The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-03-22
From the Chicago Times.
THE PROPOSED CANAL FROM LA
p "a SALE TO ROCK ISLAND.
PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE PRO-
JECTED ROUTE.
An Important Report.

II will Do remembered that an importans |
convention was held at Genesso, ILL.,, several
weeks ago, to debate the expsdiency and
feasibility Of constructing q canal from La
Sale to the Mississippi, river, at Rock Island.
At that convention the following delegates
were commissioned to investigate the project
and make a preliminary survey of the pro-
posed route:
Col, M. Allan, of Geneseo. H.; b. n.
Stevens. Bureau county, H.; VIM. M. Whip
ple. Bureau county, H.; 5. b. Stoddard,
Henry county, ILL.,; Capt. I. j. Robinson, b.
II KimbaIl and Ct Bitten banner, Rock Island;
John L. Davies and c. C. Parry, Scott coun-
ty, lowe.
SURVEY OF THE ROUTE.
A meeting of this committee was recently
held, when the sub committee On the pre-
| liminary survey, by the chairman, j. M. AL
| Ian, presented the following report which
was, on motion, accepted and adopted:
| To the Hon. John l.. Davies, chairman Of the
committee on survey of the canal route
| from La Ralle to Rock Island:
| The undersigned, appointed sub-commit-
| tee by your committee. on the 10th ult., to
superintend personally a survey of said can
|
q briet statement of their action in this con-
| nection:
There has been little. If any, question as
TO the route for a canal, up the valley Of
Rock and Grand rivers, through the low
grounds north of Sheffield into the valley of
the Bureau and Illinois rivers. The ques
tion has been where to obtain water in sufh-
cient quantities to supply the canal, 1t con-
structed. Your committee deeming it ex-
pedient to settle this doubt as as posi-
BILE, procured the services of Mr.. Patterson
Holmes, of Geneseo, a competent and exper-
fenced engineer, and on the 23d of January
last commenced at the summit, on the pro-
posed route for a canal, three and half
| miles north of Sheffield. From thence we
run north and east nine miles Co Green River,
where the elevation is the same as the start.
ing point. The present summit of the route
will require reducing 20 or 80 feet, and the
summit of the canal to be located three or
four miles west of the natural summit, which
will give an easy route for the feeder, album
dance of fall and long level on the summit.
From Green river we run north and east tC
! Rock river at Dixon. AT this point the wa.
ter on the rapids, below the dam, Is four feet
higher than the summit, or starting point
There is now dam across River at Dixon, !
feet high. It can be made 10 or Is high
without detrimeut to the country above-the
banks are high on both sides, 80 high thai
any damage caused by the erection of dam
sufficient for the purpose of a feeder from
there to this canal would be too insignificant
to mention. The bed of the stream as also
? the banks OF Rock river. at Dixon, are rock
| There are great quantities of rock in tina. vi
cinity, which would be exceedingly useful II
the construction of a canal feeder, and of the
main line.
: The route for feeder from Dixon to TIT
) right point on Green river is a very easy one
Nature has made channel between the TIVE
; streams, go neasy level and in exactly tn,
right spo, seemingly for the purpose of invir
ing the construction of a canal. Your com
q mittee having most thoroughly examined til,
e ground from Dixon to Green river and theme,
:, to the proposed summit of the main cana, anG
from the estimates made by the engine er, ar,
! entirely satisfied that such feeder is no. onl,
| fessible, but can be constructed at compara
= lively small expense, and that the supply o
. ! water will be abundant
the distances from Dixon to the proposed
!. summit on the main line will not exceed 8;
! miles. This feeder, which will OF course b.
! made a navigable canal, will pass within fv
, es-of Sterling and terminating at Dixon
| would be- cheap Quite: for the products of
!, thickly settled country, east, west or south
and save to that region large amounts, b,
, | giving to them direct and cheap route t.
:. the coal fields of the Illinois river, as ais
!, those of the country west of the Illinois,
y From Dixon to run up Rock river TO Crane
: de Tour and thence across the country 10 tn
! Inlet swamp the head of the Green river
which is 100 feet above Rock river. Theme
;. down Green river 10 Amboy which is 80 fes
- above Rock river at Dixon, then we run {
- to Rock river at Dixon. testing the levels al
ready made and found them correct.
% Far the prnatnP 6atatV and To ba Eure tina
1t no error had been committed and for the puI
q pose of discriminating more particularly tn
ii character of the proposed route for feede
- from Rock river to Green river, another indt
. pendent survey was made between these tw
l. streams which resulted TO our entire satisfaC
N ton, and proving conelusively the cerrec
1t ness of opinion herein before expressed o
4 that route.
Green river rises about 40 miles east of GU
e point of crossing for feeder and drains alarg
v extent of country. The Inlet swamp cor
. tains 10000 or Is, 900 acres of land Its on
IN let is the Inlet" so-called, q narrow strear
sS with high banks which, if damned up woul
p hold immense quantities of water. There ar
= several such natural reservoirs on Green ri,
t er, above our crossing for feeder, which b
s. the construction of short dams will hold larg
n supplies OF water. The making of such REL
70 ervoir might be Objectionable to the inhab
tants of the vicinity. There are several mil
10 on Green river about and above AmboJ
N which are run about half the year by waite
II which used to run all the year by water whe
there was dam at the inlet.
lie About two miles below Amboy the char
mel of the river runs out and spreads over
large extent of low. fat lands to and belo
~ y, our point of crossing for feeder. and csne
e. queptly large qusnt'es of water is wasted b
n evaporation and being absorbed in the eartl
Id and which may be saved by proper improv