The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-12-17

will be valuable and useful to navigation; that
it will give waterway from Chicago to ST. Paul,
over which freight of low cost per pound and not
demanding the most rapid transit can be trans
ported at rates much below existing rates by
rail, and that the influence of this waterway in
reducing rates of freight will probably extend
west of the Mississippi and that the benefits to
the people affected by it will exceed the cost of
its construction. The estimate for canal 80 feet
wide and seven feet deep, with locks 100 by 30
feet, are: /. Marais d'Osier-length GA miles,
cost 1881, 1858; 2. WATERFOWL route via Green
river-length csc miles, cost S7,207, SAG; Water
town, via Penny's Slough-length $40 miles,
cost S6 3O6, 552: 4. Rock Island, via Green river
Length 74.5 miles, cost S6,709,S36; 5. Rock Isl
and, via Penny's Slough-length n miles. cost
$685. ,052.
There is no question as to the proper loca-
ton of the eastern end of the canal it is fixed by
the great bend in the Illinois river and the Val
ley of Bureau creek, where it enters the river
at Hennepin. The canal should be so located as
to give on the whole the cheapest transporta-
ton to the aggregate freight that is to pass
through it. Its through freight eastward will
probably be derived from the portion
of the Mississippi between St. Paul and
Keokuk, sos miles apart. Keokuk is 1A miles
below Rock Island and 149 miles below the
mouth of the Illinois. From the greater ease
of moving freight down stream rather than up,
the easier navigation in the Illinois river than
in canal Keolxux may be taken as the South
ern point ON the Mississippi from which
freight might go to Chicago through
the Hennepin canal; below this point
the Illinois river would be used. Even If as
much freight would pass through the Hen
nepin Canal from the lower half of this stretch
of 500 miles from Keokuk to St. Paul as from
the upper, the western terminus of the canal
should be as near the middle of the stretch as
practicable, which would carry the terminus
far above Rock Island. In fact if the canal
accomplishes what is hoped for it, the largest
part Of its business will come from above Rock
Island. This larger business should have the
shortest route to Chicago. 1t would be unjust
to lengthen its route TO accommodate a
small part of its business. The terminal points
which have the strongest claim are Rock Island
for the Rock Island route, and point two miles
below Albany for the Marais d'Osier route. Al
bany is thirty miles above Rock Island, and the
route from points above this to Chicago is forty
miles shorter by the Marais d'Osier route than
by the Rock Island but with the Rock Island
terminus all business from up the river would
have in this additional forty miles to descend
the Rock !Island rapids and then lock up
twenty-siX feet to get back to the level of the
Marais d'Osier route. For freight bound west
the objection to the Rock Island route would be
that il would give to ali freight from points above
AlDdUy the lnCFedS6-lu IOCkdR6 anu Instance
above mentioned, and thirty miles of the in
creased distance would be up stream and over
the Rock Island rapids. If the canal
is to do large business the bulk Of its
freight should not be supplied through
this detour past Rock Island. The
board assumes that the canal will do a business
large enough to develop all the terminal facili-
ties it may need for transacting it's business. If
its business were local and small, as would be
the case if the Rock Island, Moline, and Daven-
port freight formed considerable proportion
of its whole freight there would be decided
advantage in having its terminus at Rock
Island, which could easily supply terminal ia
cilities and give it local trade. But in that case
it would lose its strongest claim for being
built by the United States. The Watertown
route has its terminus intermediate between
the other two. Situated on the rapids its ap-
brooches are bad, and this route from St. Paul
is twenty-one miles longer than by the Marais
d'Osier. In view of all the circumstances of the
case the board prefers the Marais d Osier
route. Objections have been raised to this
route on account Of the overflow at its western
end at times by the Mississippi. These objec-
tions are unimportant in comparison with the
advantages Of this route.