The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-09
SPEED THE DAY.
N\
The President Recommends the Con.
struetiOn of the Hennepin
Canal.
And Calls the Attention of Congress to
the Matter..-Mississippi River
Improvement.
THE CANAL ROUTE.

| THE CANAL ROUTE
WASHINGTON, Jan. S.-The president
has sent to congress special message in
respect to the construction of the Henne-
pin canal. Accompanying the message
are copies of the act of the general assem-
bly, of Illinois ceding TO the United States
the Illinois and Michigan canal. The
record Of the state officers vote upon the
proposition to cede the canal at the state
election succeeding the act of cession and
a letter from the chief engineers submit
ting to the secretary OF war their report
on the proposed surveys of the Hennepln
canal. In his message the president says;
| Il submit a communication from the gov
ernor of the state of Illinois, with a copy
of the act of the general assembly of the
state rendering the United States the ces.
sion of the Illinois and Michigan canal
upon condition that it be enlarged and
maintained as national waterway for
commercial purposes. The proposed
cession is an element of the subject con
gress had under consideration in directing
by the act of Aug. >, 1882, survey for
| a canal from point on the Illinois river
| at or near the town of Hennepin by the
most practicable route to the Mississippi
river at or above the city of Rock Island,
| the canal to be not less than seventy feet
wide at the water line and not less than
seven feet depth of water with a capacity
| for vessels of at least $50 tons, and also a
survey of the Illinois and Michigan canal
and an estimate of the cost of charging
1t to the dimensions of the proposed ca
nal between llcnnepin and the Mississippi
| river. The surveys in the above act
have been completed and reported to
| the secretary of war, and a copy is
herewith submitted. 1t appears from
| these papers that the estimated yield of
corn, wheat and oats for 1882. in the
states of Illinois. Iowa, Wisconsin, Min
nesota, Kansas and Nebraska was more
| than one thousand million bushels 1t is
claimed that If the cheap water transpor-
tation route which is now continuous
from the Atlantic ocean to Chicago, is
extended to the upper Mississippi by such
a canal great benefits in the reduction of
freight charges will result TO the people of
the upper Mississippi valley, whose pro-
ductions have only partly noted, not
only on their own shipments but upon
articles of commerce used by them which
are now taken from the eastern states by
| water ways only so far as Chicago This
| is matter Of great interest, especially to
the citizens of that part of the country.
| commend tie general sGbject TO your
consideration.
! In the letter OF the chief engineer to the
| secretary Of war, dated Nov. %, 1883. he
says: The surveys demonstrated the per-
| feet feasibility of the route for the Hen
nepin canal. Three lines were SURVEYED
known respectively as the Meridosia, the
Watertown and the Rock Island routes
He submits the following estimates of the
costs of each routes. Mcridosia route:
| Construction of canal and feeder. includ-
| ing right Of way, 1854 ,3S6: maintenance
and ordinary repairs. annually, SIS, 600
| WATERFOWL route: Construction Of canal
and feeder including right of way. 81
90F ,64G; maintenance and ordinary re
pairs annually. 1911 .345, Rock Island
route: Construction of canal and feeder
including right of way, $6,672, s93; main
teaance and ordinary repairs. annually.
S93, $50
These estimates are based upon the
! following dimensions A canal eighty
| feet wide at iha surface and seven feet
! deep with locks 20 feet long and thirty
feet wide. The cost Of charging the
Illinois and Michigan canal so as to COZ
! form to these dimensions is estimated at
So. los, 619 The cost of annually nam
tanning and keeping it in repair, $50. 900.
| He thinks that no changes in the present
line Of this canal of the number and
location of locks will be necessary.
APPROPRIATION RECOMMENDED
The president today transmitted 10
congress the following message:
Il transmit herewith communication
from the secretary Of war, submitting the
annual report of the Mississippi river
commission | take this occasion to in
yite the early attention of congress TO a
continuation Of the work on the Missis-
sippi river which has been carried on
under the plans of the commission. Ny
sense of the Importance of the improve
ment of this river, not only to the people
of the northwest, but especially to the
inhabits of tue lower Mississippi river
valley. has already been expressed in a
special communication TO the last con-
gress. The harvests of grain and cotton
produced in the region bordering on the
Mississippi are SO vast as to be of national
importance and their cheap transportation
should be sufficiently provided for The
work that has been done is remarkable
and has given the highest encourag .ment
for expecting the ultimate success of the
improvement. The act of August ?, 1882,
appropriated 81, 1890 for work on that
part of the river below Cairo The esti-
mates of the commission. already trans
mittcd to congress, call for So, 900, 0W tor
the continuation of work below Cairo.
and it appears from the report that all of
the last appropriation available for active
operations is exhausted and there is
urgent need for an immediate appropria-
ton Of S100iL000 to continue the work
without loss of time. In view of the
approach of the food season, and attend
ent dangers, / therefore recommend to
congress the early passage of separate
bill or this subject.