The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-01-31
THE ST. CROLX AND SUP PERIOR CA-
NAL-PROVED FEASIBLE From
OVENS REPORT.

4 THE ST. CROIH AND SUP ERROR CA-
NAL-PROVED FEASIBLE FROM
4 OWENS REPORT.
Below we give the article from
the ST. Paul Pioneer, referred to in
our last weeks issue, in which the
explorations Of the Divide between
Lake Superior and the Mississippi
by David Dale Owen, the eminent
GeolOgist, are shown to indicate the
perfect feasibility of a stearnboat
canal between the Great Lake and
the Great River.
We hope the article will be care
fully read, and the attention Of infu-
ential and public spirited men called
thereto. Notice especially the grad
nal ascent of the southern slope of
the Divide; the low altitude If the
range at the head Of the Lake as
compared with points east; the easy
working material of the Divide the
inferIockiug Of river sources to form
feeders; and tie naaay miles Of
steam5oat aagigatioa on the B7ach
and the Nemadjj rioers.
tina ST. caolx AND LAKE SUPERIOR CANAL.
We have been examining the report of
David Dale Owen, L. $. Geologist. upon the
Geology Of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota,
for information in regard TO the country be-
tween the st. Croix and Lake Superior.
There can he no question, if the distance of
eighty four miles which intervenes between
the navigahle waters of the Mississippi and
Lake Superior could bc overcome by canal,
that it wuulI add millions annually to the
wealth Of Minnesota, not ONLY by chpapenug
the transportation OF the products Of agrcul-
ture and the return freiEhts Of merchandise,
but bv bringing the ores Of the lake into
connection wi h the coal Of Iowa at the wa
ter powers Of Minnesota, and thus eventually
build up in our State manufactures upon &
scale that would rival those Of Pennsylvania
The first question we turned 10 was the
elevation TO be overcome.
II The average surface Of the land nine miles
above Taytor's Falls. By barometrical meas
litlItlli. l- 600 ilEL ABOVE l|lt ltNEl tl Cue
Mississippi river The highest ayeraga level
of the water shrd between the St. Craix and
the lake ia $50 feet So that it appears the
land elevation to be overcome is less than
200 feet. But this does not Indicate the
levels Of the streams and valleys, which a
canal would have 10 follow
Owens report pace PIG, says, speaking Of
the summit d, the watershed:
"Taasa ranges are made mp of successive
chains Of rounded hills. or knobs, with an e.
ovation Of from thirty 10 teo h1s7",ea yfe'
abore ble afr'r-t.tQ "o3ey& : :
most of them have an almost constant strike
northeast and s0ui5,regLn
So that it would appear that the ridge IS
crossed srOm pyrihedsJ to southwest by nu-
merous valleys, some of them two hundred
feet deep, and lying IN the very direction
which canal would necessarily follow
DR. Owens says. page 2l5:
" The-ascent lof the water shedl is. ut eve
y point where observations were made. very
gradual, and occasionally, for long dis, noes,
scarcely aoticeab}e, except by actual measure
ment. On the north side the descent is
much more rapid, the middle of the high.
nds approaching, generally, within twenty.
five or thirty miles of Lake Superior, and in
some places much nearer
And on page 2I6 he saws:
''The general elevation along this line Is
also n.ach less than along aag other line OF
conatrV t'acersed betlgeen the Mississippi ana
Ink Superior"
On page l9I Owens says.
" The dividing ridge is inconsderable. The
rise Oh the portage between the BTule and
st. Jroix is but l2o feet"
Eastward the ridge as it approaches Michi-
gan rises TO the height Of 100 feet, and as it
goes west it sinks TO about 400 feet.
The next question that occurs is whether a
canal could be cheaply constructed over the
ridge in question; in other words, is that
ridge a wall of rock, or is it composed OF
Z softer materials? We learn from Owen that
the whole region in question is covered with
drift. On page 90 he saws:
" From the point where these rocks are
lost under drift on the upper St. Croix,
across to where other red sandstones are
found in place on the Bois Brule it is about
{ tweuty-three miles, the intervening space be
, ing region Of heavy drift and erratics, in
zrhicb no rocks ScboteUer can be found it place
, And again, page PIG, he says:
The country is covered 10 a great depth
by red marI clays and drift, based upon red
sandstone, which is the only rock To be seen
f in place between st. Louis river and the
, head waters of Kettle river, and the rock is
only visible at a few points
There Is, therefore, no practical difficulty
in the way of cutting canal through this
drift region where necessary; while the val
, leys, 200 feet deep, running northeast and
southwest would probably furnish natural
canal bed for great part of the distance,
The next question is whether water enough
can be found on the summt-Ieyel OF the ridge
TO supply the necessary locks and dams.
Owen shows that this watershed is really
part of that lake region. called by Nicollet
The Undinc Region" which reaches 70
the Blue Earth and Des Moinea river; and
that it is from the same range the St Louis,
the Mississippi ana Red rivers take their rise.
1t Is literally a gaatsr shed Owens says,
page 2IS:
.Ua5v of the iqrqest lakes are situated on
he broad summit Of he great 1ater shed, and
in many cases where examinations haXe been
made, these lakes have been found tributary
10 both Lake Superior and the Mississippi"
An examination of any good map viii show
the great number of lakes along the proposed
route, and the curious interiocking Of the
head waters of the different streams For
instance Big Rice Lake, the head Of Kettle
river, tributary to the 81. Croix, Is our Tolg
miles from the st Louis river.
At TWENTY-FIVE miles south Of Fond du Lac
Owens reached the top Of the water shed
He s1Es. page 27@.
From tins point 10 Kettle river the couD.
try presents q succession Of small lakes,
sWamps meadows au5 ridges. covered with
birch and smsll pine
We think these facs demonstrate that .