Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-05-12
The Ship Canal Convention.

o'clock A. NJ. Delegations were present
from various parts of the several
Northern States.
No business other than appointing
q committee on permanent organiza-
ton was done until the afternoon,
when the following officers were cho-
sen 3 ~-.--..-.
| President-Hon. c. G. Cole, of Des
Moines.
Tsoe Presidcnts--Hon. w. j. Abrams,
of Green Bay, and w. 1. Gilchrist, Of
McGregor.
Seeretaries-D. Leffingwell, of Nc
gregor, and Charles Aldrich, of Du-
buque.
A committee of nine was then ap-
pointed to arrange business and pre-
pare memorial to Congress and to
report tomorrow morning. Speeches
were made advising the Improvement
of Fox and Wisconsin rivers as the
most feasible and cheapest mode of
securing a thoroughfare for the trans
portation of produce between the
States of the Northern Mississippi
and the lakes. The cost of railroad
transportation was declared intolera-
Die, and tho means inadequate.
Mr.. Abrams. OF Green Bay, present
ep important statistics concerning the
navigation of Fox river. From Green
Bay to Depree its average width is
200 feet, it's lowest depth being 81
feet from Depree to Little Kankan-
ma the width is 1850 feet and depth
Is feet !; thence to Appleton distance
of 20 miles the average depth is. nine
feet thence to Lake Winnebago the
river is from 600 to 1900 feet in
width and nine feet deep from Lake
Winnebago to Oshkosh, l6 miles, the
lowest depth of water in the channel
is II feet-the Lake being 80 miles
long and from nine to IA miles wide.
, There are nine dams and Is locks be.
, tween Lake Winnebago and Green
Bay, overcoming fall Of l6S feet.
From Oshkosh to Portage City, dis
lance of Ito miles, the average depth
of tho river is nine feet and is not less
! than three feet on the bars at any sea-
son Of the year. On the Lower Fox
, river there is running supply of wa
ter of 100000 cubic feet per minute
. Mr.. A. said that boats carrying
g IA, 600 bushels of wheat 60 from Por.
!. tage to Green Bay. With compare.
lively slight improvements the Fox
river can be made navigable to the
Wisconsin, distance of lis miles,
and all Iowa and Minnesota can take
advantage of it. In 1856 but IS, 900
bushels Of wheat were shipped from
Green Bay. Last year it was the
third in rank among the great ship
ping points Of the Northwest To-day
$4,000 barrels of -four are there
awaiting shipment. Two-thirds of
this has been brought down Fox river
and its tributaries. The number Of
boats leaving the port has increased
from two per week in 1855, with
small loads, to several per day now.
When produce arrives at Green Bay
it is $50 miles nearer Buffalo than il
:. is at Chicago, and costs 90 per cent
less to ship it. Lake Winnebagc
i could float the commerce Of the West
and in case of Foreign War it could
be made a Sebastapol in strength OF
its Notifications. He found the peo-
pie here in ignorance of the naviga-
ton of the river. They supposed that
: it could be waded across at any time
and jumped over during low water.
The average flow from Green Bay to
Portage is 26O, 900 cubic feet per min.
ute, and with the proposed improve
= ments, boats drawing seven feet
: would be able to navigate its length
n The Wisconsin river had even a great.
:, er flow of water, if it could be confin
ed to its proper limits. Mr.. Abrams,
!, remarks were listened to with great
: interest and afforded information that
o seemed to surprise some of the mem
bers. .... .
!, Some other speeches were made and
r the Convention adjourned till 9 O'Clock
next morning.
: On Thursday morning the Conven
= ton assembled pursuant to adjourn
: ment, when the committee appointed
b to prepare resolutions and memorial
j. to Congress were called upon for theil
t report.
8 Hon. r. Noble, chairman of the
committee said resolutions had been
s drafted, but the committee did no,
l. have time to prepare the memorial.
= L. A. Thomas, Esq, Secretary Of
9 the Committee, then read the pream.
!. BILE and resolutions, which were adopt
}. ed, as follows:
WHEREAS: The exposed and defenceless po-
!, sition of our lake frontier and the rapidly in
; creasing inland navigation and commerce OF
8 the lakes, embracing as it does nearly one
half of the entire tonnage and value of the ma.
ton, as also the peculiar and somewhat preca-
r rious conditions of our foreign relations with
. some of the European powers, most imperl-
lively demand that the general government
D shall take immediate measures so to improve
, the great water communication between the
east and the west as shall enable 1t in all
cases of emergency to transport to any part Of
the country naval and military stores and mu-
nitions of war, with the least possible delay
and also to send its gunboats and other ships
. of war, to any part of the country whenever
they may be needed in prosecuting naval and
military operations, and
WHEREAS The rapidly increasing develop
, ment OF the vast agricultural, mineral and
commercial resources of the northwest, and
more especially of the upper Mississippi Valley
, require and demand the opening up, at the
earliest possible period, of water commune
cation between the eastern seaboard and the
Mississippi river, by the nearest, cheapest,
3 most expeditions and most practicable route,
Therefore,
Resolved, That while we would not object to
r see the construction of Ship Canal from La
Sale to the Mississippi river, if cheap and
practicable-if not so. Canal terminating at
the mouth of the Illinois river, our duty to
the great bread producing States Of the North