, 1864-12-21
The Illinois Canal and River In1
pF0TemeA
CANAL QFY1CE IQE6poRI, Dec. 10; 1851.


ground that the improvement should be
made by said company within five years upon
the scale contemplated by The bill now be-
fore Congress, aud which was estimated by
Mr. Preston and myself to cost Sl3,446, ,6225 IN
ordinary tlacs.
Now, with your permission, I wil briefly
give my views upon this subject, somewhat ut
variance with your own.
I have not at all changed my opinion about
the plan upon which the Improvement
shou,d be made If constructed by the General
Government, and for tho passage Of gunboats
as WAS contemplated. It would have been
important for war purposes, and US CON-
mercial thoroughtare of scarcely less value
than the Mississippi River itself It would
lave enhanced the value Of property beyond
thr limits Of The State Of Illinois, as we'll as
within It, to IN Immense extent. But If the
improvement be made By company, the
stockholders, 1t is presumed, will be governed
strictly BY the consideration Of dollars and
cents. It cannot be expected that they will
invest their money for the benefit Of the ma
tion at large, or even ct cur own State, with
ont direct reference to their own pockets.
LIT us inquire whether such an Investment
might not be made profitable without losing
sight Of the ultimate execution Of the work
up0n 1he grand scale desired By us all.
The present canal pays but small revenue,
not so much from want Of capacity as from
want Of connection at Its western terminus
with reliab]e river navigation. When the
canal was first projected it was supposed that
point at OF near the mouth Of the Little Yer
million,' {where, by law, the canal was to
terminate, J was seldom, or never, interrupted
by low wafer. Experience has shown that
this supposition was entirely erroneous. No
reliance Whatever can be placed upon its nav
igation, and as the country is settled up and
improved, ii seems to be getting worse and
jcct, then, Ii TO secure its immediate improve
mcnt.
The distance from the western terminus Of
the canal to the Mississippi river is about .
miles, and the whole fall IL the Illinois zivcs
for that distance but % feet, or only about
one inch and half per mile.
A careful survey OF the river 1las been made,
and it has been found that by tic construc-
tion Of some dams and locks, the highest dam
Iaising the water but six feet. q permanent
depth oi water Of not less than six feet may
be secured without orerfoWing scarcely any
valuable land. By maintaining the water at
uniform depth in summer, as these dams
would do, there can be no question that the
htalth Of tho country would be benefited
1ather than injured.
Estimating the locks ofa sufficient capacity
TO rass the largest Mississippi river steam
boats, the cost OF the Illinois river improve
ment nav be set down in round numbers at
81, ,G50, Goa sum quite Insignificant com
pared with the Importance Of the improve
rnent.
From Chicago to LaSalle we have q very
good canal at present, but If company be
chartered, Us you suggest, to make it better,
would recommend the following improve
ments:
The summit should be cut down, and The
pleted npon the original t'deep cut" plan.
without, However, at present entarglng its
capacity. This would give 4 thorough drain
age 10 The city of Chicago, Tor at least Of the
South Branch Of Chicago river } pIcclud: the
necessity Of using the hydraulf: works ut
Bridgeport to supply water 70: tile caaal, aud
dispense with the Calumet feeder.
The cost Of completing the summit divi-
zion on the original plan, as suggested, I
estimate IN round plumbers at s, ,01l,0D.
From Lockport 10 the Western terminus Of
the canal would SO improve it as to secure
an additional d. pth of water and increase the
length OF the lorks 50 that they may be pass
ed ~ boats Of at least 1So feet in length, and
carrying 80 ions. 4 few OF the locks would
have to be partly rebuilt, but tic most Of
them simply increased in length.
For Ibis improvement, and for superlnten-
dence and contingencies on this and nil the
other work, estimate the sum Of 81, ,359,N|o
to be necessary, making the whole amount
money to BE e6Penaaeo n na In CONSTRUCTOR os
These estimates, it must be distinctly un-
derstood. are not based upon the present war
prices Of labor, and materials, but upon tho
prices which rn1"d for series Of years before
the war. The estimated cost Ia given in
round numbers, Tut has not been ;nadc with
out due de1iberation and full knowledge OF
facts.
shall not attempt to estimate the value Of
the improvement which ] hayc suggested to
tie country in general and Chicago in par
ticu}ar. That it could b. made, If managed
properly, IL pay the stockholders well there
cannot be doubt.
Nby special act If our Legislature Chica-
20 and the cities and counties along the line
nf the canal and the Illinois River, we're au-
thorized to take stock in the proposed com
pany they would doubtless subscribe llbe.
rally in consideration Of the direct advantages
which they would derive from the improve
mcnt.
To construct the whole work with the
greatest economy, the company should prob
ably be allowed i've years for lis completion,
Tor it would not do to Suspend the navigation
Of The canal for nny considerable time in or
der to prosecute the work 10 greater ndran-
tage. But nut more than thres. years should
be given for the completion Of the Illinois river
imp ovcment, and possibly the whole wo:k
could bc executed in that time without mate
rally increasing the cost.
It Will be seen thar about tour-fifths of the
cost Of making the improvement now sug-
ecsted would be directly applicable to the
more extensive and expensive one formerly
cs.imai ed by Mr.. Pres. on and myself-of the
execution oil which. fear, there Is no proba-
t,islty at present. But nothing would 50 GER
f~.S- ! ,1ss.u H. al ,,.HA
execution Of the present plan. Tie certain
navigation of the canal by canalboats Of $50
tons burthen. and Of the Illinois River by
steamboats, Of the latEcst class navigating the
Mississippi, would at once demonstrate the
importance Of ibis great commercial thor
oughtare and render certain the future en-
la-Sencnt Of the canul from Chfcagn to Joliet
ard the improvement of the river below.
Ihtie may be some better plan than the
one which bave suggested, but can think
of uoue Which would accomplish SO import
ant results for the sane amount Of eypendt'
ture. For the purposes Of navigation 1t
would be much cheaper to pump the whole
supply Of water for the Summit than to make
the ''dcep cut'' as proposed. But this would
fail to purify Chicago River at all seasons Q!
the year, for Which object the city would
doubtless bc willing to make liberal cxpcn
diturc.
If, however, were citizen Of Chicago.
nm cure that I could not patiently whit fol
The Summit to be cut down to abate the rill
smells which arc unbcarablc to outsiders
The problem Of cleansing Chicago Rirer !!
rot difficult Of solution, as any one, think
must be satisfied who has observed sinslt
engine at Bridgeport raising 1o.ooo OF EoH
feet in height day after day. You haye onl.
TO rump tie Lake water into the river to forc'
the fifth ont. but it will, of course, cost some
thing. When the ''deep cut" is finished thi
expense will cease. Truly yours,
VIZ. GoopING.
Chicago River and How to Cleanse It
Editors Chicago Tribune:
You publish an earnest communication Il
] L. s.