, 1879-02-19

~ The tS1Hof a. Iht jFfb4nf
joliet, Feb. 17.-Stnce tho publication Of my
last communication there has been another ca1,a
meeting held here at the Mayors Office, but as
tt WINS sort Of dark-]antcrn Rirair the public
knew but little about 1t except what was given
tho papers for publication. However, 1t appears
TINT delegates were chosen by the meeting 10
attend r,eetiug to ba held ut the Grunl pactnc
IIotc! iu CllcaUo On the 10Th, aul alsu ut Otta-
va On the 20th Of this mouth. Tl,ero Is no
doubt tint soma Of those delegates havc The III
tcrcst Ut the canal nnd Of the people atong its
banks at heart. but others OF them that are IT,
cciyIug special omolumcnts from the present
canal management eau scarcely bo expected to
bs 30 FREQ In thcir action Us those WHO do
not, md who might have been selected
at a moyu public nicotfng. It seems,
also, TINT number OF expert engineers wcrp &C.
lccsel to test ihe flow mid condition Of The wa-
meeting tic rrsnits Of tlcsr Investigation. x
communication FROM tic Superintendent offer
Ing Tie free use Of the locks nl.l waste-gutcs for
the purnose wns road: :: liow geuerous, now they
liave allowed the Luckport enl OF the summit
level to get obstructcd with ice.
In my last communication said that there
WIS not six inches OF Ice II. that cnual this win
tor, but on my Visiting f.ockport on the 9th
found TINT :sas only pastiuliy trile. On the nte
of the publication Of ilnlt Insertion there was no
Ice Ut oil at the summit, whi]c At Bridgeport It
was less tllan SIX iucl,es, but found over two
feet Of ice Ut lockport. Now, tho cause
Of that wus tho ruslnE md lowering Of
lle watcr To accommodate Norton &: Co. The
large umount OF water needed to run .llrlr mills
during tho day lowered Tho Ice uuwn during The
cold days. and at night the water would rise
AMI nvGttow the Ice, and there cougeul during
the night On tllc SLh ut noon tho surfuce or
the Ice was dropped two feet below the water
line, where thcro was ulen Two feet Of Ice.
ttlat was four feet depth gone of the top, ind
they admit tlat there Is abuut three feet 0t mud
at tito bottom. That takes soycn feet ulE The
eight aud n half feet {tae depth 0f the eaual},
leaving eighteen inches for tho flow Of water To
be tcsted this week by tho experts. Tic bubble
may anticipate the results.
found tile canal urcilga dsnsantetl for The
wfntcr, lying In the cannl, willis tits mud-scows
were lying against tic bank ut an angle Of forty
ilye degrees also frozeu III. That wua ocollou,y
to pay oil the nleM and leavo tho machinery
idle nnd THO canal llllIg up, waile the otllcinls
State On sailroad passes md charging tic faro
mud expenses to the canal, Us witness the Caual
Cot,m lssoncrs' reports.
On tic above 1atc referred to the waste-gatcs
wern all closed. and lhu little water passing out
Of tic eanai was Eo!ng through Nortun'a min
rare. found thu Repairing docks 60 obstruetetl
by leo tllnt they could not proceed wIth tic re-
palrtns Of canal l-boats at the yards. N0w, wisl,
to know, Was llle cunnl snsdG for the pl,rposa Of
navigation aal commerce, or Tor tnill-sacs for
uriynta corporationst | do not wtal to dictntc
to illt various con,nitttacs TINT may he anil nro
appointed, plt II they viii lctnnnl d 1norc ellis
etent Atll less expensive management Of tllp
present eanAi wllflo they aro seeking to inIuee
illo GGncral Government to make shla cuun
IL would be we'll, The correspondence from
9aring!fcd shows that there Is $40 QUO 1eauIrrl
from tic Stato Treasury to rlsn tile ca.,al this
year. Under existing circumstances, The money
ought t0 he appropriated, mil urcdgcs ehouJl
be constructed afnif1ar to ttosa used by Fersli-
uAl,a Do Lesseps IN digging tho Sucz Canal.
The mud 80 drcdged should be conveyed
by ctoyator-cups Rt least tlfty feet pysr
The banks of tho canal, and the
work should bo carried on night md day until
the canal Waa gicaned out. Other urc.lt.es
should b. used on tie rOcK-f0rsnatiDr. am In
formed that tit many places bclow Joliet tho
propellcrs hayt wnsliol lilo surfaee OF tie banks
stone tlAs heen pincs,I IN lg balks to MI IN The
vlrury, but tile setlinent gtill lies In tlls bot
tom uf the canal, thereby obatructtns naylga.
tlon, while tbs DOatlnen hive to buy and feed
IN extra mule 10 pull tie hoats over ttcse Oh
Btrurt,o,Is. II tho water in Lake Michigan falls
to tho Ba,o level ~ III l67l. as It recently shows
signs III doing, boats could not navigate tlIe
summit level drawing thrce feet Of water viii,
tho present Sbstructiuns. Active Operations
should be commenced immcEately, Public
1ncrtNngs should bG tlcld In every town on tlIe
canalkMd river, aHtl tllu press shuld 70 to work
ip earnest, AMI tnol public opinion before it IL
too late. At least sums Of the Canal cpn,4tt-
tees 10 Springfield uro doubtful, especially II
ttrrc arc any grtenbacks IyIug arountl luosc, ind
tl,u public should urge tte,n in to 10 tllelr duty
to thu atate a,l1 to t.leIF constituents. =
II