The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-12

The Governor said
We appear before youto urge the Gov
eminent to give the north and northwest
Tree water communication between the
Mississippi and the great lakes. The
Erie canal furnishes cheap and reliable
communication from the sea board, to
the foot of the lakes. The Fox and Wis.
consin rivers can continue the line OF
communication to the Mississippi The
lake and bay communication from But
fao to Green Bay is perfected The
river from Green Bav to Portage City is
nearly completed The Wisconsin river
from Portage City to Prairie du Chen, a
distance of 118 miles, must be improved
to enable boats drawing reasonable
draft, to pass freely between the Missis-
sippi and the lakes. Appearing for the
interest of both the east and west we ask
the Government to take under it's charge
and complete the Improvement of the
Wisconsin river by means of canal from
its mouth, at Prairie du CHEN, to Portage
City. where it meets the Fox river which
empties into Green Bay.
General Warren, OF the L. S. Engineer
corps, has been for several years engaged
in the survey of the Wisconsin river
under the direction of the government.
From his repors published by the gov
eminent, to which we Hereby refer, it
will be seen that canal can be con
structed along the bank of this river at a
cost 50 small as to surprise all who have
knowledge of any such enterprise. The
cost OF feeding the canal will be almost
nothing, as plenty Of water can always be
drawn from the Wisconsin OF the head of
the canal and at many points between
that and Prairie du Chen. The fall
flom Portage City to the mouth of the
Wisconsin is only 159 feet which is easily
overcome by locks. 1900 ,s.f 5.sas y.
1t may be well to compare this I'm
.provement, in some respects with the
Erie canal. Of which it is continuation.
The summit level of the Erie canal is at
Buffalo, 654 feet above the level of the
Hudson river. The summit level of this
Improvement is at Portage City, 200
feet above Lake Michigan at Green Bay,
ana 1853 feet above the Mississippi at the
mouth OF. the Wisconsin. The waters
received into the Erie canal at Buffalo
are, in great part, wasted at Lockports
From that point eastward the canal is
supplied by artificial feeders. For all
practical purposes the summit level OF
the canal is the long level from Syracuse
to Utica, 55 miles a level fed by 10 arti
fetal feeder, built at great cost. The
supply of water is still insufficient, and
it is proposed to build other feeders for
this level. The full volume of the Wis
consin, three-tifths as large as the Missis
ii mi paul 70 ~ 4l1,r 4 I -
of the Improvement. The motive power
on canals generally is horse power. We
propose this route shall be navigated bv
steam. The movement on ordinary
canals averages one aid one-half miles
per hour On this route it will be from
five to seven miles per hour.
will not at this time urge the impor
lance, or may say the absolute necessity
of this work, for that has been fully and
deeply discussed both by Governor Aus
tin, Governor Merrill and in the memorial
and papers which are before you, but
will confine myself to Il few words on the
practicability of the project. On this
point our best authority is the report OF
one OF the ablest engineers in the u. S.
service, General G. r.. Warren, who has
been for several years engaged in a care
full and exhaustive survey Of these rivers
To the report of General Warren for 1868
and 1899, would particularly refer, and
ask that you will give it such attention
and examination as the importance of
the matters, upon which it treats deserves.
That report fully answers the question as
to the probability of the work. In the
opinion of able engineers this is the
easiest and the cheapest of any project
of the kind yet started in the Z. s. Gen.
Warren estimates the cost of O. canal
with a feet of water at all seasons. be-
tween Prairie du Chen and Portage City.
to be 20 feet wide at bottom and so feet
at top, with the sides paved in cuts, to
prevent wash from steamers, with a lock
lift of 1873 feet, the locks to be 100 by 80
feet, at about four millions of dollars
This, according to Genaral Warren covers
the whole expense upon Wisconsin river.
To give 10 the Fox river eunlform depth
of A feet, will require an expenditure oil
$444, 442. So that the whole cost for |
the water communication with chan |
mel of feet at low water, between Green |
Bay and the Mississippi river, will be
about S4,444, 442, and this furnishes a |
channel for steamboats, during at least |
months of the year, or except when closed
by ice, for distance of 27S miles, giving
ample facilities for the transportation Of
he immense products of the west, seek
ing an eastern market, and the freights /
eeklng western market.
The amount of freights that will be
affected by this improvement, and its i'm
portance to the producer and consumer
Of the east and west is not easily estimated.
Governor Marshall, of Minnesota, tell us,
IN bis last message, that only one acre in
% OF the tillable lard of Minnesota is
lnder improvement. This proportion is
perhaps nearly the same in Iowa. 1t is
much greater in Nehrasl.n nnA Irancns to