Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-15
LAKE TO GULF BY WATER.
A GREAT WATERWAY THROUGH THE
STATE OF ILLINOIS.

What the Measures Now In Congress Pro-
| Different neutrality-suspicious. Tarsney
Very IIi-A Trip TO I1orida-some More
Land for settIors-HIartIn Of Texas.
WAsHIHGToN CITY, Feb. Is One of the
most important informal improvement pro-
jscts which is advocated by repre-
| of a number of western states comes up for
| consideration in house and senate commit
| tees soon This Is what is known as the Hi
nois river Improvement scheme 1t is an
| outgroHth Of the Hennepin canal movement
| but IL more comprehensive plan than the
| Hsnnepin canal. The friends Of the Henne-
| pin are very apprehensive that it may be the
| intention TO eliminate Hennepin from the
| proposed Improvement. and for that reason
| there is evidently some antagon-
ism TO this new project The PLAN
| which il to be supported by a very
powerful delegation from several of the west
ern states is that which is known the ILL.,
nolS river Improvement as recommended by
the Peoria convention. Ithns supporters not
only in the western states but in most states
in the union, and is urged AS national meas
ure The purpose of it is to continue the
present line of inland navigation from the
headwaters OF navigation on tue Illinois river
to Lake Michigan There are practically
three parties not in harmony as to details,
but agreeing AS to the general subjsct-the
Hennepin canal people, those favoring the
Illinois river scheme who want the lake
outlet to he the Chicago river aud those who
prefer the Calumet river The two latter dis
tinctly disclaim any opposition to the Hem
nepin scheme.
The Illinois river men propose to construct
an eff al n I.tL
to the Mississippi river, making us, of tho
navigabe Illinois river and OF tho canal rs
far as Joliet, in the state of Illinois There
would remain to be constructed only the link
between Joliet and Lake Michigan Each
plan has delegation here pushing its in
terest with congress. One of the delegations
in the interest of the Illinois river improve
msnt ask that the lake outlet of the proposed
ship canal shall be at Calumet Those who
favor this line of course, don't intend to
have the canal go to Chicago proper On
the other hand the ctiz ans' committee of
Chicago has a large delegation here, consist
ing among others, of the following persons
Hon II. f.. Hurd, d. L. Shorey, Edwin Lee
Brown q. w. Guthrie, J. Gambler and Mr.
King The cLizsns' committee desire to havo
the lake outlet of the canal at the mouth of
the Chicago river, and they bring very
strong argument Is in support of this PROPOSE
tion. The Chicago river, they show, is now
great artery of commerce, anu is, in fact,
already u link and the northern terminus Of
the canal to Joliet
The purpose is to deepen and widen the
river so that it would be suitable for inland
ships Of war, and conserve commercial pur-
poses as well; and it is claimed that the con-
nection with the Illinois river Improvement
could be made easier and at vastly less expense
through the Chicago river than by way OF
Calumet or along any other route proposed. |
To the suggestion that has been made that
Chicago has a large interest in having the |
canal located on this route in order that it |
might provide an outlet for the sewage of the
city, the citizens committee come here with |
the answer and the proposition that if tho
canal should incidentally serve as an aid In
the sewage system of Chicago the city is pre-
pared to contribute very large sum to aid |
the government in the prosecution of this
work Members of the citizens committee
bad made propositions of this sort to con-
gfessmen, and are celebrating now as to the
expediency of having such IA proposition
made directly to congress in the form of a
bill.