, 1872-12-31

The Superintendent's Report for the
Season Of 1879.

4,f1.r
which mas peen ID use 1or one 6oason' iuny
demonstrates the Feasibility OF the Improvement
Of tho whole river below Horny, with four moro
locks and dams between Henry and the mouth Of
aro tl'es, -, ~ r,o~ Vii bs roo1 from
me na'le"1lon u 'no 11'o. VIZ oo So t1oD
Lasale to lta mouth, distance OF Soo muos'
for the largest class Of steamers, and this at
cost Of $4,000 a mile, including what the
11n;tad statna Government shall expond in
,-ass:a - a.~1 as5o mn Tha 1oc1r a. IIonrz, will
uleus.ns; s's sahoot. v,Eot - nna ~ 1ocesaa Whan
FUSS t"ctso a0 a1,qa eafoj etaon,-
lno llse1 IN rs sno ." t,s
it, it, and NJ 1 Tun directly through from Lasalle to
HeM oeans ,t a. haats 1 u - - 10y ,n9
Light drauGht ooats can rnn TO anq 1roni
La944e " ~ pulls - :no onD III oed
ana uppcr 4ls71ssagl 13 i'ee7 81 caIA.o1as, Iosu
Gu aod 20 tno lu caPa1lsy no ~ one e Gl3lus
o,uoo pesneia o. Sran " iooJuo t, 1eGe 81
G1ght or zen each, ana an Eas9 t4e locfs AZ once
Inc =. 'no % oi5 aatieai sea Is mum a.
t',co e 81 IN oon would 4noIa = carta;n for
euse o. 4,ooougt m9uau h1f aae ~ IasGn ~ toa
1lo eift ~ III 49, ~ ~ nnat - - to
yeas. dnus ~ WI oe sem tn1s .1o o,o cosS % 1Io
Improvement ot s1o e1o onane ooo il'ei oo l9sl' r.
1u6 outy auous St1,ooo psl nle, W W ~. e.lo
!ease e5penslye Work VI its capacNy ever cou-
sl1oc1oo ~ tn1e " auy o.net co':aety.
IhA -! suFEAlsi nLel., - =. EN- s AEi'ohi.
~ ,ns nonvrao'e Ioa4u J;snas .oHn''S1n''s t 4s
+;ons ~ 1o,tr noord hnr,u;th s,h,n;t +hn ~
rorsnrt -a1ati1a ~ ~ a-,.;ra and
;nr ] the resr .. ondinr p Ter ! 1s72. o''N''A
IN ~ etb dav =, Norat,1ar 1e71 1bsa +ha
honor of rocafc;nor the cnnontnont ~ Go,erai
Snnarintendent of the T1},o;s and Mich;osn ~
mi hv your Hoard which resolution W.T. into
~ ~ nec 3a71 h,t a. ~ r",oet "
~ ra5aaaaao nas-a5 H. ota,<a NJ, or ~
s pteueeesoo1, ! a.soaeu T.. sao chAbe No:. ~
anu al catItoo upou 4te auses, "!lcn cons'7teu ~
u1ss, III II orenA1ae lce aEu c1oslns Inc canal !or
tue seasoo, Anu ~ AaA4u6 LIS osuat }eAriy u
zolGe u 81 properly tooI8, teame' noats,
neoeea, eIa.ee, no4ses, nAfns, saeo1, etc, ~
sout possess.on' ~ pelonGn6 ~ :ue lat9 truss,
LOW ent otae1 nx auuna tne 'o"Ing PAU 1ron
Itnlon4 5Gas w nl4uee1,ols ~ Get5 nusale con-
~ .,d ~ ~ nuu e1-
"uu 1. .nacnlne1S - sdIAous n,i!e' ~
faoa I rho bon ao ~ -. Tn ,,1a Leu 30 olA' - 'ne
aro, thot - 1 s.1 uauh 81
TO Rass lho o sea eaanhot f, vas as Win
Gu ~ ~ o.zo, iaoua @ iie 10 ane
eVo -, tuon so eneio H. "n1 oniy 1out
1eeS @ o. Matet over them when tho lake was low,
Of tho wator, and less tLan thirty on the bottom,
and IN the centre OF the channel at bridgeport,
where the old lock formerly stood, there was
deposit OF earth from dump-boat, that ro-
duced the depth OF water to less than four feet.
LOCKS Nos. = :: ana ., pGlow hochpors, mad oeen
exposed to the frost 30 that they had crumb]ed
away IN eucn manner tnat "a they were no longer
safe 1or nav1Satlon' a5o 1ne ofedge ahd steam
crane, repair boats, Hats, carts, tools and canal
property were scattered from Bridgeport to
Lssalle, and much ont OF repair:
That part OF tue uAnois and Michigan Canal
known ns the deep cut, OF Summit level, had
but four months before been turned over to you
the City of Chicago, III the condition above
stated with no provision made for shutting of
the water OF tho lake, that flowed unobst'alcted
to Lockport..
And hero allow mo to remark that under tho
arrangement Tor tic summit level Of the canal:
When hrst constructed, tho summit drainage OF
the country south and castor the canal: and four
miles north OF Lockport, and the canal itself,
Branch at Bridgeport, and thus, BY the use Of
summit level the summit between Lake Mlclu-
gan and the Illinois River WAS only two and
half miles north Of Lockport; while under the
far as drainage is concerned, is many miles
north OF t; aouth shore OF Lake Michigan,
which makes it too plain for i doubt tha5 in
times Of high wator somothing would oe needed
tho lives and property OF the cti-
gems OF Lockport and Joliet and tho
towns down the river, to say nothing OF the III
terest OF canal navigation after making somo
preparations, commenced dam at bridgeport,
Dec. II, and completed it Dec 10, and had the
water out OF the summit level. We then conf
menced removing boulders from the bottom, as
veil as from the slope of the canal below water
line, and Widening the channel under Summit
bridge, and Jan: 8, 1872, commenced the guard
time submitted planB aud Specifications to your
Board, which received your approval, and or
der for its construction, Of the following di-
nensions: Length between gates, 122 feet;
width, Is feet; depth Of water on inter e Fills,
mel 26 feet, spanned With sliding gates, maxi
ing drainage capacity eq1aait y II to the fun
pleted the whole undertaking as to bo able to cut
the dam at Bridgeport, and allow the channel to
fill, and on Feb. Is Norton j. Co.'S mills COM
menccd operations at Lockport. Locks l, 2, aud
having erumbled away, 50 as to be unsafe for
navigation, required to be faced with timber: All
being completed, we were ready for tho opening
Of navisaton on March !, but on account Of the
Getting the dredso from Henry, the steam crane
from the Sag, aud tools from Bridgeport, La
Sale, and other points, was noxt in order.
Rebuilding boats for fitting. out tho
dredge and getting it IN working. order
next occupied our time. In the intervening tlzno