The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-03-08
ILLINOIS RIVER.

speech of Hon. Ben. NJ. stevens in support of AN
Appropriation for the Illinois River.
The following speech was made in the House,
of Representatives at Washington on the 25th
ult by the Hon. Ben NJ Stevens, Of Ill.,, in
support of a motion to amend the River and
Harbor bill so AS to raise the appropriation
for the improvement of the Illinois from $50
600 to 100000:
Mr. STEVENS. | move to amend the
clause just read by striking out fifty" and in
serting lone hundred" so AS to make the APP
preparation tor the improvement for the Hi
noiS river, 100000 In reference to this i'm
provcment | wish to read from the report of
the board of engineers convened at Keokuk,
Iowa, by order of General HUMPHREYS, in
December, 1871, consisting OF Colonel D. w.
Macomb, MGjor-Gcncral j, II. Wilson, and
Captain \. H. Burnam, Of the corps Of en-
gineers.
After acting upon the Rock Island rapids
and making recommendations therefor, the
board proceeded to consider the improvement
of the Illinois river and say:
Below is given the report of Mr. Robert f.
McMath civil engineer assistant, under whose
immediate charge the work has been for the past
two years, and in whose opinion the board fully
comedies.
"Thc board believes that $3OG 22fGO will com
plcte the work as stated in Mr.. McNLIth's report
and that $4,000 thereof can be advntagcOusly
used during the coming season. 1t consequently
recommends the appropriation of that amount
Mr.. McMath in his report says:
"lf the means are provided the work in qucs
ton can be completed in two years, and the csti-
mates are based upon its vigorous prosecution
The cost would be materially increased if the
Nllr l. 1aln hat. I, ,r,,ttf
ably expended during the coming year is Sl50,-
600; by the expenditure Of that amount a depth
of three feet will be secured for navigation
throughout the river
Mr. Speaker, General HUMPHREYS has from
time to time during the last three years, in
every report that he has made on the western
rivers, recommended this appropriation; yet
am sorry TO say that since 1870 no appro-
priation has been made for this important
channel Of commerce.
ask the consideration of the House for II
moment to the character of this river in refer
cnce to its peculiar adaptation for navigation,
and its position as the connecting link of the
two most extensive chains of inland naviga-
ton in the known world.
1t lies Immediately between the southwestern
extremity of the great northern lakes and the
very heart of the Mississippi valley. On the
shore line of the lakes and their navigable
tributary streams, is more than six thousand
miles in extent; twice the width of the Allan
tic ocean. On the west it connects with the
upper and lower Mississippi. tle Missouri,
the Ohio, the Cumberland and the GcAesee,
and their many navigable tributaries, extend.
ing from the Gulf Of Mexico nearly TO the
British possessions Of the north, and from the
Allcghanies to the Rocky mountains in the
west; system of inland navigation exceeding
in extent the width of the Pacific ocean.
The Illinois river and canal is to these i'm
mensc systems of inland navigation what the
Nllc and Suez canal is to the commerce of
Europe and the East Indies; on what canal
across the lsthmus of Daricn or Tchuancpcc
would be to the commerce of the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans. At the eastern extremity of
this work is situated Chicago, the proud queen
of the lakes rising phGniX like from her ashes
Near the southwestern extremity is 81. Louis
whose central position and solid and substan
tia advance in wealth and population, notwith
standing the embargo Of the Mississippi dur
Ing the late unplcasantness, warrants the opin-
ion that she is destined 10 be second to no in
terror city in America.
Upon the banks of the Illinois il found "A
large and cnterprising population. Here are
also many considerable cities and tlourishing
towns. hockport sends weekly many thou
sand barrels Of flour from her mills Joliet
can boast Of Il roliingmill for Besscmcr steel
rails Of the largest capacity Of any in America
Ottawa has extensive corn-starch work, ard a
great variety Of establishment for the manu-
facturc Of agricultural implements. La Sadie
has the greatest zinc works in the wGrlt.
Peoria i second 70 hutonc city in the country
in the production Of highwncs. Henry his
its paper mill, and Lacon its ycry extensive
packing establishments and wooden factory
and Pckm is harycScyH fGr the manulHc-
turing of liaincs headquarters, 50 extensively
used on the western prairioS and in The fertile
valleys Of California. Here are also Morris,
and NWsrillcs, Peru, and Chillicolhc, Liver
pool, Havana. and Beagdstown: all which
cities send quantities Of ploWs, cu,Iator.,
sewers, ard rrapcrS west and south.
| This FLYER is especially adapted for N1yi-a-
zion, very direct in its course, and having not
more than two inches fall to the mile for con.
! siderable part Of its length cannot give Il
/ better description Of il than to quote from
4 the Historical Collections Of Louisiana tho
! language OF Sicur Jolicj. one of the early
/ French explorers, who accompanied Father,
| La Sale and Hcnncpin in thciryoyagc mp til,
St Lawrence, through the greet lakes, unl
down the Father Of waters. Each OF then
gave their names to thriving cities Upon tn,
banks of the Illinois Sicur Joli1 writes a
! follows:
81, with Fothc- Marquette then a~celd,J ,iu
Mississippi river with great difficulty against the
current, and left it in the latiilrnc thirty.ci-h
degrees north 20 enter another riger, the Illinois
which took us la the lake of thu YiTnpi-. Mich
! GAM which - u much shorter way than through
the river MeocDnsin, (Wiscousin,J ~ Nhich ",
Ientcrcd the Mississippi ! never saT 4 NOR
beautiful country than We found en this river
The prairics are covered with buiiAoe- stag, Iu,
! deer and TN rivers and lake. with swans, Gu,k-
geese, paroqucts, and bsnycr TIL, rivrr urol
which We sailed WAS wide, deep aoI putrtd f"
siNty-iEr leagues and nIvi@gJlc most of tE
year round. There is n portage Il only half
league into league into The l2Ee ui The I,iuoi,
lMichiguLl
The Illinois takes lis rise within a iuv mic
Of southwest terminus of the great northern
lakes and takes a direct ceur-e -outhwc., {,
the very heart of the great western valley sn,
embouchcs into the Mississippi river in iuXtt
position to the great natural center Of Tin
commerce which flows from The sau.rnl lnru