The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-01-25
Proposed Canal to Connee. the Kissis.
slppi River and Lake Superior,


for long period vast volume of wafer
couEsed this channel from Lake Superior to
and down the Mississippi. The valley is ev-
erywhere Of great W dth in proportion to the
present volume of water, showing evidences
of currents of great velocity fifty feet above
the highest high water marks of the present
time. These ancient banks of the river are
| composed Of heavy drift gravel and boulders
bearing the maras OF glacial action and hav-
ing their origin north of Lake Superior
This valley extends across the height of
land in township 45 north, in range / west,
and in the northern part of it the Brule river
| rises and flows north iuto Lake Superior
1t the copper range in township 4S, range
10 west, section 23, ledge of trap rock
stands in the valley. In the eddy Of this
! rock and extending to the southwark or up
! the present stream is well defined moraine
Of large boulders and gravel showing that the
, glacial river ran south, To the north of this
/ point the Brule river makes a straight cut
to the Lake through sandy red clay deposits
peculiar to that region.
In this ancient valley the lowest point on
the summit at the head waters OF these two
streams is about 460 feet above Lake Supe-
rior, Lake St. Croix at Saltwater is III
feet higher than Lake Superior,l aud $40
feet above Lake St. Croix. Upper Lake st.
! Croix is z feet below this summit. The St.
Croix river, one mile owe the mouth of
aoose river, is 25 feet below this summit
The st. Croix river discharges 1859 cubic
feet of water per minute at the mouth or
Moose creek The Brule river discharges
about 5,805 cable feet of water per minute
in the north part Of town 46 range 10. The
distance from Taylors Falls TO Lake Super or
by tie valley OF the St Croix and the valley
of she Brule river is nearly $50 miles
There are several exposures Of trap rock
brown sandstone also of good quality for
building purposes, being easily worked.
Can Lake st. Croix at Saltwater be cor
/ nected with Lake Superior by canal
and slack water navigat on? Yes. This
question mas been definitely settled by the
recent examination Of the United states en-
g5noers, ulder the direction Of Major Chas
J. Allen, Of the sources of the St Croix
river with reference TO the construction of
reservoirs TO improve the navigation of that
river and the Mississippi.
BY constructing a dam one mile above the
mouth Of Aoose creek, on the st. Croix, of
sufficient height to raise the water 25 feet,
cutting : canal 70 feet wide, II feet deep,
one mile and one half long, across the sum
nit, and building dam in town 46, range
10, across the Brule river, high enough to
raise the water to the same height as the
dam on the ST. Croix and you construct
lake oyer so miles long sfforGing uninter-
Tup,ed navigation across the summit for that
distance and utilize the waters of the St
Croix and lis branches and the brule, and by
the capacity before given the amount of wa
ter is sufficient to pass vessels throug,i locks
Is feet vide, 500 feet long, l2l feet lift at
the rate Of 8 per hour or y in "a hours at
she dryest season Of the year. This settles
the question Of Practicability.
How much money will it take? In this
answer | can only approximate, in the ab-
sence of surveys: grom Saltwater to the
summit will require twenty eight locks, 12t
feet lift, IS feet wide and 500 feet long and
as many dams or lees. when two or more
locks can be placed in the same dam. At
two locks to the dam would require fourteen
dams. On tie Brule river 81 locks will be
required and 10 dams or less. Through sec
ton 29, before spoken of, the river falls 81
feet, and below that point to the lake. dis
tauce of ten miles, the valley is about 500
feet wide on al average, reducing the cost of
the dams On the Brule below the average of
the cost on tie st. Croix. The dam above
the mouth Of Moose river will require 20 be
5000 feet long, with base of at least l20
feet and viii require 2SS, 600 cubic yards of
enbankment snd can be put in az % cents
per yaId. Locks and waste weirs, solid ma
sonary, two locks, 12t feet lift, 10 feet wide
and 500 feet long, brown sandstone founda-
ton, can probably be built for Sl00, 900, or
$4,000 each. Embankment SO, 600; ma
sonarv, 100000.
The dam oD the Brule river nearest the /
summit win be about one third the length /
.f this last and Will cost for
S25 900 /
For Aasonary Observation-Disclosures l0C, 600 I
Total NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Si25. 600 /
Canal across the summit l ! miles 1900 |
{ pDcr 1T. CrolX dam l750Ou (
Cost OF the summit section, equal
10 % IN Observation-Disclosures 1915, ,0G0 /
Taking this for basis for estimating on
the cost OF the work the whole Improvement !
will cost less than S., 900 600, and by placing
the lowest dam and lock at Prescott so as to .
always hold Lake st. Croix at the high wa I
ter mark will give 200 miles of slack water
connecting the Mississippi river
1ith fake Superior and accommodating .
coats OF large size and deep draft props lied /
oy steam at he usual rates Of speed used on /
,ivers. Average cost per mile, $40, 900,
WILL IT PAY
70 spe nd this neuey? 1t costs now from 10 4
cents bushel 10 ship wheat by rail from
Prescott to Lake Superior and it has to pass
through one elevator if not two on the route. I