Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-24
THIS SHOULD SETTLE IT.
The Established Route of the Hem
nepin Canal Approved.
The special Army Board 10 Lecat
the Line sustains the Adopted
survey-rO Whom Belongs
The Blame-L, Make
the Best oft

The established route of the Hennepin
canal to the mouth OF Rock river has been
approved.
A Washington dispatch to- today's
Chicago Tribune states:
The southern route for the Heppenin
canal prevails. There was received st
the war department today the report of
the commission of engineers appointed to
consider the location OF the western ter
minus OF the Illinois and Mississi, nj
canal. This commission is composed of
Col. o. NJ. Poe, Maj. A. Mackenzie, and
W. L. Marshall. After going over the
ground very thoroughly they conclude
their report as follows:
with the information before it the
board can only reach the conclusion that
the western terminus can be as favorably
located upon the south side of the prin-
cipal mouth of Rock river as anywhere
else in the vicinity; that in such position
it will be as easily accessible by Missis.
slppi river boats; that the actual terminus
will not be as accessible to trains sp,
preaching from the north side of Rock
river below the head of the lower
rapids. but with sufficient basins the
southern route can be as easily ap.
preached from considerable areas on the
north side of Rock river as if the terminus
were on the same side; and from Moline
the distance to the pool in Rock river
above the head of he lower rapids will
not be much, If any, greater than a canal
terminus with q northern route, OF to any
other point OF the northern route below
said pool; that canal along the south
ern route would be easier of access 10
trains approaching from the south side of
Rock river than if the canal were located
along the northern route; that the only
railroad now actually reaching Rock river
below the head of the lower rapids crosses
the line OF each route and may therefore
be supposed to have equal facility of &C
cess to either; thst railroads of the future
cannot pass Rock river below the head of
the lower rapids without any canal line
that msy be located ong this reach of
the river; that any railroad crossing the
Mi sissippi river would have more ready
access 10 canal established along the
northern route, but such road could
reach the canal south of Rock river either
by the tracks of the present railroad or
bridge and an sd iitional length of track
not exceeding two miles
The citizens of Rock Island have dc.
voted much time and money in advocst-
ing the construction of the canal. and
they naturally seek some return for
both. In this the board is in entire SYM
paIhy with them. and if any sufficient
reason could be found for r commenting
the location of the western terminus of
the canal north of the pricipal mouth OF
Rock river it would be glad to so recon-
mend. But all the Information available,
both engineering and commercial, except
the loo Al interests OF the city of Rock
Island. indicate the pr0priety of sdhering
10 the location approved BY the secretary
OF war March 25, 1891. and i, is recon-
mended that the course be taken on this
report being sent to the chief of engineers
be recommended concurrence in the sug-
gestions of the board
Acting Secretary Grant thereupon made
the following Endorsement:
WAR DEPARTMENT. Sept. %. 1891
The recomu endatiDn of the board as
concurred in by the chief of engineers is
sppryved. 1t is hoped that nothing will
further delay the work. If the United
States attorney nee DIS to be reminded of
the necessity ofcompleting titles to lands
please have il done.
When seen on the subject this morning
Maj. MRckeI zie sad
"Al reports of srmy boards are unan-
imous. That Is their object-to come to
decision in which all concur.
Otherwise it would be OF little weight
We are like unto Jury in that respect.
We must sgree to man. or course, in
reaching an unanimous conclusion, mu-
tual concessions have to be made. Such
was the case in formulating our report
upon the location of the Hennepin canal
route. And the work was as thorough and
as exhaustive as it could be. 1t was, in
truth, the longest board 1 ever sat on.
"The duty of those having the canal sur
veys in charge was to find the most prac-
.icable route from the deep water of the
Illinois river to the deep water Of the Mis-
sissippi. 1t became our duty TO find the
most feasible cutie. at the mouth Of Rock
river. We went over both routes along
the shores of Rock river carefully, find
ing the south route the most practicable
in reaching the deep water of the Missis-
sippi, there was but one thing left TO
consider: If Rock Island did not exist
where ought the canal to 60. We do
not believe the references that have
been made as to how greatly Rock
Island is to be affected by
eth route are warranted by facts. We
are inclined to believe there is good deal
of an imaginary nature as to the wide
range of difference between the two
routes. However. be that as it may. and
that the north