Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-26
THE RESERTOIR SYSTEM.

ing what is known as the reservoir system
for supplying navigable stage of water on
the Mississippi river and its tributaries. 1t
took occasion at the same time to administer
to Congressman Thad. c. Pound, of Wiscon-
sin, the chief promoter of the scheme in
Congress, severe rebuke for his attempt to
deplete the treasury by asking appropriations
for chimerical and utterly lmpracticable
scheme, and when the GLOBE came to the
defense of Nr. Pound and the system, which
had been pronounced practicable and ad
visable by the engineer corps of the United
States for this river improvement district,
including such able and efficient engineers
as Major F. U. Farquahar and Capt. G. j.
Allen, the Tribune pronounced the GLOBE
blinded by local prejudice and DESTROYS of
giving employment to few incompetent
civil engineers out of employment, and pay
ing them out of the national treasury. Since
that time the Tribune editor seems to have
received moro light on the subject, if we may
Judge by the following editorial, which ap-
pears in the issue of that paper of the oath
inst:
The Tribune gave an account some time since
of the project for building dams at the head
waters of the Mississippi in Minnesota, and of
the Wisconsin rivers that empty into the Mis-
sissippi as means for flooding these rivers in
the low-water season, and maintaining a navi-
gable stage of water. The energetic Congress
man Pound has the matter in charge, and We
reprint this morning from the Madison State
Journal an interview with this gentleman, in
which he sets forth in detail the purpose and
progress of the Important movement. North
arm Minnesota and Upper Wisconsin are filled
with lakes and marshes which may be convert
ed into immense reservoirs for holding the sur
plus waters that come with the spring floods
for future use in the low-water season. In adj
dtion to the Upper Mississippi, the st. Croix,
Chippewa. and Wisconsin rivers can thus be
made permanent channels for letting out the
lumber of that region, and contribute at the
same time very materially to the improve
ment of navigation IN the Mississippi
in the summer season. The preliminary
surveys have been carried far enough to war
rant the United States englueers in pronounc-
ing the project entirely practicable; and, as
the cost seems small. Mr.. Pound will have the
support of the entire Northwest and Southwest
in urging that the work be undertaken. The
estimated cost of constructing, maintaining,
and operating the necessary reservoirs for ten
years is stated by Mr.. Pound not to exceed 81
5000. This sum is certainly small as COM
pared with the benefits that may reasonably be
expected from the practical working of the
plan. The people who live at the headwaters
of Rock River in Wisconsin, have asked that
this stream be included in the system, and
their petition should be granted. Lake Hori-
con, at the head of Rock River, is reported to
have a capacity of SIX feet of water on $4,000
scres of land, equal to more than r. 000, 600 900
cr,hI Fact UafA haa Of
miles. If it Is practicable to dam Lake
Horizon at a reasonable cost,
water could thus be supplied
to Rock river, which is 200 miles long, which
would make that stream the most desirable in
the whole West for manufacturing interests,
including large region in Illinois, and al the
same time contribute materially to the naviga-
tion of the Mississippi, into which Rock river
enters at Rock Island. Between GAINESVILLE
and Rock Island it has decline of perhaps 200
feet At every few miles a dam is thrown
across it. and the water power thus produced
has caused the growth of city. There are
dozen flOurishins towns on the Rock river To-
Gated at these water powers, ranging in popu-
lation from 5000 to IL 900 or 5000. The pro.
posed increase of water from Lake HORIZON
would add % to 33 per cent. to the value of
each water-p0wer on that beautiful, Hmpid
stream-and an aggregate value representing
many millions of dollars. By including Rock
river and Lake Horizon in the general scheme
Mr.. Pound can secure a much broader and more
effective support for his measure than it will
otherwise receive.
We see no objection whatever to includ-
ing the Rockiriver in the proposed project.
The manufacturing interests along its banks
in Wisconsin and Illinois are of great mag
nitude, and HORIZON lake is admirably adapt
al Gov Io@ L, !
at an expense not exceeding a hundred
thousand dollars, and the overflow caused by
combining its waters to the basin of the lake
would be inconsiderable, the banks being
high enough to contain an almost untold
quantity of water, which can, in the dry sea-
son, be used to increase the manufacturing
facilities of the score or more of towns along
the river.
We are glad to see that the Tribune has
fallen into line among the supporters of this
scheme of internal improvement which
promises such benifcent results. The outlay
of four and half millions required
is small compared with the benefit
that would accrue to our commerce
and industry. Our lumbermen would not
be compelled to wait for freshets to float the
product of their mills to market, nor would
our steamers be obliged to tie up for two
months during the season of navigation. By
keeping the Mississippi river navigable dur
ing the summer months, a perceptble in
fuence would be exercised on freight rates to
the East, the competition thus ensured COM
polling the railroads to carry our products to
market for something like a reasonable com.
pensation. In this item alone hundreds of
| thousands of dollars could be saved to our
people annually, which would be increased
as river traffic grew. With a guarantee of
good water capitalists would be stimulated to
invest largely in manufactures, and the re-
sources of the vast territory tributary to the
Mississippi river would be greatly developed.
The matter is of the utmost Importance to
the Northwest, and we trust that Congress
will take early and favorable action upon it.