The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-05-27
IDAHO WORLD.
a GIGANTIC INLAND PROJECT.

We copy the following article from q late
number of the San Francisco Examiner:
The spirit of the age seems determined TO
change the map of the world by removing o.
stacles to Intercourse and transit. Inc con-
struction of the Panama Railroad, the opening
of the Isthmus of Suez, and the tunneilng OF
the Aims. have been more than rlvalled by the
building of the TranscOntinental Railroad,
which on Tomorrow will be an accomplished
fact As the sun attains its meridian splendor.
the nolished laurel wood of California, with
golden spikes made from the ore of her mines,
will be nut in place to connect the two lines,
which nv their union span the continent from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. And the tldings
Of this great event will be made known
throughout the civilized world in few seconds
after its accomplishment by the mighty agency
which scientific discovery causes to vibrate
with the deeds of nations.
The enterprises which have been completed
in the New World will soon be followed by the
successful termination of those undertaken
and in progress in the Old. There are two
other undertakings now in contemplation which
challenge the energies of our people to execute
For the first, the opening of ship canal to
connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via
the Isthmus of Panama, our citizens, aided by
and earnest efforts; but their proposals have
been received with considerable opposition by
the Republic whose interest would have been
most largely benefited by the opening OF the
proposed route The proposals of the repre-
sentatives of American interests, Hon. Caleb
Gushing, have not received, as yet, favorable
action from the Columbian Government
The other project to which we refer is vaster
in conception and promises to work a diversion
in the routes of transit more astonishing than
those opened by the ship canals at SueZ or
Panama 1t is the union OF the great lakes
with the Gulf of Mexico by a monster canal 20
the Mississippi. This project has originated
in the rivalry of st. Louis and Chicago to mo-
nopolize the grain trade of the West The en-
terprise which has been brought forward by
the citizens of Chicago, is to build canal one
thousand feet wide and sixty deep. The fall
of water from the lakes to the proposed point
on the Mississippi, is sufficient for the purpose,
and eminent engineers have pronounced the
plan startling as 1t appears, to be feasible.
The cost of the undertaking is estimated at
eighty-ive millions of dollars, and that is a
small sum for project that would render the
Lake City the greatest commercial emporium
of the New World The effect Of the changed
route would be to lessen materially the lmpor-
lance of New York, which receives its grain
from the West by the Erie Canal. 1t would
also lessen the fall of water at Niagara, and
greatly diminish the volume of the st. Law
renee, which is the main outlet OF the vast area
of Territory covered by Lake Superior, Mich
igan, Huron, etc, and it would render the Mis-
sissippl navigable for vessels of the largest
class, from the Balize to Chicago. and open
new and important channel of direct trade
with Europe for several States bordering that
mighty river.
Low water in the Mississippi would be I'M
known after the completion OF this work.
From the vast reservoirs of the lakes, the great
est collection of fresh water in the world, the
st. Lawrence receives supply, which, at the
point of discharge into the Atlantic, forms
mouth over one hundred miles wide.
The utilization of this immense water power
will almost place, if the project is carried out,
an inland sea from Lake Michigan to the Mis-
slssippi. within the limits of Illinois. The
depth of the proposed work seems tn us greater
than is necessary The canal at SueZ, and the
one profled for Panama, does not exceed
thirty-five feet in depth; and the water ut the
entrance of San Francisco, at high tide, is not
over thirty-sx feet. The cost and labor dimin-
ished by lesser depth would ensure the ear
lier completion of the enterprise.
A glance at the map of the region to be ben
Gifted by the undertaking will prove conclu-
sively that ample means can be raised to rem
der successful a conception that will be the
browning triumph of the engineering skill of
our age; and the Government, by any reason
able grant of land, could establish along its
banks the farmers, mechanics and manufac
turers to use the mighty water supply for ag-
riculture, commerce and the arts, that now
wastes its powers on the coasts of Labrador
and New FOundland
The Erie Canal, which rendered New York
the commercial emporium of the New World,
was completed in 1925, at cost of less than
eight millions of dollars; or, an average for
its entire length of over three hundred and
sixty miles, of less than twenty-five thousand
dollars per mile. The work was afterwards
enlarged, for it increased commerce beyond it's
capacity to serve it unless wldened and deep
ened. From the data of that enterprise, the
one on grand scale in contemplation by the
people of Chicago seems to be realizable within
their estimates, for the distance to connect the
Lakes with the Mississippi is less than between
Lake Erie and the Hudson River.
BUTLER ON GRANT.-In recent interview
with correspondent of the New York Herald,
Ben. Butler said:
Grant has made just this mistake: he sup