The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-09
Water Transportation Proposed Legislation

Water Transportation Proposed Legislation
The Hon. John B. Hawley, of this
State sometime since introduced bill in
the lower house of Congress, providing
| for the construction of canal connecting
the waters of Lake Michigan, the Illinois,
the Mississippi, and Rock rivers" The
proposed canal starts at or near the town
of Hennepin, and extends by the most
| convenient route to Rock Island, with a
| branch canal, or feeder, from Rock river
at the city of Dixon, connecting with the
main canal near the town of Sheffield
| The bill provides that the canal and branch
shall be not less than seventy feet wide at
the water line and not less than six feet in
| depth, with locks not less than $50 feet in
length, twenty-One feet in width, and with
capacity for vessels of at least $50 tons
burden. The measure has many warm
| friends in Congress, and TIE Committee on
| Railways and Canals are said to look upon
the matter favorably. There is no doubt
| but it would do much toward solving the
trans portation problem, and Mr.. Hawley
deserves credit for pressing the matter so
earnestly. Though Chicago and the North
west are vastly interested in this work, it
is probable that New York and Boston
and the East generally, are, if possible,
more so. 1t costs eight cents to carry a
bushel of corn from St Louis to New Or
leans, by water, while it costs eighteen
cents to send bushel by water from Chi
cago to New York But the foreign
freight is about seven cents more from
New Orleans than from New York, so that
the two routes compare as fifteen and
eighteen cents bushel. If large vessels
could enter the Mississippi at its mouth,
however, as they can the harbor of New
York, New Orleans would divert large
portion of the gram trade from the Allan
tic seaboard cities for there would be an
important per cent. of difference in favor
of the former and against the latter.
The various schemes for improving the
delta of the Missippi are indefinite, both
in regard to cost and results, and it is not
likely that for many years to come a plan
will be devised and carried out which viii
overcome the Instructions at that point
At best it never can compare with the
shipping facilities of New York, but ever
with its disadvantages a vast grain grow
ing region whose natural outlet is east, vii
gradually find it necessary to look south
ward, unless some means are given where
by that region can find access to the lakes
We expect to see fair share OF the pro
auctions OF the Southwest seeking a mar
ket by way of the Gulf, and have no desire
to turn them eastward but the region, a
we said before, whose natural outlet is east
should not be compelled to seek another
channel through inadequate means of trans
pOrtation by the direct route. During per
iods of high water, barges can be worked
up the Illinois river to La Sale, from
whence they can be brought, by way of the
Illinois 4 Michigan canal, to Chicago, /;
total distance of 327 miles. But if, instead
J of stopping the canal at La Salle it il
continued to Hennepin, little furthe
down the river and from thence due west
it will strike the Mississippi at Rock Isl
, and, distance of about sixty-four miles
Construct the canal contemplated by tn
bill of Mr.. Hawley, and direct water com
munication between the Mississippi and the
lakes will be secured and the products o
Iowa, Minnesota, Western Illinois, ant
) other portions of the West, can reach Chi
cage over water route of only about l6(
miles in length, and at an estimated cost o
less than six mills per ton per mile
2 This route has been surveyed by govern
ment engineers, and its estimated cost 1
less than $4,000,O00 ($3,SO0,oOO). Con
: sidering the vast interests involved, an,
the omparatively small amount require,
to construct the work, it would seem tina
the bill should receive sufficient support il
> Congress to insure its passage 1t woul
be the first practical measure for the relic
of those who are seeking a cheaper cutie
for their products, and its Importance com
. mercially can hardly be overestimated.-
Chicago Inter Ocean.