Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-11
IT SHOULD BE BUILT.
That is What Engineer Marshall
Says of Hennepin.
Hrs Report on the Proposed Canal,
setting Forth it's Advantages and
Favorinx It's Construction.

United States Engineer Marshall has
just issued a report on the proposed Hen>
nepin canal, showing the design of the
waterway and its advantages. The en-.
gineer says:
The Illinois and Mississippi canal is
designed as a cutoff or short route
from the upper Mississippi river to Lake
Michigan. in connection with present ex-
listing water lines or improved routes of
greater capacity that have been contem-
plated for years.
The existing water route is: ID via H.,
linois and Michigan canal, 81 miles, to
La Sale; (2) Illinois river from La Sale
to its mouth at the Mississippi river. 235
miles; (3) mouth of Illinois river to Rock
river, 2S7 miles.
The present water line from Chicago to
the mouth of Rock river is GOT miles.
while by way of the proposed Illinois and
Mississippi canal (Hennepin) it will be
only 1873 miles, a saving in distance from
Lake Michigan by water TO all points on
the Mississippi river above the mouth of
Rock river of 419 miles over existing
water routes. The route via the pros
posed canal will be shorter than via the
Illinois river to ali points on the Missis>
sippi river above point seventy eight
miles by water above the mouth of the
Illinois and 200 miles below the mouth of
Rock river.
Above the mouth of Rock river to St.
Paul are 401 miles of river navigation, so
that the proposed canal as a cut. off will
ha at ar oh Htob
by water to all points along the upper
Mississippi river for 610 miles of its
course. The Illinois river for fourteen
miles below La Sale forms one link in
the proposed water line, but the rest OF
the distance. ninety-seve miles, from
La Sale to Chicago. the route is con-
tinued by the Illinois and Michigan canal,
work of much less capacity than the
proposed canal. Boats of the full ca.
pacity of the proposed locks for the H.
linois and Mississippi canal must stop a,
La Sale and transfer cargo to the less
cspacious Illinois and Michigan canal.
To secure. therefore. the full benefits 10
be derived from the construction of the
proposed line, either the Illinois and
Michigan canal should be enlarged tC
similar capacity, or still better. the gov.
eminent extend the capacious channe
now nearing completion on the lower H.
linois river to Lake Michigan via the
upper Illinois and Des PLANES rivers, anG
the canal across the Chicago divide.
Without such work the proposed Il
liuois and Mississippi canal will be simply
local highway of Importance to the i'm.
mediate neighborhood of its channel, anC
regulator of local freights. but regarded
as national highway of but compare
lively small significance.
While the construction of this canal
even on the present basis, must affeci
freight charges on all lines of transporia.
ton in competition with it by reducing
them to nearly the cost OF water trans.
portation, it cannot be of such value &c
commerce as would be possible were the
line throughout of greater and more
satisfactory capacity. The tonnage car.
ried by the Illinois and Michigan canal al
present is about one million tons per an,
mum. and although this is large ton.
mage 1t does not probably exceed one.
third or One-fourth the capacity even OF
this small canal. but if anywhere near
half the capacity of the proposed Henne-
pin canal were added to its business this
smaller canal would be overtaxed, but, in
addition to the business that will
or may be furnished to 1t from the Iro-
posed work, that offered by the improved
lower Illinois must also be cared for by
this inferior highway, which evidently
will still further reduce the value of both
the proposed canal and the lower Illinois
river improvement. the value of both
works being gagged by the inferior con-
nectiOn.
The commercial advantages of this
route have been fully discussed in former
reports, notably by Major w. H. Fl. Benz
ynard, in the annual report of the chief
OF engineers for 1888; by Major Han
bury, in the report of the same officer in
1885, and by the board of engineers,
specially constituted to consider its re'a-
tons to commerce. in 1886, in its report
already referred to. 1t is unnecessary,
therefore. to go IN detail'into that cues.
ton again, but few observations may,
perhaps, be proper here, although the
law limits this investigation to plans and
estimates, and not to questions of merit
or expediency.
1t is fact too we'll known to REQUIRE
generally when they come into cOmpeti-
ton with transportation by land are the
most efficient and certain regulators of
freight charges known. When free and
OF sufficient capacity they absolutely re-
strict freight charges to something near
the actual cost of water transportation.
The Erie canal-of much smaller dimen-
sions and capacity than the proposed
canal-now absolutely restricts freight
charges on grain and other products from
Chicago and Duluth to the seabOard dur
ing the season of navigation to less than
what is generally charged by the railroads
from west of the Mississippi river to Chi
cago, less than one-third the distance.
The freight charges from points on the
Illinois river and Illinois and Michigan
canal to Chicago. as shown by the board
OF engineers in 1886, are similarly con .
trOlled by this latter water line.
The same results precisely must follow
the construction of a short water route
from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi
whether pound of freight is carried by
the canal or not. The railroads must
fix their rates for freight at or below the
profitable cost of the cheaper water trans
portatiOn, OF it will be carried by water.
1t is evident then that this canal should
be built, and it will as public necessity
some day be built. Whether it be con-
structed, however, by the general gov
eminent, by state. or by corporations
or individuals is very important and
material question. If by state or any
other agency than the general government
1t will not probably be free from tolls, and
cannot therefore possibly subserve its
purposes long. 1t strong rivals by de-
pressing freights below paying basis
even for water carriage would soon make
the line burden to its owners, and as a
commercial or money making enterprise
il Wnuld snon fall a Dr.v IN apd no die