Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-17
THE ACTUAL ROUTE.
The Hennepin Canal According to
the New Route.
The Official Estimates as TO the cost
1.-THE Measures Success Praeti-
eaiIy Assured---.Capt. HarshaiPs
Figures

Several months ago Congressman Muir
ply presented al q tri-city Hennepin
canal meeting at the Citizens Improve
ment associ ition rooms in this city, Capt.
Msrshall's idea as to the probable route
of The canal, together with an estimate of
the cost ofconsiruction. Both have been
modified somewhat as shown by the off,
cial report Of Capt. Marshall which has
just been given to the press. and it pro-
vides:
The line approved by the secretary Of
war runs from the Illinois river about one
snd three-9uArter miles above the town
OF HennepIn 1T the great bead OF the II.
linois river, thence via Bureau creek vsl-
ley, Peuny's slough and Rock river 10 the
Mississippi river st the mouth of Rock
river, with a feeder 10 Rock river rear
Dixon, Illinois. From the Illinois river
to the feeder junction the route is neces.
ssrily nearly Identical with the main line
for the HeDnepin canal as surveyed and
located 10 1882. the principal devistions
beiug-fiFst The change in the crossing of
the main line Of the Chicago, Rock leland
& Pacific railroad from the third 10 the
seventh mile; second, the Strengthening Of
the hue at the end Of the thirteenth Laile
across lsrge bend in Bureau creek.
around which the route was originally
located. This has been made practicable
By a change in the bed of Bureau creek.
made By the railroad company. through
an artificial cut on the south and west
sides OF their track. whereby the bend has
been disconnected from the creek proper.
The caasl can now cross the old river bed
without an scqueduct. Various changes
10 the bed of the creek call for minor
notifications of the line
The railroad hss doubled its tracks.
which increases the difficulty If location
OF the line, especially in the Pond Creek
valley. The canal reaches the summit
level at the twentieth mile sitter an ascent
o. POS feet through "a locks, with lifts
varying from three to ten feet esch. Tue
original number Of locks proposed for
the eastern slope was %, but il has been
considered advantageous to tske into the
canal the water Of the msrshv area at
the summit. which has necessitated an
additional lock. The summit level ex>
tends from the twentieth to the twenty.
nth mile, where the Dixon feeder Joins 1t,
and continues to the thirty fifth mile OF
the line Of the original Msrais d'Ocia sur
veyed route. except change in lock No.
p from seven to nine feet lift. masking
The grade westa ard from the lock two
feet lower. From the thirty-fifth mile TO
Milan, near the mouth of Rock
river, the route is the same "a
the Rock Island route via Pennsyl-
vanis slough and Rock river. sur,
veyed in 1885. but several notifications
have been made in the distribution sud
mt OF lock. On the forty>eighth mile
the fight OF the three locks proposed in
1885 is modified 10 three separate de-
tsched locks with basins between them.
and the locks in Rock river are dlfferent>
ly located with lifts varying from the or
iginai proposed locks The terminus of
the line is made at the mouth Of Rock
river instead of at the Mississip-
pi river, one and one half miles below
Rock Island city, as proposed originally.
this terminus sfordiug a much more ca
pacious harbOr and entrance to the Mis-
sIssippi end of the canal. The total
lockage on the descent from the summit
Ievees 10 the mouth OF Rock river is 1O2
feet, made by 13 locks, varying in lifts
from three to ten feet. The length Of the
western slope from the feeder junction To
the Mississippi river is SO miles
The main line is ~ miles in length, Of
which so miles is canal and % miles Of
slack water navigation on Rock river By
locks and dams. Thirty-seven locks are
required Of an average depth OF seven
feet, FIVE acqueducts respectively $50, 800.
2lO. $50 and 420 feet in length and 40
feet in width of trunk, and Al culverts
The constructions required upon the
feeder are guard lock at the entrance OF
Rock river. dam across Rock river. a set
Of slsice gates, an scgueduct over Green
river $50 feet long and 20 feet wide, and
80 highway bridges.
The report compares the estimates OF
1885 with those made this year Is fol-
lows: For the main line, 2.7l5 Oj7, or
less than those Of 1885 BIZ $2OO.519, and
for the feeder line, 81, 759. 244, or greater
by S95, l27 than the estimates of 1885.
The total cost is estimated to be 81. 524.-
O52. 1t is upon this report that the COM
mittee on rivers and harbers has recon
mended $500 900 with which to begin the
construction.
Congressman Hendersons success in
getting his half million appropriation In
the river and barbor bill insures the ulti-
mate success OF the measure. 1t can
only be defeated through the instruments
taIity Of President Harrison and be can
not exercise unfriendliness 10 it very well.