The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-03-12

INDIANA CANAL ROUND THE fALLs.-1ne
Cincinnati papers are discussing the practi- n
cability and expcdiency of the project of \
building a new canal around the Falls on the
Indiana side. A part of the press dcnounce
the plan as design to plumber the public {
treasury. The following article from the ]
Cincinnati Gazette shows it to be most feast
bic and economical way of improving the
navigation round the Falls:
SIN 1858, Board of Civil Engineers con-
sisting of Col. Long, col. Trumbull, and '
Maj. Fisk. made report TO the Secretary of
War, in which was shown the estimated cost
of three different improvements of the Falls,
LIST the enlargement Of the present Louisville
and Portland Canal so ~ to meet the wants
of commerce, which was estimated NJ g.
49,, 34S; I'd slack water navigation of the
river on the Kentucky side. including a river
wall. estimated ut $2,l9s ,525; Sd canal on
the Indiana side, including the cost Of wall
OF 1000 feet, to improve the natural channel
or middle chute for boats which might not
choose to pass the canal, estimated at 81 =
2l2, 525, to which is added for contingencies,
land damages. &C., SsoS. l5s-making alto
eether 81 ,5l5,7sI. Touching this report the
" ritter for the Gazette says:
I" In this report, Col. Long objects to the
improvement and enlargement of the present
canal, for the reasons that 'fhe Interruptions
TO navigation in the canal generally. during |
the progress of its enlargement, will be far |
more serious and protracted than his col |
leagues seem to admit. TO say nothing of
the numerous hinderances that must I'M
ayoilably be occasiened by the operations
required in deepening the canal; the three |
transits OF tho enlarged, across the bed of
the old canal will undoubtedly obstruct the
navigation of the latter during periods more
or less protracted, and be productive of SC
| rious injury to river commerce. The execu-
ton Of the work, especially at the points just
mentioned, must occasion an entire suspcn-
sion of canal navigation for many days, per-
hGps weeks in succession.
".On such occasions the progress Of the
work will be greatly retarded, not only by
numerous impediments obviously in the way
of its prosecution, but by the frequent swclls
and freshets common TO the river during the
greater portion, probably three-fourths, of
every year. all contributing to delay the
work and enhance the costs
Touching the proposed improvement on
the Indiana side this writer SAYS:
Sin addition to this testimony, we have
had reports from Committees of both Houses
! of Congress in favor of another caral on the
Indiana side Of the river, a, every session
when the subject was presented. until the
last year. Ii the Editor of the Commercial
expects to carry conviction in favor of his
: plan, by an array Of names, and through the
influence of Mr.. Lockhart and the Mail Boat
Company, the friends of u new canal could
meet him in that way, for they furnished as
5 many names in ls4l in favor of the Indiana
D canal, as would have filed his paper every
= day for month. During chat session, more
. than $4,000 names from the West were pre-
sentcd in favor Of another canal. Resou-
tons also from Ohio, Pcnnsyl vania, Indiana.
Maryland, Virginia. Louisiana and Missouri
t were presented to Congress in favor of the
f Indiana canal. Public opinion then, as it is
. ! now, was decided in favor Of two canals, md
: the names of many attached to the memorial
}, in the Commercial were signed as members
= of Committees to reports in favor of the In
@ diana canal, demonstrating in the strongest
manner against any improvement Of the
present canal, until another could be con-
structed for the accommodation of the com
}, merce of the river.
,sl The present canal is known to he INSULT
: Gent, and falls far short of what the present
u requirements Of Commerce demand, but bad
II as it is, to interrupt it is TO leave the CON-
. merce Of the country thrown ont upon the
wharf ut Louisville or Portland without the
means to transfer from one point 20 the other.
% Heavy mechines, engines, locomotives and
many other articles of great weight could moi
be passed over the streets Of Louisville with
|
4 ii navigationyt through hecanal should be sus-
pended, to make the REINFORCEMENT, who could
l. tell W hen il would be resumed. In 1851 tn.
70 number Of passages of boats through the ca
m nal was 1884. Equal to a tonnage of SAT so:
!, tons, and the value Of produce and merchun-
~ disc, one hundred millions of dollars. 0n'
D, year then of interruption to the canal woul Z
l. cause in expense for transfer by land, arounC
is the falls of the commerce of the country,
), sum equal to one-third Of the cost of cana
- of larger dimensions on the Indiana side o
: the river.
l. The proposition now before Congress is 70,
is the Government to apply the profits ofthe in
=, vestment in the present canal of $235.o00
which has increased to more than q inillioI
TO assist in constructing another canal on tn
Indiana side of the river, to accomo1ate com
., mercc until the present canal can be enlarg
E. ed. anu after that use as a descending and tn
? other as ascending canal
Many other arguments might DO use'
"a against the enlargement OF the present cana
TX which are familiar to all acquainted with tn
NJ character of the work and the location
. Every steamboat Pilot knows how difficult j
70 is to enter the canal with large boat, an,
ne the immense delay which frequently occur
o; by boats drifting upon the rocks.
X 1t is also we'll known that the channel OF
"a the Kentucky side of the river is constantl
W filling mp with alluvial deposit. Willow Is
Id land, ut the upper part OF the Louisville land
We ing, which was scarcely pcrceptble in Low
water twenty years since, is now a formida
bic island covered with large growth OF will
lows. The delay of government works, ant
BY the difficulties in the right of way, in con
Of nccton with the numerous bridges require,
r. across the canal, are sufficient reasons to au
- thorize another passage for the commerce c
IL the country, before the trade of the grea
as West is DESTROYED by the selfish and ruinou
ior policy of few individuals. who are now ad
he vocating The patching up of the present ca
nal on the plan of an individual opinion
us without surveys or authority, and at an ex
D. pcnse which would only authorize such re
he pairs as would continue the nuisance and oh
jections which have injured the commerce {
the river. and di.graced the nation by actin
a., as oll-gatherer at the falls Of the Ohio. fo
~ q work which, in the language OF the Boar
n of Engineers, in its present condition, is "a
O. little suited to accommodate the commerce
~ the Ohio, rs railroad constructed twent
years ago, with light rails for cans moved b
us horse power, Mt six to ten miles an hour
es. would at this day answer for heavy locomo
ms tives and trains running ut the rate of fror
an thirty to forty miles per hour. G..