Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-02

0Alll nEMOeRAT.|
:. =. asC0A116o go 1less.r.
rnlvAy gvGasso. ....s.......H 0v. :.
~ ffbE ILLINOIS
AND Ru1onosGHPPa CANAL.
nepogs - ~ C1s1e1 Rngsoeer, u
.. nluAnase.
Bavirv dierusscd a, considerable length,
IN : p,e !! urinary rpcrt, the sdvautsges that
muss accrue 10 the country IN general. and
20 Chicago In par ocular, upon the extension
Of the Michigan l.linuts Canal V She uts
s,ssippi nvcf, herc~ shsll c0Sons this ~
port pscpss " mote pGstlColq3 description
Of he sUutss run aod the CO. q cUnssfuc'
The Ans great question that psesented
i,sslt 10 The enxineesing calculatlOns made.
waa the pssctic.hilisy u = feeder 70 the main
canal. The CONSTRUCTION oi q casol from the
Iiliu0ee River In any portion Of ~ course
exc<pa toWsrds Alton, womb involve Tue
climbing VI the wafer sled, or he.h divsde Nc
tween the tao streams.
Il vas oil important TO the success u the
enterprise that the feeder to . canal acfoee
this summit level should be obtained from
= uni ,il,nr source The Green River wss
known NJ = sluggish stream. spreading out
ANA losing iisrlf in swamps and marshes,
which 10 midsummer became almost dry.
OF course this River was out Of the question
As = canal feeder y.
The Rock River Was known 20 be rapid
" lowing stream, with m abundant supply
OF pure Wuier ant reliable 10 Ill oDaeOns.
hut could tho water # that rivcr - carried
from lie valley across the ridge divtdtaa thae
esream f,om the 0ren ls,ves. and pos only
that but ~cross the Green River itself, and
carried over the great divide between The
last ns,ned and the IllinOts! This VS. The
most importaas problem presented Tor soIu
ton. AID 70 determine this toDostaet
question upon which the success Of toe WbOoo
enterprises Jependcd. Vas my nrst care. a
hasty reconnaissance developed low sag 10
the ridge bet wecn the head Of Pond Creek,
whose waters flow into the Illinois through
Bureau Greek, on thc one side Of tho divide.
and the Devils slough on the other, whose
watcrs Gow into Green River and thence
intn the Mississippi
This low sag was made the governing
point in the summit. AS u reasonable cut
through this would bring grade down u
the level ot the DEVILS Slough to the west
ward.
The next step wac TO ascend Rock River
towards The north until lts head should 1t
tain y sufficient elevation above this summit
cut or level 10 allow the water 10 dow free
~ from thence to the Devils Slough.
A hasty line Ot survey made during the
whit. r stOrsua seemed To Indicate Dixon ~
n e<xfa ant .1a.vn
ton 10 grade the feeder from the river bed
below the dam, u the main line Of canal
Tue great fear, however, Was that The sur
rounding country would prove 10 high aud
rough % 60 render . line OF uniform dc
scent tom Dixon formidable work To con
Struct.
such va the condition Of this qpDstiou
when on tue 9Th day Of June, 1874, ] met
the comsnlttec on canal survey at Dixon
with party Of enRsueevs u begin the ex
amlnmtlOns Strong doubts were expressed
BY those brss acquainted with the country
intervening be,w Dixon and Green ll.v
or, ~ 10 The prsc,icabilisy of feeding from
thence u shc Devils Slough. One gentle
man IN particular Expressed confidence IN
the cn,. sps,sc provided We could make wa
ter Cow ~ hill"
III. initial point sclcrtcd vas opposite ID,
dam, aud the elevation Tho osd al tho rive
below the dam The TRIAL route was alOni
the river botlosns tor ten miles Moss d
this distance will REQUIRE only one bank
Next the river Un the other shie TN, Wxicl
can ho~ axxsnst the irregular outline al III,
hluH No engineering difficulties we're en-
cSunlcsed. (sUssiUg spring Creek tvs
nilcs AbWve the town IT Sterling, the lint
leaves tho river, and besrs almost direct fO
the Devils slough, deviAling only enough
o. smiss al sEcnstspunl sand ridge Oe Z range
ot . nj blutis, stretching NJ Intervals her,
and there along the urccn River valley. u
leaving the ltswk lslver bOttOm l remarked
the cnsr and chr~rucse of constructing
side cut 10 Sterling, thus giving canal fac,!i
tics u that thriving point of trade.
Aunning -.,uihward kept looking Tor III
diviuing ridge between the rivers Rock al,
Green, that formidable barrier that threaten
cd us ~ DIXON. Judge of my surprise I,
ind myself on u 4 Green River marshes :
miles tr"M Dixon without cncountcring
ridge higher taun IL icet above rraue. AN,
there only for ~ short distance. From 3 L
q feet cut,ing only will be necessary Tor tn
gr attest distance.
This Was upon . tangent line which
careful location will materially improve.
From tails point. twenty one miles iron
Dixon, two lines were run, - will he sect
by III, map accompanying this report Th
one, the tangent, continued across the Win
ncbHgO Swamp and crossing three times III,
brOad sl0ughs, the only channels Of 0reel
river. The other line bears IL the west, u
running along the slOpes or edge Of ti,,
marsh Tor about four miles. crossing at las
VI miles irum the initial point, N arm q
the Green River.
This is nothing more than q big slough
which acts as . safety valve when IN,
swAmps are full. by conveying = portion o
the surplus water. by . short cut acfOss 4
Rock river, near rrophctst0wn. This slough
70 three u four icct bclow grade and can b
eaeily filed. She waters would then b
kept In their legitimate course of the Greer
river, while tho drainage ~ the west wOult
bc elected ~ nov, VIA this slough to Kocl
river. Hence No mechanical structure viii
b. needed
On section 81. the profile shows sant
riigc. which was croseecd and will require
Cut ot ~ icet for short distance. BY Z
careful location. this can be avoided, but il
vas thought bsst to estimate this and Othei
deeper cuttings, as Mt present shown, In or
der that the sum total III the estimates might
Teach the actual cost Of construction, Of
rather over run than TALL below. From this
section onward, the line follows y sort OF
spit, or point, projecting lar gu; into the
Green river marshes, "ceting On the south
eide of the river similar point or blutf. and
bct~ecn these Two points the Green river
Cs,llects ,ts waters, Tor the 0rst time In many
. mile. into respectable channel. On the
northwsfd ui these two pOiuts, the town oi
New flcitord is built
80 tl,ing anu ~ Opportunc did these
bluffs ccar, Just in the direction Of the
line sought, ot just the prrer elevation,
that cs'uki hardly refrain from saytng shul
Providence had done much In level,ng III,
ridses and sGaping tbe vMllies toward cUm
plotting, ~ rather. encouraging lhe compile
uon III thls gseat enterprise. "0Ud helps
those ~hO ere willing " help themselves,
10 = rejection which Utlen gtves hOle 10 tn
feeble aud c,urrgs 70 the despunding.
The feeder can Oe carried over tho 0tcel
river here by IN ASYucLuct III 0UO fres s,,al
aud u m elevations III w 4 u al,Ove The river
Beyond THE ridgs there viii ~ MI Tor
mile Of lvutn tvc Ia seven icet, or this wuul,
be avoided BY email increase ii distance
CRUISING this depression The liue eachse IN
rldKr between shc Green river and The Dcv
Ns slough. st distance OF ~ miles isou
D,Aon. Through shsA shs cutting will b
ebOul II (ces tur mile, when the cOuntr.
falls oh again towards HICKORY creek and III
Devils sloush. giving light work unul d
lase msle - seached. upOn which, 0'le oucu
q irom three y eigh. iees, end : ~ooAel
viaducs Of lvO tres sIan viii a0Ioed asncsss
water Wsy tOs bosh Htchvey cssek and Ii
Tss ssssiss x ~ ssrveys sAn ~. -
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