Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1867-07-24
Watertuwn Repnblitan.
Wednesday, July oath, 1867
THE NAVIGATION OF ROCK RIVER.

Inc recently puDliSheu iepoit VI DieFeI
Mai Gen. Wilson, on the survey Of Rock
River, is document Of much interest,
and contains large amount Of valuable
information concerning the feasibility and
necessity Of rendering that river naviga
BILE. The survey was conducted during |
last September, October and November,
by party of United States engineers IN
der Col Worrall. The report states that
the work of improving the river SO that
boats may pass from the Mississippi into
Lake Michigan is perfectly practicable, and
one of vast Importance to the agricultu
raj and commercial interests Of a large
portion Of the Union.
The prosperity Of az agricultural PEG
pie depends mainly upon the price which
they receive for their produce Where
the means of transportation are limited,
freights arc high, and the profit which
should go into the pocket of the farmer
is consumed in sending his produce to
market Railways are Inadequate, and
their rates of freight are 200 per cent.
higher than what it costs for transporta-
ton on canal or river. What would
the West be without the Erie canal and
water communication with the seaboard
But what the Erie canal is to Wisconsin
and Illinois, this water course will be to
Minnesota, Iowa and the states west Of
the Mississippi. The lumber from the
extensive timbered regions of Northern
Wisconsin and Michigan is needed on
the prairies of Southern Wisconsin and
Illinois the iron ore from the Lake
: Superior region demands limestone and
coal or coke to smelt it, and make it
ready for the arts aud where are coke
and coal and limestone to be found in
greater quantities than along Rock river.
Our pork and grain are wanted down
the Mississippi, and we want their sugar,
and rice and cotton.
The distance from Green Bay to Rock
Island on the Mississippi is $50 miles, just
the length of the Erie canal. From Green
Bay to Fond du Lac on Lake Winnebago
navigation is already open. The remain
ing distance from Fond du Lac to Rock
Island is 285 miles, Of which 11S miles
viii be canal, and 1877 miles slack water.
Maj Gen. Wilson in his report divides
the Improvement into these three sections
From Lake Winnebago to Lake Horizon,
canal of sixteen miles in length; from
Lake Horizon to Water.own, canal TWEEN
ty miles in length, and from Watertown to
the mouth Of Rock river, 249 miles
Lake Horizon is the summit reservoir,
and is located rs feet above Lake Win
nebago and 333 feet above the Mississip-
pi at Rock Island. The capacity of the
largest lock, which can be constantly sup
piled with water from this reservoir is
200 feet long, 80 feet wide, with feet
Of water upon the sill. A canal, with
locks of these dimensions, will accommo-
date boats of 500 tons burden.
The estimated cost of the entire i'm
provement on this scale is nearly fifteen
millions of dollars. It's capacity, howev-
er, for carrying freight would be enormous.
Col. Worrall estimates that 100 loaded
boats could pass along in one day. These
could carry $4,000 tons. A railway train
to carry this load would be over 264
miles in length not including any space
for locomotives or tenders-a freight
train of over mile in length for every
hour in the twenty four. Ten million
of tons could be transported during the
navigable season. 1t. is estimated that
goods could be carried on this canal at the
rate of one cent per ton per mile.
Col Worrall considers that an improve
ment of the capacity of the Erie canal
would lcost ten million dollars, and IAN
Improvement which would afford naviga-
ton for boats drawing four feet of water
would cost only about five millions and
quarter. A work of this capacity might
answer for the present, but as our State and
the country west of the Mississippi becomes
developed it would be found inadequate
to answer the demands of commerce. The
Erie canal can transport six million tons
Of freight per annunl, but it is now full
and the people are already demanding its
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