, 1874-12-04
ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL.


LETTER fnoA nh. WILLIAM aadntSu.
Locxronr' ILL.,, Nov' ~ 1s7A'
~ inc f".tor o' 7ho U"'eo1o 1ao,,se :,
"'n: hhVe ""tea pas'oh',s ~ ',m nsu =. o.'o.' as
wo"'a nos l,Aao o'. o"ot' ~ o'"" e"D''' "'''A'
@'on ~ "'o aao!sus " -
-, thE"f "Alhi'-Io'i',sNIen n... ', ou H.,
rum e'a'easo to aaae."ase'' i'aes aaa ,'ot'sn
1no WY ene nnAeo s'la ~ w.. a, ,,,
*ao bh" tue'i ''o"a ~ A's"'o ~ A"o "'"" ~
A''','a " eu'.''u'sA,. ...''., leo oa., A"o
6es"o'h oe"'l'H ul,o', 'ao 1"es''o. ~ "",n anI
.'!u"ne W @eeun'p'.1 s,'o o'l.s'' 'e - ':s :s'M.,
os"c'o ~ ~ sa'o' "Ao ."p sao g"o. s.a .s,
onsu 'ooi'o "a''",on' Ao4 "' 49, 's,,t
"'1'tou ~ ,""sA W., s41u1' Nss.,,
'"fe uscIaeo y, '.s". s"o
"ea'' 1uu, ~ w." ~, ~ as a.ss
Nv" 7as n''u'' W. 'o'ats o1 s'.a
''oA "eit @ s .1AsoeNo' '"0
,r ,'; 10y a's' sv'' ~ w.. 6'o 49,. a.,
!''o oeo p"po1s -" nooA1 ~ -.
,!lilol'' " seeu..ah enoap ,',,1nx. ~
" NV Ds ~ H. n, 49,
osoA "a"sssehs'y sA..s ~ lssH.a W 49, u'a ~ ~
tle W one,s -, '''.a ooset, a"a
oxpcetca a''lil tnoro shal W eoa'nn'c.' e'soit,
through wide extent Of country, il, fnror OF
Aomo particular nooy. The trouble noM il, that
t,,o a;tnut1a,n,u. .o,,atruction of
"''~ .>.> .,,,,,. ,r.,..
~" 'HAN. "eo
la advocatcd,-~1naaiy OF thefh u donD11al eS@
pctlieucy. II IL very natural I0r pelnonH to
favor 1uoHt What tley think woul.l mout benefit
+1o;, ror,,,,or fncolit;rs nnt1 f,,ose win tnve
l"s' ,ss =. ;'"aats<,,.a ros tIau.a,yo. ors
taAen no Pa'''s ~ .!l'es''s"so Aoi ~
very likely to entertain Vague anu 'aso notiona
OF the feasibility. cost, anil valc to tho country
at lursc, Of the various improvements which
hnr, 1oa,, fran, ti,no tn tino eureented. II in
,, ..t a.. 49,, - ,n,,a,..a,;.,, - 1t,
lhose notwithstanding, a. thoy
would, to hundreds Of millions. and many OF
w|nct, would never yield a. reycuuo sufficient to
,,av Tia a<ncnsca nf rc,,airs--yould liz entircly
Ea, ~, w.. s.aso,,t ava;,.,la ra.o,,rcos n I'm
beyond tho prcaop. asA1''ole loeouteSs u. .'.o
cotntry. Mnny ol thcso saSgcstetl improve
n,ents have never haen surveyed and estin,atod
by practical engineers with oven pretended nc
r sssa ,,'air ,>sao,J., aoat - ,Lo w,,cs.
eu'ae' nn' 'no'1 % @ o'suu ,ar, suss 10 h @ ""s'.
Guessworl' xand WHO ever KNOW shch snossca
10 be less thau tia absolute cost : They often
auas.s,rla tho supposed cost, whilst thelr utility
fa1I. ror a1ort of uuhle cxncctatiou.
~ sarn ~ lin ] nroiectc1 >nca of wator.con,-
LII so'o u sao ptoJss:e" .4"ea =.
mun1ca'foas lt1s eSceeo'n8'y aono'1hl "nesnof
an ADEQUATE supply of water could be provided to
make tlom permanently stHefn!, II other obsta-
clea to their construction could be overcome
and t3iiB s, Of cul1lHe OF tic first Importance.
80 COMMENCEMENT sl:oulD he MADE
Until tho minimum Euppy Of wafer can bo deter
mined uud lhla call only DO done satisfactorily
III aoasonB Of severe drought. lilo mihtako iis
yory likely to be matlo of undertaking tho supply
| ncccnsary, aud oyerra,ing tint which cau bo oh.
tanned, or obtained at Il rntional cost Errors
hayo m osten l,eel committed III this regard ty
engineers Of high reputation, that common pe1i-
| doHce demands lilo closest scrutiny in future.
| IT has already boe,i demonstrated that small
| and long canals, poorly constructed, aud with
| large amount Of lockage, especially when tlo
| SUPPLY OF wator IL sometimes short, caunot Buc-
| ex11 nt..1
properly-comllctcd railroads connecting tle snmo
poiittH With the lighr ncfole ,ls, wo may low
ever, aay With confidence. that. w1cro short
canala, Of largo capacity, cau be mnlo to connect
quiring comparatively little Improvement, their
CONSTRUCTION would be- warrantod eyo1l at great
cost Anlousat those Of Ills class are the Wei
land aud st. Lawrouce Canals, tho st. a1ary's,
tho Lo,,isyilo t. Portland, tho Des Moinca Hap
ids (iu course Of couHruetion), and Inst, but not
loast. tho Illinois & aIichisan Caupl. This iu
oc GREATER louerh and lcgs capacity at t}ro5out
| tlam either of the e!hors named; but I
in,nortnuco Of diminishing its lougtl by suhssi-
tnting improved riyor navigation, Gnd increasing
| its eeuaeitr; aud eaueclally to
riiE coasiEHcIAI, NECESSITY
Of completing tho Illinois River Improvement
below InSalIo at tho yorr earliest day lractlca-
lie. keeping in view economy Of construction.
r,ny have something to Bay hereafter III regard
| to yariullB internal improvements to fleRpe
| frarBDprtatiO1l bctWqcn Chicago ntlH ttdG~Wnt or
| Enst: hut. lor tic urcsont, I will only consider
tuovo ui,on Which our State Legislature altd ollr
dcieeutto,i iu CongrosH will be called upon to act,
whicl are within tho limits Of tho stato Of 1lli-
| psin.
fad In not roncraljy apprcctatotl-is that Chsru-
70 nUst. AID arlN, !lavu ACCESS to tito Atlantic
through t ' thc Gulf' Of st. Lawrence and prob.
nby IL auutller ollaumol, for aliipe OF 1,0t]0 or
i26U Ions burden, within very fow years. wt!s-
out anv osncsial olrort on i,er part; md also for
i crufs amore Of as grcat or greater t,nnaso, te
I'll, uu{f at Mpxito, ,-t,ut this will require pcr.
\ stout mud concentrated effort. 10 accomplish!
thasn oblecta, tile cAuractu: of tho TorkH re.
uulreu. Iii tho nn,t,, las been practically donn
| strutet md ttoir cost mny liz cst!,
niated with considerable accuracy, se
Tur M tho enlargement Of lilo Illiuolt
4, Micligall Cunai, md tho Improvement,
nj Lie Il]iuois RIvor aro concerned, ito furthel
SURVEYS and cBti11,ltcg arc rattiirod until tiil
wnrE * to Io rlaced 1l,yt3or contract. Fuyner o.
tmateu hayo beou nude with considerable cure
md
Will NOT p1rFEn WIDELY
from the absolute cost Of construction M