The anti-monopolist., 1874-12-24
WATER TRANSPORTATION.
The Best Routes for Minnesota.
An Address Delivered by Hon. Igna.
thus D0nnelly Before the St. Panl
Chamber of Commerce, December
12. 1874.


12, 1874.
Concluded from last week.
"From this point to Kettle river, the coun
try presents succession of small lakes,
swarnps, meadows and ridges, covered with
krch and small pine"
b. f. Christlicb, Esq. of Long Lake.
Hennepin county, an experienced civil
engineer, who has personally examined
the region in question, writes me as
follows:
81 would suggest further that streams are
often found III the extensive swamps Occu-
pying portions OF that region; that is,
streams tributary to Lake Superior and to
the Mississippi and st. Croix rivers, have
their source IN the same swamp, through
which channel to connect the channels OF
the streams can be easily made, thereby
solving the problem of connecting streams
tributary to the st. Lawrence river and to
the Gull OF Mexico. As an instance, would
call your attention to large tamarack and
spruce swamp, extending through the
southern portions of sections II and Is,
town 40, range )8, being about tour miles
east of the Moose Lake station, on the Lake
Superior and Mississippi railroad, in which
two streams have their source. One unites
with the Nemadj river and flows to Lake
Superior The other empties into Moose
Lake, and finds its way through the Moose
and Kettle rivers into the st. Crolx and
Mississippi The channels of those streams
are visible within a fourth mile OF each
other, in the swamp where they both find
their source, being within section II, &c.
These streams flow for a few miles through
swamps, or % continuation OF the same
ir,av cod
springs and by other streams, some OF which
unite in the next adjoining sections The
swamp at the source contains vast amount
Of water-sutficient, Gin the opinion of the
writer, to support q canal, till it receives
support from the other tributaries.
THE GRADE.
One other question remains, viz: the
amount of ascent and descent to be
overcome.
DIR. Owen says, page 215:
.'Irhe ascent lot the water shed) is, at
every point where observations were made.
very gradual, and occasionally, for long dis
tances, scarcely noticeable, except by actual
measurement On the north side the de-
scent is much more rapid, the middle of the
highlands approaching, generally, within
twenty-five or thirty miles of Lake Suprrior,
and in some places much nearer"
ana on page 2lO ne says.
'tThe general elevation along this line is
also much less than along any other line Of
country trauersed between the Mississippi
and Lake Superior"
On page 1911 Owen says:
'The dividing ridge is inconsiderable.
The rise on the portage between the Brule
and ST. Croix is but 100 feet"
Eastward the rid C as it approaches
Michigan rises to the height of l,l5O
feet.
Over the very region in question, the
Mississippi & Lake Superior Il. Il. now
passes; and surely where railroad can
be built canal can be constructed.
THE ROUTE.
The route to be pursued would have
to be determined, after thorough ex-
animation. by United States engineers.
1t might reach the Mississippi far up
above Little Falls; it might, as Mr..
Chrstlicb suggests, start from AnOka
ana follow the line Of the Rum river,
and connect with the Snake river or
Kyttle river, and thence to the st.
Croix; or it might start at Taylors
Falls and follow the Upper st. Croix.
St. Louis river, or the Nemadji river.y
OF the latter river Owen says, page
3O2.
"Ne-muj -i-ti-que-ay or Left Hand river,
as Gar as exploration was made, ten miles
above the mouth OF Black river, (thirty- tive
miles in ally is from twenty to thirty yards
wide, and from three to ten feet deep. 1t is
entirely tree from driit-wood, and, except q
few inconsiderablc ones (Which are easily as
eended by canoe), unot~tructed by rapids !"
Here then we have natural channel,
requiring little Improvement. for canal
boats for thirty five miles Of the river,
equal to about twenty miles Of the
eighty four to be overcome.
The waters of the Nemadji and Ket-
tie river, not only interlock, but COM
municate through Hernhanging lake,
See p. 2lS.
When the exploring party first
reached Kettle river. on their way
southward. it was considerable stream,
.sixty yards wide, and deep enough to
Roat a steamboat, full Of bou!ders, how
ever. and hardly fit for canoes. See
,. s73.
The Upper St. Croix is described as
"a succession Of rapids, separated by
broad, shallow basins of comparatively
still water.
There could be little difficulty in i'm
proving the Upper st. Croix by locks
and dams, and thus creating slack VA
ter navigation. If this was done, il
would leave but about twenty miles o1
canal to construct, through the drift ol
the summit, fed by lakes, streams and
swamps.
Such a canal would pass within forty
miles of the great beds of magnetic
IRON ore associated with metsmorphie
states, situated in the Penokie Range.
These beds ''are Of extraordinary thick
ness-from 25 to 60 feet" One speci'
men analysed by DR.. Owen yielded q
: per cent. Of iron. 1t is Of the sams
character as the celebrated Swedish
iron. 1t cannot be worked
to advantage In stu, on account Of tn
absence Of limestone. Owea says
"These mines may be worked hereaftel
.t = profit. and rival the works of Nor
thern Europe
With such . canal this iron ore coa1l
Be brought to the great water~pswerI
az Minnesota, and thus build ~. 10 ouI
own midst an industry Of incaldalAn
value to our people.
TIE LAKE IERANuR &Fw