The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-21
WIZ HENNEpis CANAL.
Al Attatik Upon the Measure Brings
Friends to Its 2eseue---The Rock
Island Route Preferred.


northwestern co hmerce. The letter
has aroused thd indignation of the
c. nails friends in Chicago. and they are
up in arms over Il. GOV. Bross. presi'
dent of the Chicigo Tribune company
and one of the canafs ablest advocates
has expressed hib 9binion on the matter
and is evidently heartily in favor of the
Rock Island rSute The following is
taken from yestt Rays Inter Ocean, which
is the result of kn interview with Gov
Bross:
Governor Bro rs, who is a member Of
the executive Committee of the Michigan
and Mississippi Canal Commission, sale
that he had read the article, and SAID thai
its propositions as to the capacity and
size of the IIennepin canal We're altogether
wrong The fact was, MIR. Haley had
another pc, project. which was the i'm
provement of the Mississippi and lllinoi:
rivers SO that boats loaded on the upper
Mississippi could make the run from Rock
Island to Hennepin canal by way of the
Mississippi and Illinois rivers. In order
to do so, improvements would have 10 be
made in both rivers, and then the distance
would be over 800 miles. while the Hen
nepin canal route was only sixty five
miles long.
There is also new survey OF the cana
| in progress, he understood, which would
| nhak lr, raI,,na ha n canal fT
Rock Island and feeder to less than 49,
| 000, 900, and not s., 900, 900. as claimed b!
Mr.. Haley.
The Hennepin canal also opened up q
water route for the products OF the north
western states which would not be help
ed in any way By the improvement pro-
posed BY Mr.. Haley.
| As to the suggested doubt as to thu
supply of water to feed the Hennepln
canal, Governor Bross said there was no
danger OF that, as an ample supply TO-
the operation of the Hennepin canal
upon the assumption that the maximum
number of boats that would pass The
summit level in one day would be abou
ninety In number, could be obtained from
the Rock River when it was at its known
very lowest stage of water, which had no
occurred since 1870. This water coull
also be taken without injury 10 the wa
ter-power interest on Rock River. tn,
abstraction of water from Rock Rive
could also be lessened by utilizing othe
sources of supply along the main line o
the canal Portions Of the great swami
| t,1tr N
rivers could be transformed iRto larg
storage lakes at a small cost, and woul
be sufficient to supply the entire reacl
between those rivers; and additional Wa
ter could also be secured by dam acros
Green river at New Bedford
The new surveys of the available route
Of the Hennepin canal, referred to b
Governor Bross, are completed, as Wa
learned yesterday at the military engi
neer's office, of which Major Hamburg
at present in charge. The new survey
have located two new lines thought to b
practicable, both starting from the sum
nit level, at the end of what is known q
Eastern Division of Hennepin cana
which runs westward from the 1linoi
river. in the vicinity Of Hennepin, twenty
five miles 10 point four miles north G
Sheffield, where the canal receives th
feeder from Dixon.
ONE OF TEE NEW LINES
thus surveyed runs from the western en-
of the summit line. and passing throug
ST Peters Marsh is almost on Girec
lice the entire distance to Watertown, o
] the Mississippi. this survey crossing Roc
/ River al Psnny's Slough. The othe
! newly surveyed route, tie termination {
which is at Rock Island. leaves the liz
Of the first newly surveyed route at Per
ny's Slough, and instead OF crossing, fol
D lows down the Rock river 10 within 81
r or seven miles OF its mouth, thence aero,
due west 90 the Mississippi river, strikin
it at point about one eod one-Aalf mile
below Rock Island. The last ten mile
a of this route are essentially On tue san
I ground previously surveyed By Msjo
!. Benyaurd 10 1882 Last fall M8iC
Bcrysurd, OF the corps Of engineers |
y the United States army, received author
e ity from military engineer head9uarter
4 al Washington 10 proceed to NIKE SUI
= vcys OF these TWO routes, aud also a
: estimate of the construction of can,
Il upon them. The field notes Of Ties
9 surve7e sre all completed, and the wor
3 of putting the same into maps and othe
b.. wise has been from the same complete
/; of the field notes, and is now, being pusl
ed forward as rapidly as possible. so thu
1 an estimate of the cost of constructio
e OF the canal as surveyed may be ascer
tanned. The information of such cost O
construction, with the usual 10 per cen
= added for contingencies, has not yet bee
) figured out. A prominent official int
] mated that the courtesies of the offiC
!. and regulations of the service require
that such information should be withheld
> from the general public until it was dul
laid before Congress through the usu
# channels; yet it was also stated that whe
r authority was received from the chief d.
q partment to
MAKE THE NEW SURVEYS,
the work was done for the reason that
l. was thought that the two routes wou
}, afford greater facilities for the construt
tion and maintenance Of canal than Il
other lines to watertown and Rock /!
70 land. given In the report IN the Hennepi
= canal, dated in 1888. The reasons, 1
d shown by the map of the new routes, al
b that the Watertown route, as now su
veyed, while 1t is better supplied vii
water than in the Oldest survey, is ais
0 much shorter in length, being almost {
. | a straight line for its entire length, viii