Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-12
FAVORSASHIP CANAL
Illinois Men Believe in It's Import
ance to Middle West.
PEORIA WATERWAY CONVENTION.
Congress VIII Be Urged to Take UP the
Work of Completing the Drainage
Channel-valley in Harmony
with Chicago.


Channel-valleyi in HARMONY
With Chicago.
Peoria. Oct. 11.-A deep waterway
or ship canal connecting the great lakes
and the gulf is the subject being con-
sidered by convention OF prominent
Illinois citizens in Rouse's hall in this
city. Over 800 delegates from counties
lying along the route of the canal are
present. 1t is purely deep waterway
meeting and it is assured that congress
will be petitioned to take up the work
Immediately, make the necessary appro-
priations and provide for an early con-
summation of the plan.
The convention was called to order
at o'clock yesterday by Martin King
man, chairman of the Joint executive
committee. who delivered an address
stating the objects of the convention.
He said the time had arrived to menu
orialize congress and secure the CO.
operation of the government to secure
the removal of the dams and dredge
the channel. He said the people Of Iii
nois had waited fifty years, but now
they can meet on common ground,
and today Chicago sees it to her In
terest to help the deep waterway plan.
DR.. John Fayville offered prayer.
Mayor Henry w. Lynch welcomed the
delegates. He said: sour interests are
identical. We OF every part of the
state are touched by the proposed wa
terway and harmony will prevail"
Major Ellwood Of Joliet responded
to the address of welcome for the dele
gates. He said there was no man in
the room who had longer been interest
ed in the canal and waterway project
than himself. He was born at Rock
port right under the caves of the canal,
and had been reared on canal spirit.
He caught fish. he said, at one time in
the canal, but today things were en-
tirely different. His hope had been for
great waterway. He said:
Il am growing old, but ! expect to
live to see the waterway completed and
in operation. am thankful that after
twelve years of pickering, today the
Chicago and river people are met on
common ground. We are here for one
purpose. to secure that which will help
the state and this entire, territory.
There is no difference between us today
and we hope for very valuable aid
from the Chicago and St. Louis
boards"
At the evening session it was decided
to refer all resolutions to the commit
tee on resolutions after reading and
without debate. J. A. Ockerson, OF St.
Louis handed in the first resolution,
which was for Mississippi river irn--
provements. The resolution, in part,
follows:
''That the stream shall be carried TO
the highest possible degree of perfec-
ton which engineering skill cap attain.
The Mississippi river deserves most lib
eral treatment at the hands Of the gen.
eral government and it must be made
SO complete that it will furnish, at all
times, an unobstructed outlet to the
sea for the surplus products Of the Mis-
sissippi valley.
Resolved, That senators and repre-
sentatives in congress use their best ef.
forts to secure such appropriations and
provide such board of engineers as
may be deemed essential for the pur.
pose OF making surveys and examina-
tons from lake Michigan to the Missis.
sippi river. prepare plans and estimates
and 1naugurate the work OF improve
ments named in these resolutions"
II. c. Withers, of Carrolton presented
a resolution for the immediate removal
of the La Grange and Kampsville dams
and the dredging OF the channel at
once, also that commission be APP
pointed to visit the lower valley to see
what damage has been done and to ar
range for compromising the property
owners.
j. c. Scales Of Chicago presented a
resolution to counteract that presented
by the st. Louis delegate. It provides
for the improvement OF Illinois river,
the entire expense to be borne by the
government.
One delegate from each county repre-
scented is a member OF the COMMITTEES
on resolutions. Chicago has eight mem.
bers, L. E. Cooley, P. T. Barry, D. j.
Mcmahon, w. S. McHag, h. B. Kerr,
John G. Scales, o. N. Carter and o. w,
Meysenberg. st. Louis is represented
by j. A. Ockerson, Chris Sharp, 81. R.
Whitmore, j. Joseph Brown and Elex-
ander II. Smith. At the morning ses-
sion vice president from each county
will be named. Gov. Tanner wired
that he regretted sincerely his inability
to be present, but could be in the CITY
Friday.
Ossian Guthrie Of Chicago, who has
spent the last fifty-three years in OBJ
serving lake and river fluctuations, adj
dressed the convention. He does not
believe there will be three inches diff
ference in the level of the lake when
the canal is connected with it. He was
glad that all those interested in the en-
terprise were united and he believed
the great waterway was an assured
fact
Engineer Randolph, of Chicago Leo
tured on the canal and waterway prop
osition. He dealt in facts showing the
enormity OF the work and the tremen-
dous expense. Ninety-eight per cent
of the work, he said, was complete,
and it was hoped to turn the wafer in
by Dec. 1. It is understood that the
Chicago drainage commissioners have
petitioned that former Secretary Of
War Alger's order permitting the turn
ing in of water without special per-
mission OF congress be rescinded.
SHOOTS HIS WIFE.
John Beran, ofSk Paul, Tries to XIII