Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-14
WHERE WILL 1t BE?
The Permanent Terminus of the
Hennepin Canal.
The Canal Commi ion Decides. Rut
Who Knows P some Themie.as
TO the Nature of the
Boards Decision.

mine permanently the location of the
terminus of the Hennepin canal, com
pleted its labors Saturday evening, arriv.
ing at decision which will be in due
time forwarded to the war department at
Washington, from which the first official
information as to its nature must emanate.
That night Gen. Poe left for his home at
Detroit and Capt. Marshall returned to
Chicago. Last evening Msj Mackenzie
departed for tour up the Mississippi to
look after matters pertaining to his de-
psr;ment of the government engineer ser
vice.
While as has been stated in THE ARGUS
repeatedly, the eng ueers have given no
expression as to the nature of their opiu
ions, individually OF collectively, and can
not under the regulations OF the war de-
partment until the proper authorities have
passed uDon their findings, there is good
reason 20 believe there is little hope for
the north route between Turkey
island and Pettlfer's island. This
view on the part of THE ARGUS
is reached after consideration of num-
Der of new developments which have
been made by the engineers inyestiga-
ton and which were before unknown,
and chief of which is a discovery con-
corning the water supply of Rock river.
Under the old original survey the dis
charge was 3 900 cubic inches at the
head of Vandruff's island, whereas it is
now shown TO be only 1900 cubic
inches, or not oneNthird what it was Or
iginslly supposed to be. This would
have very important bearing on the
case and might make the line of the north
shore survey which utilizes the channel
of Rock river below Turkey island i'm
practicable in the matter of maintaining
the proper depth and stage Of water for
the passage of canal boats
Under such circumstances we may ex>
pect an endorsement of the southern
route, or what is better the recommends
ton on the part o. the engineers of an
entirely new survey across the plateau
from Turkey island-as already spoken
OF in The ARGUs-and emptying into the
Mississippi somewhere near the
old distillery. Such decision
would depend, of course, mainly upon the
boards construction of the latitude Of
the phrase "at the mouth of Rock river"
Locally speaking, as well as for the in.
teresis OF the conn unity, the commission
could not adopt n ore favorable course.
The Davenport Tribune. commenting
on the assertion of The ARGUS that Rock
Island had worked for the canal before
Davenport had heard of it, adds:
This will be news TO many people in
this city. The canal project was Matched
In Davenport and the first article ever
published in advocacy Of il was published
In tie old Gazette, then edited by Eli
ward Russell. 1t is true that Rock Island
people have worked hard for the canal and
The ARGUS has always teen one Of the
tlrmest friends OF the enterprise and is
Today in favor of tie route as selected by
fish Dea who are trying TO fill their pock
cts 81 the governments expense. If The
ARGUS will investie ate a little it will learn
that The late George H. French. of this
city. was one of the origlnators of the
canal,
i; is true enough that individuals in
Davenport whom the Tribune mentions
have been Identified with the canal pro-
ject from the first, and it might have
added the name of Hon. j. Il. Murphy to
the list. But in Rock Island there has
been no individual Rock Island worked
s3.id!y for the canal before it was heard
OF in Davenport beyond few individ-
uals. Rock Island has stood as unit for
i; from the first. and the entire city has
worked for it. Ia Davenport, few
prominent citizens have done the
bulk of the work.