Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-22
The Proposed Illinois Ship Canal.

Mr.. Daniel g. JENNIE, Chief Engineer
Of the Illinois and Michigan canal, fur
nishes the following account Of the pro-
posed through water route from the great
lakes, at Chicago, to. the Mississippi
river:
The first division of the project con-
sists in the enlargement Of the Illinois
and Michigan canal from Chicago to
Joliet. The present canal was built AZ
feet wide on the bottom, with side slopes
/ to in earth, making 60 feet surface
width at 6 feet deep, or below the low
water of Lake Michigan, with descent
on the bottom of one tenth foot per mile
across the Summit level, toward Joliet.
It is proposed to make the enlarged
canal LA feet wide on the bottom, side
slopes to protected by slope wall in
earth, and 160 feet wide at surface at 8
feet deep. or below low water Of Lake
Michigan, with descent Of two-tenths
foot per mile. This will pass liz, 321
cubic feet of water per minute, and give
a current Of LOG miles per hour. The
average stage of water in Lake Michigan
for the last eight years has been about
2 feet higher, which would make the wa
ter 10 feet deep, and would pass 158, 533
cubic feet per minute, with current of
1.19 miles per hour.
The canal enters the Desplaines river
about one mile and half north Of the
main street at Joliet, or nearly opposite
the State penitentiary, and will be about
80 miles long. The work of enlarge
ment consists Of about Is, 000, 600 cubic
yards of excavation, including the re-
moval of spoil banks made from the ex-
cavation Of the present canal, OF which
there will be about 4, 600, 600 cubic yards
of solid magnetism limestone to be exca-
waited. Three lift-locks will be required
at the southern end, one grand lock at
Bridgeport, OF north end, six public
road and street drawbridges, and one
double railroad drawbridge, and large
water weir at Lockport. The locks are
to be $50 feet long between the gates
and Is feet wide, to correspond with
those now built on the Illinois river.
The second division extends from one
and half miles above Joliet to La Sale,
about sixty-seyen miles, and viii consist of
the improvement Of the Desplaines and
Illinois rivers by locks and dams, and an
independent short piece Of canal around
the rapids of Marseilles. It will require
the construction of eleven locks, nine
dams, the raising of two dams, nine
drawbridges, the independent piece of
canal above referred to, and other Incl
dental work.
The third division consists in the i'm
provement Of the Illinois river from La
Sale to Grafton, on the Mississippi
river, distance 227 miles. OF this,
ninety miles have been finished by the
construction Of two locks and dams. #
The estimated cost Of the first division, M
thirty-three miles, is. .$11 ,532 93a
Estimated cost Of the second division,
sixty-seven miles, is.......,......... 1927 ,879
Estimated cost Of the third division, 227
miles, ...................... 100000
Total cost to complete s27 miles. :. s1s, $3.50 ,sl1
There has been expended by the State on
locks and dams. ....:..:..::......... 747747
There has been expended by the United
States on locks and dams. $1,000. s2sso
There has been expended by the United
States on dredging, wing dams, etc.,. SIG, 900
Amount already expended. ..........$ 1886, 1O7