Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-02-04
A R1vrR TO rnr MouNfAINu.-The

A RIVER 10 Tns MouN1AIND.-Thel
Missouri Democrat has originated .
scheme for producing navigable river
from St. Louis to the Mountains,
the recently discovered gold.
fields Of Western Kansas and Nebras-
ka. It seems more fanciful than prac-
teal but here it is:
The proposition We advance, il to
make river to the mountains-and to
make it on the direct line of central
travel up to the very gold-6elds that
are waiting to be rocked and Graded
and crushed into circulating wealth.
The Kansas { Caw) is stream at pres
ent navigable to boats of light draught
for short distance once or twice .
year. Its sources, however, reach the
high table land at the base of the
mountains, and two long arms, the Re-
publican and Smoky Hill Forks, thread
their way through On almost unbroksn
descending plain until they unite at
Fort Riley. Those who will take the
trouble to consult a map will notice that
almost parallel with the Smoky Hill
Fork of this river, runs for several hum
dred miles the Upper Arkansas, while
almost parallel with the Republican
Fork, for o like distance, runs the
South rlatte. Wewill treat of these
one at time. The divide separating
the waters of the Arkansas from those
Of the Kansas is mountain spur, that
soon subsidies and is lost in the plain.
The distance across from one stream to
the other-as far down as Bent's Fort
lis not more than forty miles, and the
distance from the Arkansas to the point
where the drain &c into the Smoky
Hill Fork begins, is not more than tif-
teen miles. Again, the strip of table
land, that separates the South Platte
from the Republican Fork is not more
than thirty miles wide, and from the
former to the point of division, is not
more in some places than eight miles.
Now, it is evident that the Upper Ar
kansas turned into the Smoky Hill
Fork, and the South Platte turned into
the Republican Fork, their mountain
floods relied into the Kansas, we should
have there river second to but one on
the continent; and navigable far up
each branch for a larger class Of steam
ers. The Arkansas is, after fairly is
suing forth into the great plain stream
some 4 feet in depth and 800 yards in
width, with current so rapid that .
man can scarcely stem its force. The
South Platte is about half that size and
volume, with an equal rapidlty of flow.
The discharge Of water from each is
immense greater than that of ordinary
rivers of twice their apparent magni-
tude. There could be no difficulty then
on that scvre-they would make, when
c. mbined in the valley of Kansas,
ano her Missouri. The only question
is-can it be done? Can those divides
be perforated? Can those currents idly
wasting in their saLds, be welded into
life and made a parent stream We
believe it can-that the project is not
only practicable but Of easy accom-
plishment. As said, the divides are all
narrow, of a light and sasily-worked
formation, and at no point greatly ele-
waited. Moreover, the gradual slope of
the whole expanse of table-land renders
diversion If this kind extremely feas-
IDLE. Thus the Arkansas at the mouth
Of the Hue. ferno falls at the rate of 20
feet . mile and the South Platte OPP
posite the source Of the Republican
Fork, 80 feet mile It is apparent
that channel preserving a true level
and running diagonally from the Ar
kansas to the Smoky Hill Fork, would
overcome almost 20 feet mile Of the
divide by the slant Of the plain, and the
cutting though Geep at the start would
soon become Insignificant (; indeed, all
heavy cutting might be avoided by tax
ing course that would add few miles
to its length. The distance to the d.
vide being 20 or 30 miles in a diagoh-
al line, would overcome 600 fee =
more than the height in many places of
the divide above either Of the river lev
els. Nor need the channel be any elab-
crate work. A cut but few feet deep,
to start drain from river to river,
would be all sufficient. The wear in the
light soil by the force Of the current
thus let loose would soon do the rest,
and one Of the greatest works Of the age
stand accomplished. What is said of
the Arkansas, applies with still greater
force and facility to the South Platte,
the diversion Of the channel being in
every respect easier, the distance short,
and the divide simply a line Of low sand
hills.
To the nation that has grown great
and powerful from once feeble con-
federacy, a fractional part of whose
people projected and carried through
the work Of connecting the lakes and
the ocean by a line of navigable water,
who shall say that it is at this day and
in this manner impossible to make
river to the mountains