Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-01
WASHINGTON.
Appropriations and ProvisOs
for Waterways.
SENATORIAL CANAL DIGGERS
The Illinois River and Hennepin
PrOjects-Close of the
Fiscal Year.

PrOjects-ClOse of the
Fiscal Year.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.k
WASHINGTON, June 3O.-The Senate
met at IL O'Clock with less than dozen
Senators present and resumed considera-
ton of the River and Harbor bill.
The following amendments (among
others) we're agreed to-: Increasing the
appropriation for the Mississippi, from
the head of the Washington to the mouth
of the Ohio, from 100000 to $780,
900; inserting the item OF $11 ,000,0 900
for the Missouri River from its
mouth to Fort Benson, Mont. thus reduc-
ing the appropriation for the San Joaquin
River, California, from $4,000 to $780,
600; increasing the appropriation for the
canal at the cascades of the Columbia,
from $l75, 900 to $500, 900; increasing the
appropriation for the mouth of the
Columbia from $3.50, 900 to $500, 900; that
for the lower Willamette and Columbia
(below Portland) from $4,000 to $780,
600; for the Willamette river, above
Portland, from $4,000 to $4,000; for
the Coquill river, Oregon, from $22 900
to $25, 900, and for the Cowlitz river,
Washington Territory, from 81, 800 to 3d.
900; inserting provision for two new
iife-saving stations and authorizing the
construction (under the direction of the
Secretary of War; of practical and suf-
ficient fish ways and the establishment
of harbor lines, wherever essential to the
preservation and protection OF harbors.
The provision is inserted for the appoint
ment OF board of three army engineers
to examine distractions to navigation in
the Columbia river at Dalles, Oregon,
| with view to boat railway.)
The amendment directing the survey
for a ship canal from La Sale, ILL.,, to
Lake Michigan, near Chicago, (160. feet
wide, IA feet deep, was opposed by
Sherman, on the ground that it might
lower the level of the lake, and that its
principal utility would be to provide
sewerage for Chicago. No canal, he
he thought, ought to be constructed by
the United States, except to cut off some
Iimperfection or obstruction, as on Lake
Michigan or Lake Superior, or on the
Ohio river at Louisville. He also ex-
pressed opposition to similar provision
as to the Hennepin canal.
Teller advocated both propositions as
being in the interest of trade and COM
merce. The great metropolitan journals,
influenced or owned largely by railroads,
had been in the habit of speaking of the
"Hennepin fraud" The railway COM
panies had been sturdy opponents ol
waterways across the continent. If there
was a meritorious thing in the bill, il
was the proposition to open ship canals
from Lake Michigan down through the
Illinois River, and from Lake Michigan
across the country, which would accom-
modate the people of the Upper Missis.
sippi and the extreme West.
Dolph expressed doubts as to the prac
ticabilitv or wisdom of the Illinois rivel
scheme, but he saw no reason why sur
vey should not be made. the estimated
cost having been S., 5,S11 900. The presen
proposition was not for survey, but fol
location. He had persistently anc
consistently opposed putting canal pro
jects into the river and harbor bill. L
the friends of the Hennepin canal want
ed an appropriation made, they shoulc
bring it before Congress as separate
bill, and have the matter fairly dis
CuSScu3 pu1 PuCOiuS SuCn PIoJoCCo luCe
!; the River and Harbor bills would brine
the whole system of internal improve
ments into scandal and odium.
Sherman spoke of the magnitude of the
proposed ship canal. He said the dis
tance from Chicago to the mouth of the
Illinois river at La Sale was 250 miles
greater than the distance of the proposed
Nicaragua canal, from ocean to ocean
and the estimated cost of the Nicaragua
canal was 500, ,000, 900.
The discussion was further continued
by Senators Teller, Vest, Call and AL
lison.
Senators Teller and Allison advocated
both propositions.
Vest argued against the Hennepin pro
ject, but had less objection to the pro
posed survey of canal from La Sale te
Chicago.
Call favored all internal improvements
Allison stated that, as far back as 1854
ship canal between the Lakes and the
, Mississippi river was regarded by mill
/ tary men and by the people as of the
utmost importance. This was most inn
portant waterway project. 1t would rur
: through densely populated region
teeming with industries and commerce
and was Congress going to appropriate
$22 ,000, 900 for rivers and harbors anG
higgle about a proposition which was in
tended to connect the Great Lake system
with the Mississippi river? He regarded
the two propositions as the two most inn
portant in the bill, and if they were tc
! be "whistled down the wind" and all the
little streams of the country were to be
dug out and enlarged, he would feel very
little interest to "swab the guns" of the
bill. Every civilized nation except the
United States made large expenditures
Of public money for canals and water
ways. France and Great Britain were
honey-combed with canals.
German favored the proposition for 8
survey of a canal from La Sale to Lake
Michigan, but moved to strike out the
words, "and capable Of carrying not less
than 600,0 900 cubic feet of water per min
ute, flowing at the rate Of eight miles pei
hour"
The motion was agreed to, and the
amendment, SO modified, was agreed to-
1t reads: "For the purpose Of securing
a continuous nayipable WATERWAY he.