The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-19

deep enough for all practical purposes
There Is, however, good leal OF dissatis-
faction among Chicago people at this very
moderate provision for depth of water, and
a canal as deep as the new drainage chan
mel fourteen feet. is generally favored
There Is only very languid interest ex-
pressed in the subject, however, for the
reason. probably, that arguments pro and
con concerning the utility OF canal from
lake Michigan to the Mississippi were ex-
hausted many years ago when the Henne-
pin canal bill was before congress. The
| drift OF opinion since that bill came close
/ to being passed has all been towards the
conclusion that canals are Nv out Of date,
and that with the great reductions made in
recent years in the cost of hauling freight
by rail, no sort of canal can now be built
as business proposition with the expecta-
ton that it will be abb etc compete for ton
mage with the railroads.
Col ]. W. Barlow, OF New York, and
Maj. W.. L. Marshal of Chicago, are the
engineer officers in charge OF the survey
from this city to the Mississippi. They
say they will survey two routes, one be-
ginning at the end o fthe Chicago drainage
canal, near Lockport, and another begin
ing at the mouth OF the Calumet river
which runs into the lake about ten miles
south OF Chicago, and making use of the
old Illinois canal. which reaches the Miss
issippi at Hennepin. and was the basis OF
the Hennepin ship-clnal schema. There
| are now at least dozen railway lines con-
Meeting lake Michigan with the Mississippi
river above st. Louis. and bringing grain
into the elevators Of Chicago and NIL
waukee, and there Is. besides. a line OF
barges carrying grain down the Mississippi
river for shipment to Europe from New
Orleans. The district the railroads trav-
erse is as level as billiard table, and the
cost of hauling freight is lower man in any
other part of the country. No particu-
lar man believes that a canal could COM
pete with the railroads in rates unless ~
expenses were paid out OF the national
treasury.
The more northern scheme Of a canal for
lake vessels from the head or fake Super
for to the Mississippi at St Paul and has
really nothing behind II besides local poll
tics. Col. Keifer, who Is now mayor Of
st. Paul, and was for three terms In con-
gress from that district used to make this
project serve as his stock scheme for gain |
ing popularity at home. by showing that be |
was doing something for the district. None |
OF theh commercial bodies In either Du- |
luth. Superior st. Paul or Minneapolis, as |
heretofore, would want the waterway to |
strike west from Duluth by way OF the |
st. Louis river to the Mississippi and come |
down the Mississippi to Minneapolis |
where It would, of course. be stopped by |
the falls Of St. Anthony while ST.. Paul |
would insist that the proper route Is up |
the Brule river, from Superior and across |
country to the st. Croix. following that |
stream down to its junction with the Miss
issippi, twenty miles below st. Paul. What |
the lake vessels were to do when they
reached the Mississippi, rnere Is only two
or three feet Of water, nobody could ex-
plain. Both these routes have just been
surveyed under theh direction of Major
Sears Of the engineer corps, in obedience
to a resolution Of congress adopted at the
instance OF Col. Keifers successor.
Engineer John Krey. who did the field
work on these surveys. reports that can
al from lake Superior to the mouth of the
st. Croix river is entirely feasible: that 1t
would be 30 miles long. and would cost a
little over $4,000 900. and that the usual cost
Of operation would be $4,000. At the close
OF his report he makes the following very
sensible suggestion. in which Major Sears
concurs
That owing to the existence Of four WELL
nd ~ raglr
parallel and naer to the same commercial
terminal. with the prospect Of several more
railroads II be built within a few years
the shortness OF the navigation season In
his latitude due to the long and severe
long route and much longer
lime Of transit for freight-the economic
value OF speed and transportation. and the
,ost OF the canal-the benefits TO be de-
lived from the construction OF the canal
cannot be called an urgent public neces-
iity.
This ought 10 end the whole matter. and
I would II the politicians would let Il |
lone. There never was any demand from
he business public in Minnesota for the
proposed canal for the reason that busi-
less men do not believe Il would be pos
ible to raise boats by locks to a height
4 over 600 feet above lake Superior, na7i-
'ate shallow canal with them. and then I
owe rthen over 100 feet 10 the shallow
waters OF the upper Mississippi and enable I
hem TO compete for freigh; with railways :
unning across level country. The ton j
age Of the proposed canal would consist J
lmost entirely Of coal. but II the Miss So
ppi should be deepened 50 that the boats
ouid get up to ST. Paul. the coal wod
ave to be cartel from the boats to the
actories and heating plants. whereas the 3
abroad by Its sidings and spurs delivers c
at the doors Of the principal consumers. a
Z. V. S.