Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-16
The Wisconsin River.

| capt. Nadlng, Assistant Engineer
in charge of the work on the Wiscon-
sin River, who was one of the dele
gates from this State to the Detroit
Commercial Convention, made the
following report to that convention
upon the features of the Wisconsin,
and what is beirg done to demon
strate its navigability:
Was requested by several citizens
to attend this convention, and give
such information as | might DO pos
sesscd Of concerning the Wisconsin
River improvements, and which it
might be important this body should
know. | consequently had an inter
view with Col. Houston of the Unit
ed States corps of engineers, under
whose directions | have been max.
ing experiments on the Wisconsin
during the past season. Col. Houst.
on was very DESTROYS that the people
should be informed Of the extent and
result of the improvements, and de-
sired me TO be here present, if pos
sible, and give the necessary infor
nation.
have had not sufficient time to
prepare for this task to my entire
satisfaction, and can therefore take
up only q small portion Of the mat
ter in question. l wiz confine my
self principally to the Wisconsin Riv-
er.
The route between Green Bay and
Portage is by way Of the Fox River
and Lake Winnebago.
The Fox River is one Of the fin est
natural canals in the world the bed
and banks are, with few exceptions
of substantial materials: there is an
abundant supply of water, and the
fluctuations are very small. The
distance is about 16O miles, and the
fall is 200 feet. which is overcome
by means of % locks and although
the navigation is at present but poor
n many places, at low stages of wa
ter, there is not doubt of the posi-
bility Of making any required depth
The communication from portage
to the Mississippi is by the Wiscon-
sin River.
Here we find entirely different
features from the Fox River. Its
length is 100 miles, and the total fall
40 feet, giving an average slope of
about IL inches per mile, with We
locity Of nearly 2 miles per hour, in
navigable stages.
The river-bed and banks are of
pure sand, with a few exceptions
where the river runs along the rocky
bluffs which limit the valley. There
is considerable fluctuation in the wa
ter, the rise being from to 10 feet.
The river-bed is divided by numer-,
GUS islands, and in many places filled
with bars and snags, which render
navigation difficult and dangerous.
During low stages navigation of
all kinds, even by RATS, is difficult,
and sometimes impossible. The sand
bars move along slowly at low stag
es, and as they move on, their place
is supplied by others of the same ma
ture.
The features here mentioned have
left it rather doubtful, heretofore, as
to whether reliable navigation
could be obtained by improving the
river-bed itself, and gave rise to the
project Of navigation by means of an
independent canal, using the river
only as the feeder.
The question as to which method
should be adopted had not yet been
decided on, and as it was a question
of either an expensive but certain
method, or one of comparatively
small cost, but of considerable uncer-
tainty, it was thought proper to
make several experiments with a
view of determining the practicable
ty of the latter, in such portions of
the river where, in case of failure,
they would still be applicable to the
former
Before entering upon the subject
of experiments, and their result,
will give few important properties
of the river which are in close con-
nection with its Improvement. The
first is the supply of water at its low
est stages.
At the Portage the quantity is
nearly 5000 cubic feet per second
which is increased along its route by
s number of of small tributaries, un.
til it enters the Mississippi with q
volume of 1000 cubic feet per second
being little less than one third Of
the whole Mississippi at Prairie du
Chen, above the mouth of the Wis
consin.
The next thing of Importance i:
the condition of the river at particu.
lar places.
Wherever the whole volume Of
uatar Aoxvs IN ono nhapnal 0f mod.