, 1873-09-29
Saturdays Session of Senator
WINDOWS Transportation
Committee.
Facts and Figures Derived from tho
Canal Commissioners.
The Railroad and Warehouse
Commissioners Ques- :
toned.
Several Railroad officials Brought
Before the Inquisition.
But They Do Not Confess Very
Much.
No Extortion, No Discrimination,
No Wntcred Stock.

1ne bonhte Commltteo On TRANSPORTATION mot
Saturday morning at tho Pac1o Hotel, and
heard tho statement Of tho Illinois Canal Com
missioners, of whom Afr. Joseph Ut1ey Chair
man, Dir. H. g. Anderson, and s1r. ". N. Brain
ard, Secretary, were present. In answer to tho
questions Of tho Committee, Alr. Utlay stated
the authority Of tic Board, it's duties, and tho
Inv undor which 1t actol giving an account Of
the origin Of tho Illinois i Michigan Canal
improvements, md history Of the work done.
In 1881, lands woro donated by the dovornm ont
to private company to
IMPROVE THE ILLINOIS RIVER,
and to connect it with Lake Michigan. Tho
grant was s milos in width, on each side Of
tho canal, for oyory alternate section, and tho
length Of The cnnal was to bo about 100 miles,
but it was finally stopped at the "bonch," Us 1t
was called, Just before reachiug tho South
Branch Of tile Chicago River. In 1887, tho pro-
ject failed in the general crash, and, to savo
those WHO had a1roady invested IN its bonds,
many Of whom were English poop1o, IN arrange
nont was mado by which the English bond
holders advanced 81, 100000, and tho manage
mont wna put In the hands Of three Directors.
appointed by tho bondlloldora aud by the Stase,
Hho wore
TO CONTROL THE CANAL
Tor theao bondholders, guaranteeing them cor-
min things and giving them all the surplus rev.
snues, after paying their working expenses. Tho
original canal was separated from the Chicago
River by "bonch," aud the canal wAH partly
supplied with water by pumping works at Bridge
port. Tho City of Chicago agreed to cut chan
nel through this bonch eight foot deep, at cost
OF 99,000,o00, md, after fulfilling tho conditions
to the bondholders, the whole revenues were to
60 to Chicaro TO recomnonee l,er for the ontlay.
Th;a chanoe too,x nloca NAV 1871 and tho tol1a
..,5 ..,,a. so,,s.,,,as WAN
a'o oAne1 tesonuos
DID NOT PAY THE INTEREST EVEN
on the sa,ooo,ooo' After tho fire are M the State aa-
on,cAso' hha 'ooA eonp1oto onereo Oh III cauale
ana canal improvements IN the state. In point
Of fact there was but ono othcr, short canal
tho Ttt1o Wahonh ,y,,;c1, ;s s,mn1v for the 1oca,
Ds'.o "Ao"nm ,1 "l"n ~. o1o'py 4ol Nho lo'a.
'ntofioF 1faoo' lhe Aaano's d MlohlGan oan@l
extends from tho South Branch to tho Des-
Illinois River ot asnla l. e7 milan al1 1onp NJ 90
eoa. .s;d ~ ~, ~ 40 faat ..;ao - ,a,+a,
!'o' WIG ~ wy auo =" .'os "'"o ~ ~, oo,so ona
haa depth OF 1eet OF Hater' Ine IocRs arc
103 foet long, IS feet wide, md will take boats Of
iG0 tons burden, The lower nitro si1l at
T>aso1la !. 1IE toot ha,o,v r,,ro ar;,h;r,r,
-oatu'o 80 - ,oos poo" 'A41'e.1' NJ
hna shefo Is no 4acA Oh wafer "na1esor. Inc IN
tention was to connect the navigahle waters Of
tho Mississippi River and Lake Michigan, but
th,a cannot be satisfactorily accomplished until
"" r,,;.ass p;ro~ IL ;,,,,~ovoa
tne 1nlnois lslfor Id ithpto'oo'
THE ESTIMATED COST
Of this improvement, including locks md dams,
is ZOO 600, md eds0 600 additional for erede-
49,. ,r:.a,.a;.', p,,,a - ooo IT,. H.. IN ~. =.
.no al'sn'7e'pl. A'et' ~oo iie7 ano .ne 1"il ib