Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-03-24
NUMBER II.

" '"So"Si" anu L OK RIVER I'm.
provement, and he should be constrain.
ed to offer such an amendment. What
benefit, he enqured, would a Shin
Canal be to Iowa, terminating any.
where along its front, without re.
moval OF, or a Canal around the ob.
structlons of tue Mississippi River?
lie wanted our Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress, to distinctly
understand, that Iowa had no lot or
part IN this great measure, without q
removal OF those distractions. These
rapids are known as the Upper and
Lower Rapids ofthe Mississippi River.
The Lower Rapids commences about
half nile above the city of Keokuk
and extend up the River about thir.
teen and a half miles. They are COM
posed of stratitied lime stone, and
stand vertically in the channel In
1888, Lieut.. r. Z. Lee of the Topo.
graphical Corps-now that arch reb-
el Chief, commander of the rebel Ar.
my OF Nirginia--was detailed to re.
move the obstructions of the Lower
RapI DIS. Work was continued during
that Autumn and again resumed du.
ring the low water OF 1889, but finally
reiInquishcd without carrying out the
intentions of the Government,
The Upper Rapids commence about
one hall mile above the lower end Of
Rock island, and extend mp the River
ten miles. LIT. g. X. Warren of the
Typographical Corps-now General
Warren OF the I'd Army Corps of the
Potomac--was also detailed in 1888.
and continued operations in 1889, and
gave 1t as his decided opinion. that
had the Government persevered in tho
WORK, the obstructions might have
peen removed, as the rock was a soft
iriaple limestone, interspersed with
soit yellow sand stone, and lying in
Hat reefs along the channel of the riv-
.er.
Lieutenant Warren in conjunction
with Mr.. O'Sullivan, an eminent en-
glneer In the service of the United
States, estimated the annual detriment
or loss to the Commerce of the Upper
Mississippi, AT Six Hundred Thousand
Dollars per annum. .....
Having thus explained the condi-
ton OF the Upper aud Lower Rapids
OF the Mississippi-the one above and
the other below the contemplated
mouth of the Canal near Davenport
and expressed his doubts of the feasi-
biiity Of the route, as well as the inu.
tlllty of the Canal when built, unless
the Rapids We're improved so that ves-
sells could enter the Canal, Mr.. Gil.
christ called attention 10 the Wiscon-
sia route via. the Wisconsin and Fox
Rivers. He said that no where on
this continent is there such a peculiar
conformation of Lake and River as on
the route here designated. The great
Architect OF the universe has marked
out with unerring certainty, this
great national water communication.
1t commences at Green Bay, which
connects this deep water with Lake
Michigan, thence up the valley of the
Lower Fox River, thirty-four miles to
Lake Winnebago thence through
that Lake sixteen miles to the Up
per Fox River thence up that stream
one hundred and ten miles, 10 Portage
City. Here a neck of land two miles
wide stretches up between the Fox
and Wisconsin Rivers. A canal is al
ready constructed between these two
rivers, one hundred feet wide and four
feet deep, through which vessels of
one hundred tons burden, or thirty
five hundred bushels of wheat now
pass from the Lower Wisconsin to
Lake Michigan and thence to Buffalo.
The Lower Wisconsin,, from the Ca
nal, is one hundred and fifteen miles
to where it debouches into the Missis-
sippi, and during high water, small
vessels pass through to the mouth Of
the Wisconsin. Professor Jennie.
State Engineer, under whose manage
ment the above Canal was construct
cd by Company, under the authority
of the State of Wisconsin with Col.
Cram, of the United States Topograph-
ical Corps, estimated the cost of en-
larging the Canal across to Portage
City, enlarging the Upper Fox River
to a channel of two hundred feet wide
and seven feet deep, and enlarging the
! locks on the Lower Fox River, at S2,-
$4,000. The same authority estina-
ted the cost Of charging the channel
of the Lower WISCONSIN to the same
dimensions, at S350,000. Thus the
whole cost of making water commu-
ncation from Lake Michigan to the
Mississippi River large enough to ad-
NIT iron-clad gunboats, 200 feet in
length. 26 feet beam, drawing 6t
feet water, or propellers carrying l5,-
600 bushels of wheat, is three millions
dollars.
Messrs. Gooaing and Preston, emf
nent engineers, employed by the ex-
ecutlvc committee of the National
Ship Canal Convention, which met in
Chicago last June, anu reported to
that Convention, estimated the cost
and Surveys of the Ship-Canal from
Chi cago 10 the mouth OF the Illinois
River, as follows:
From Chicago to Loexport, sum.
nit line, 33 miles, S7.299.142 20
1 From Lockport, summit line,
| to LaSalle, 81 miles, 3.575. Sal 90
From IaSalle to Mississippi Riv-
CT, by Illinois River, 80 miles, 2 57l. $40. 10
Whole route $50 miles, cost l3. 4l6, ,625. 80
Cost of Fox River
Improvement Route, 5000. 900
Difference, 10. 446. .625 IS
Mr.. Gilchristsupposed from the firm,
cordial and determined action mani
tested by the capitalists, commercial
men and statesmen at the Conven-
ton, that the construction OF that
great work through the action Of the
present Congress is a foregone conclu-
sion, and he rejoiced at the great
ness, energy and resources that can
contemplate and carry out such gi-
gantic enterprise in the midst OF such
a rebellion SO beneficial to Chicago
and the Southwest.
But the great Northwest has claims.