes. and the river MiSSiSsippl 1t Is OF
dimensions to adult of boats Of 100 10 100 tons burden,
ing feet in depth and sixty feet IN width at the
surface and thirty SIX feet wide at the bottom. IL is
canal the first class in point ot capacity and IN the
character Of lis Workmanship. The amount Of lock.
age about 100 feet, and the locks, III number are
no feet in length and Is feet in width. The locks,
as we'll the dams and the piers and abntmcntS o!
the aqucducis and bridges Of the best description
of hammered masonry. The road bridges, 10 the
number of % 30, ITowc patent truss bridges,
of a span of 10 feet and upwards, and of such height
that one may stand upon the deck Of boat while
passing under them, and 'it not more than ten rct
tall, neither head nor hat will be endangered.
This is great Improvement on the bridges OF me
Eric Canal, where we sometimes hear of cmigrantS
while sitting deck having their heads unexpected
" taken off by the bridge.
: The Canal connects with Lake Michigan at Chi
cago and with the Illinois river al La Sale. From
La Sale the Illinois is navigablc by steamboats, Tor 4
distance OF 2l2 miles TO the Mississippi ana 10y me
two rivers there is an extent of navigation OF 1870
miles to New Orleans. From Chicago, by Lakes
Michigan, St. Clair, Eric and Ontario, and the river
ST. Lawrence the navigation is still more extensive
making a connected line Of internal navigation OF more
than 5000 miles. This line Of navigation OF course
opens a channel of trade between the northern
ports of Michigan, Ohio, Pcnnsy lranIa and New
York, and the western waters aud the G"" oil
Mexico. .
This great work was begun by the State Of Illinois
in the ear 1880, and continued to the end ct I942
when it was suspended for want Of funds, about
#a So 900 600 having been expended. The estimate o'
cost according to the original plan was IS ODUO3
This plan TO make a thorough cut - miles IN
length. from Lake Michigan TO the Drs PLANES,
branch of the Illinois, OF an average dcph OF ~ 10 i
Il, ItIrr
nesian limestone, and the residue through sutt blue
clay, with substratum Of hard pan. he estimated
cost of this constituted $6,OJ9OUJ OF the original
estimate above named.
After 4 suspension of the work for two or three
wears the State Of Illinois, for the purpose Of obtain
ing a loan sufficient to complete the Canal on mod
flied plan OF reduced cost offered TO pledge all It's
works, together with $50 900 acres OF Canal Lands,
TO such of the creditors OF the State as would make
further ad ancc of money the amount OF the est
mated cost, computed at ! l,6J0,OJt. Olhcr meas
urcs were proposed for securing TO the subscribers to
the loan priority of payment from the proceeds OF
the properly pledged, which to be placed for the
purpose in the hands of three trustees two 10 be APP
pointed by the bondholdcrs and one 10y the STATE.
Two agents appointed by the principal bond
holders, viz: Gov. Davis and Capt. w II. swift, to
examine the condition of the Canal and property pro-
posed be pledged, and their report proving salts
factory, the loan required was raised from the sub
scriptionS the State Bonds in Europe and this conn-
try The subscription being completed IN the sum
mcr of lS45 the trust organized, consisting on
the part Of the bondholdcrS Of the two gentlemen
who had acted their agents in the preliminary IN
vcsgati0n, and in August OF that year the work was
resumed under their direction. The work IS now,
as above stated, far mplctcd that the Canal Is
opened. The first boat passed over the summit level
on the 10th Of April last, and on the 22d the La Sale
reached Chicago from the lllinoS River, with cargo
consisting of groceries from New Orleans, the pro-
ducc of Illinois quantity Of New Orleans sugar,
portion of her cargo was sent from chicago ny
steam boat TO Buffalo, where it arrived two weeks
Il 81. tpftR \ Than o.
Troy.
The water for the supply of the canal is derived
from six distinct sources. That Tor the supply OF the
summit level, and several lower levels, for distance
of 81 miles is derived first from the river Calumet,
BY of feeder II miles in length, and from the
river Des PLANES In addition 10 these two sources
of supply for the summit level to be relied in cases
of deficiency in seasons Of drought, two powerful
pumping engines provided, TO draw water from
the lake. TO a height of I to feet The engines are
of go horse power each and either engine Is compc
tent alone, in Of the failure of the other 10 FUR
nsh adequate supply OF water IN any case Of need
One of the engines drives four lifting pumps Of 81
inches diameter and feet stroke cach and the other
an immense scoop wheel with Is buckets; by means
of which machinery each engine Is capable o. raIsn
$4,000 gallons Of water per minute from the level Of
the lake to the summit level of the canal-sO that a
lock of 8 feet lift NAV be filled in three minutes, by
either set of machinery. By means Of these modes
of supplying water for The summit cvcl the deep cut
is in great measure dispensed wth-a lock OF feet
lift being substituted at Chicago river and one OF ~
feet at the westerly end Of the summit. large
supply of water is moreover furnished for manu!actu-
ring purposes.
Freight boats arc now running back and forth con-
tinually and two daily lines Of packet boats al
ready established leaving each end Of the line morh-
ing and evening and making the passage Of - miles
in about 90 hours, carrying from 30 10 passengers
each.
1t is estimated that great article ofradc upon the
canal will be coal from the Illinois valley, for the
supply Of steamers the lakes and for domestic uses
II. gl.f I1rfl
raised in great quantities the Illinois river well
aspork and beef, will be transported to Chicago, for
the supply Of places accessible by the lake navigation;
and lumber and salt will be transported from the lake
to the Mississippi valley Low rates Of toll have been
established by the board of trustees and the trad 81
the canal has opened with fatering prospects. The
tolls received at Chicago in the first five days from
the opening amounted to 5 ,42b.5O
Collections of Specimens from Sorndings. The
charts of the Coasi SmryeE cNhLit ncrLnct rnpre: