The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-02-07

SUPERIOR HARBOR VERSl
GOV WASHBURN'S .SOCALLEI
COMPROMISE.
EXTRACTS FROM GOV. wAsHBURN's ANNUAL MES
SAGE, JAN. 1878, TO THE WIS
CONsIN LEGISLATURE
No people in the State have been so badl,
treated as those living at Superior
HARBoR OF SUPERIOR.
The Legislature of 1871 appropriated tht
sum of $4,000, and the last Legislature tn,
sum of $4,000, for the protection of the
harbor of Superior. OF those sums, 81, S39.
80 was expended by my predecessor, and 81,
l06 80 by me, of which last named sum 81,
81, was expended for engineering servi
ces.
For the purpose of comprehendng thi'
subject, it is proper to make some explana
tions.
The harbor of Superior is the only natura
sarbor upon Lake Superior west of Bay field
a distance of fifty miles | cannot better
describe it than in the language of Col. j. B
Wheeler, of the [. S. Engineer Corps, in hi.
report to the Chief Engineer of the Army
(See Executive Documents 1868, part 2
pages so and ST. He says that this har
Dor is situated at the western extremity o
Lake Superior, in the Bay cf Superior
which is about six miles in length and one
mile in width, and is separated from the heat
of the lake by long narrow spit extending
from the bluffs of the Minnesota shore, in
direct line 10 the entrance of the harbor
nearly seven miles This renders the Bay o
Superior a safe harbor in all winds. Tn,
channel OF the st. Louis river runs diagonal
~ and nearly in straight line across the
bay from the mouth of the Bay of ST. Louis
TO the harbor entry, which is the proper
mouth of the ST. Louis river This uIanne
has a width of about 800 feet, and depth o.
from / to 80 feet. The Bay of Superior i:
the most important harbor on Lake Superior
and one of the most important on :he grea
chain of lakes, by reason of its situation al
the western extremity of the lakes, with nc
point within 80 miles where harbor can bt
obtained"
In 1928, Capt Bayfield,, of the British Hy
geographic service, surveyed this harbor fol
the British Government, and his chart, witt
elaborate souudings, was found to be aston
ishingly accurate, by the late Gen. Geo. g
Meade, U. s. a, who made minute survey
by order Of the Government Of the United
States, in 1861 Both Bayfield, and Meade
were greatly struck with the beauty of this
bay, and its admirable adaptation to the fu
ture commerce of the lakes. 1t was early
seen that this was the only safe harbor that
could ever exist near the head of Lake Supp-
rior, and that the beautiful plateau of land
bordering upon the bay of Superior, was the
only eligible site for town for a long dis
tance in either direction. Such being the
case, large number of settlers were attract
4 Il. i g
perior was laid out as early as 1854. Most
of the early settlers have continued to reside
there up TO the present time, in the tuil con
tidence that their town would become large
city whenever railway communication should
he opened between the lake and the valley OF
the Mississippi
In this they have been disappointed, fol
upon the Organization of the Mississippi and
Superior and Of the Northern Pacific Railway
companies parties connected with those great
enterprises, adopted line of policy, the eff
feet of which was to destroy the harbor and
city Of Superior a rival town was started
upon the preclptous and rocky cliff at the
extreme westerly end Of Lake Superior, d
point entirely destitute of any harbor and ex-
posed to the northeast gales with their unin
terrupted sweep OF 400 miles.
Instead of looking for harbOr where il
was only to be found by the natural entrance
to the Bay OF Superior, regardless of the
rights Of the State of y isconSiu and citizen,
of Superior they reckleSsly went TO work tC
destroy that harbor by changing the course
Of the St. Louis river, and causing it to dis
charge into Lake Superior at a point SIX
miles west Of it, natural outlet
Z
For the purpose of vindcating the rights
of the Stac, | retained Hon Ii. 5 Orton, OF
Madison, and Hon IL n Setter, Of Superior
to bring a suit in the name of the State, tC
secure the removal OF the dyke and the clos
ing up Of the canal
At the hearing, there can be but little
doubt that the nuisance of the dyke will be
ordered to be abated, when other proceedings
will be taken to close up the canal.
The folly of attempting to war with the
Almighty, and to create safe harbor where
nature has interposed almost insuperable OBJ
Stacles, has been recently made manifest, and
it is quite likely that the project will be
abandoned. The attempt to destroy the bar
Dor Of Superior, if not abandoned, is pretty
sure to E" return TO plague the inventors"
GOV. wAsHBURN's SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE
WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE.
STATE OF WISCONSIN, EXECUTIVE DEP'TMT,(
Madison, Feb. 6, 1878.
To the Honorable the Legislature:
Having received a communication from
General G W. Cass, president of the North
Pacific Railroad Company, stating that he
was deSirous of having the litigation with the
state of Wisconsin, so far as 1t affected that
company, terminated, if it could be on salts
factory terms TO all parties, l responded that
| was equally anxious of making fair and
honorable settlement.
On the receipt of my reply the same was
laid before the board of directors of the
North Pacific Company, who adopted the
following resolution, and | was invited by
telegraph to proceed to New York.
Resolved, That the communication OF the
Governor of Wisconsin be referred TO the
President, and that he be requested to invite
an interview with the Governor and other
parties in interest on the subject of the suit
Of the state of Wisconsin vs., the City OF Du-
luth, the Northern Pacific Railroad and 9TH
ers, and disclaimlng any connection with or
interest in said dyke, to assure the Governor
of this Boards willingness that an order be
made for the removal of the dixie across the
bay of SUPERIOR and that this company VIII
unite with the authorities OF said state IN
procuring an appropriation by the general
government to improve the navigation OF the
bay of Superior, or such plan IS Will best
promote the interests OF all parties connected
with the commercial development OF sad
BAY, and further, to assure the Governor OF
Wisconsin, of the cordial desire OF this com
panv 10 unite with him in every effort TO