The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-03-25
OTTAWA, IL. SATURDAY, MANCM = "a.

}ud Drdtr the snppo-ltpn that he worI; may al
he don" by mJ3i,nrry ami nu very s,r.aus un-ta
|''0 enc" in'"t"I, but :h'', ihluk Il, a very low
rt'n'tr. N" c".t Of the rNrava ION f,r IT,. u
''-i' Il, at ths pucc per yard would Le : | $50,
We have now reached the Valley or the Des
lanes, and "ow commences the serious d hisu.ty
and the "Epcn,iyr work
/ II d-cIwty of one inch per nile BE- given H.
ne bottom of the proposed chauu, hnn the
; prnt where It would cu,cr the valley to Athni,-
. the cNoHra'iun in rhr bed ofthe riyrrat Arhrn.
would he q hHia prtdisr yHln at Summit. or j.,
/ n.htt words, irr mur" ihau i3 miles. the fLI j.
me h'4 "i 'he ti''s averages LITTLE less than one
men pr tnyl", "hl,h. Us every body knows, gives
= very Moderate cuftrG, HIstrue that bc,Wrer
III" summit and Athens there are some deep
/ p'ol- bu, only part Of hem could be mAd.
'v'ii"hie without making the channel SO circuit
"1' AMI go lncrralu., Its length that more wuu.d
b" lost than gained 10y making IT through them.
u was stated IN my report of 1886 tlat the
hrf OF 'hl- portion "i the yer was generally from
: 10 = 'rrt ahuve the bottom uf the canal hnt
pI iHr the gr"a'pr prr,ion ul the distance was
say, from 10 20 lJ feet above. and the width
! probably not Averaging over 100 or ljO feet.
he distance would a!-p be considerably greater
'hhn drrc. line. The ave age depth Of a
channel 2OD i"ct vile could NOT, therefore BE-
assumed at less than, say, l2l feet.
Ihe excavation in the bed uf the river has
been saiil"irnty demonstrated by the canal exca
Ed'i"uS, the line Of canal running near The river
aud m some places encrpaChmy uu the bed of II.
ana portions oi the canal having been sunk at
di-Ient points alpng the whole line, to the orig
NAT level Of The Deep Cut winch would ca-il-
eide IN depth with the proposed channel. These
sII 4 k,n
waited for the channel would be Of the most diff
cult and expensive character, and not one rod OF
It could be cXcayat"d by any dredging machine
oi which have any kunwled-e
Itpin the rIint where the Iine word enter
the valley To th" Sag, thc excavation would
mostly consist oia very compact and hard clay
m'rtmXci wi,h a COur'c gravel and detached
rock. ana much otIt, after reaching short d,-
nucc below the surface, s OF he quality g"ncr
ai'r terInsI ccmented clay aud gravel The de-
yei"p, EeGfs already made aiso show that IN thl~
distance ui, say l-9 mics, a considerable.
amount Of embodied IJCk would be met Ni.h.
Il Is stated tlat no part Ci h. work can proba-
O'y ua executed ty dredging machines, ani u
"oild, Therefore be necessary to keep the
Woik Tree from water. dlrug the execution If !,
--an expense wurl none but those who have
b""n acquainted with the almost n-Urperlble
dili"a'urs which attended the completion OF
this dlvl~lun Il III" caral can arpfccnte. And
then I'M section cf ihc proposed channel would
have to be sunk On an average, nlne feet below
ihe present canal
II .. true that tie waters Of the Dos PLANES
could BE- turned into Lake Michigan duriuu the
progress oi the work. which would ccnsldafahl,
diminish the cUa.', hut under the most Eyorarlr
circumstances The excavation must be eXpen
sive.