The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-04-08

The Proposed Illinois Ship Canal.
Mr.. Daniel Q. JENNIE, Chief Engineer
of the Illinois and Michigan canal, fur
nlshes 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 4S
feet wide on the bottom, with side slopes
to in earth, making 60 feet surface
width at 9 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
1t il 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 Mt
feet deep, or below low water of Lake
Michigan, with a descent of two-tenths
foot per mile. This will pass 112,321
cubic feet Of water per minute, and give
current of Loo miles per hour. The
average stage of water in Lake Michigan
tor the last eight years has been about
ter 10 feet deep, and would pass 1873, 533
cubic feet per minute, with q current Of
l. - miles per hour.
The canal enters the Desplaines river
about one mile and half north of the
main street ut Joliet, or nearly opposite
the State penitentiary, and will be about
33 miles long. The work of enlarge
mcnt consists of about ID, 900, 900 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, 900, 600 cubic yards
of solid magnetism limestone to be exca-
waited. Three lift-locks will be required
ut the southern end, one grand lock Mt
Bridgeport, or north end, six public
road and street drawbridges, aud one
double railroad drawbridge, and large
water weir at Lockport The locks are
to be $50 feet long between the gates
and rs feet wide, to correspond with
those now built on the Illinois river.
The second division extends from one
and half miles above Joliet to La Sale,
about sixty. seven miles, and will consist of
the improvement of the Desplaines and
Illinois rivers by locks and dams, and an
independent short piece of canal around
the rapids of Marseilles. 1t will require
the construction Of eleven locks, nine
dams, the raising of two dams, nine
drawbridges, the independent piece of
canal above referred to, and other Incl
dental work.
The third division consists in the i'm
provement of the Illinois river from La
Sale to Grafton, on the Mississippi
river, distance 227 miles. OF this.
ninety miles have been finished by the
construction of two locks and dams.
The estimated cost of the first division,
thirty-thr miles, is................$l1 $50 932
Estimated cost OF the second division,
sixty seven miles, is................ 1872, 1919
Estimated cost OF the third division, 227
miles, Id. LOO, 001
Totsl cost to complete 327 miles. :. Sit, $50 81
There has been expended by the State
locks and dams 49,. ................ 747,7l7
There has Deep expended by the United
Stat, on locks and dams. .............. G., $50
There has been expended by the United
States dredging, wing dams, etc.. 5000
Amount already expended. ..........$ 1886, l07
Total estimated cost of the entire
work. ............ .............. .SlS, l96, g1S
The dimensions of the proposed canal
are sufficient to admit boats of $500 to
$500 tons burden, being 80, 600 to IS, 600
bushels Of grain, or one and q half to
one and eight-tenths million feet of pine
lumber or fleets of smaller boats can
rass the locks at the same time with
the same tonnage, or twelve of the boats
of the Erie canal, or the Illinois and
Michigan canal, can PASS the locks ut
nna l,.lYona