Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-08-01
BETWEEN The LAKES
AND THE MISSISSIPPI,
Practleabtlity Of the Fox and VViseon.
sim River 6oute-Cosnparativ tive I'm.
cheney with the Erie Canal-A Work
OF Great National ImpOrtance.
From the Oshkosh Times.


cheney with the Erie Caaal-A Wor
OF Great National Importance.
From the Oshkosh Times.
The great Importance of the Fo
and Wisconsin River Route, as a lin
in the claim of water communicate
between the great lakes and the Mi.
sissippi river cannot be over estimated
1t will be to Wisconsin, ami the CHI
Mississippi, what the Erie canal ha
been to New York. Under the touc
OF improvement its capacity for publ
service will greatly exceed the paimies
days of ClintOn's ditch" II DOS
sesses all the elements of an adequat
inter water communication for man,
decades to. come, the adverse " opin
ions " of croakers out of its range. not
withstanding.
The Wisconsin river, 80 long fearet
from its treacherous sand bars. AM
trua"t channel, is no longer barrie,
to the hopes of those whose interest,
it is proved capable of serving.
Capt. John Nader, under Col. Hous
ton (both practical and skillful enRi
neers) has 90 far brought the turxid
Wisconsin into the family of steam.
bearing rivers, that surprise takes the
place of doubt, and NO longer . ques
tlon exists as to the feasibility of max
ing the Wisconsin navigable stream
at the lowest stages of water.
The wing dams put in last year. in.
stead of yielding before the foods and
sands, US predicted by enemies Of the
Improvement, have not been injured
in the least by ice gorges or 81 pring
freshets, and fair channel is assured
from Portage to the Mississippi.
The steamer Winneconne, q boat veil
known IN Oshkosh, drawing three feet
three inches of water, will be able to
pass from Lone Rock to the mouth of
the river, in the very lowest summer
stage of water, this season. Also, that
the boat now at work near Portage. will
be able at the same time to reach Lone
Rock from Portage, so that our people
need not be surprised If, during the
present year, Jana the work is not vet
completed, We have a reliable channel
Of three feet of water in the Wisconsin
River, during the dryest season, from
Portage to the mouth.
With three feet water land it is now
estimated that half million of dollars
R1ll give good fve feet under our sys-
tem of navigation, and with our class
IF boats, the channel hence to the
Mississippi will be as efficient, in 20 M
nercial point ef view, when We take
nto account the carrying power of our
boats, as the. Erie canal, with six feet
If water.
The movement on the Er1e Canal il
out one-and-a-half miles per hour,
While our river movement, including
Lockage, is over sic miles per hour.
There are 72 locks on the Erie Canal,
While between Green Bay and Prairie
(u Chen, there are but %. - .
The whole distance from Green Bav
0 the Mississippi is 275 miles, while |!
he Erie Canal is $50 miles long.
So, that it will take but 46, hours to
make the trip from Green Bay to
1airie du Chen, whereas it takes 233
ours to pass boat from Buffalo to
Albany, or little over five times as
ong as it does from Green Bay to the
Mouth of the Wisconsin.
And, besides, though the present
tyle Of our boats are of less capacity
han the locks will warrant, they will
AIRY 800 toms, while 200 tons is the
,aximum of the Erie Canal.
Our locks are 35x16O. The Erie locks
re 17s110, giving ours nearly double
,e capacity u =: ..,;'.: ~;
Tho great point of efficiency in canal
avigation is to have plenty 81 water at
le summit level, to supply the waste
l0ckage. At our summit level We
ave the Wisconsin River, with a vol
me of water twenty times greatershan
needed for all d0okage purposes. u y
The summit level of the Erie Canal ::
the long IS miles level, between
gracuse and Utics, which, for the
eater part Of the way, is nearly twep-
feet above the level Of the Surround |t
& country. J, 50 ...::r. "'''
There are TO that level ten feeders.
bich cost the State of New York $11,-
=: :ooo' or. or about 70 twenty-five times the :
annel to the Mississippi.