The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-12-07
Effort to Have Government Take
1t as Part of Il Through
Waterway.
PLANS EXTENDING NAVIGATION.
War Department Engineers Report
on Route From l'tica and Mar
S,ilicS. on IllinOis River,
Ia Lake Michigan.

18th a. AMI .'-HiI~N iNvni.. Ave
Washington. Dee G-Tl" War Depart
mcnt to-day sent Ia Congress the report uf
the Beard "f Engineers upon thu surv y
and estimates of cust tor improv ms ;hc
Upper Illinois River aud Lower 'rsriai'.eS
River
This is with a view To thu extension of
navigation from the Illinois River Ia Lake
Michigan Al rr near chicago. The sngi-
ueerS' report uron two channels, one OF
seven aid the other Of eight feet in depth
They stat" that the plans presented ar: FOR
waterways seven or eight feet deep nom
iica and Narse,llcs IN the ne'' oi IN" nv, r
thenc" around the Narsei :e.s rapids hv
canal thence in jhe bed ~ the over I"
near III" mouth of tn" kankak"e. theNc"
through tho Illinois ana Michigan Canal &"
th- jri'"t Basin. tHrp"v b. canal 49, ~"
Sanitary Canal II i-ockport. and thr1ce
via thr sanitary Canal ami Chicago River
-o Lake Michigan
Ii has been suggested that the ina! snlH-
tior 0f the troubles surrounding th' hi
caSu Drainage Canal would b" To pres nj
fl To the Government IS waterway and
thus "s". Pc the Very SCI ri"Us compile dlt"i''
aIt.n.i.n. its operation. SNnl- $ai.un was
appropriated fO. preliminary survey ana
.stirlatrs for work which would hc ncCtS-
sary tn make this route navigahlc. Further
ton. rwelv" and fourteen feet deep. AS ~"
question Is one ~ somewhat local interest
L. st. Louis. th" factS reported by th" M
SinrerS Will be Of interest
Route selected by Hoard
They state that these projects involve the
construction of twelve locks and Two dari3
with movable w"icS. rur Il Sty"i-f0gi
channel they estimate a cost OF N-3l'.!'a.
and to- eight feet. : 6;is 2i,. IT This ratl"
Is maintain,y! it viii De seen that fourteen
foot channel would cost about Sl"pp-"
In addition the cost of an IL dependent "tght
loot waterway by the Sag r"ut" would ne
Sl,5sr1S5.
The engineers nni the most economic
route for the seven tnd eight foot chan-
reIs from Utica to MHrse'lies. IA miles.
thence around the Aarsciiies Rapid- toy
canal "a miles; thence 10y th" river tn
D. t. Il. mill
thence by eularging the Illinois aud Mich
igar Canal 10 the Joliet Ba sin, lt3 miles:
thence by canal through Joliet Basin ana
alunS the east bank Of the DesriaineS. u:
miles connecting with the Sanitary canal
al Lrckport and thence through the Sani-
tary Canal to the Chicago River and Lake
Michigan.
For tn. eight-foot prOjec, the Dimensions
proposed for river sections and canals from
rtica to the mouth Of the Dssplain"- ar"
not less than 2ir) feet wide al the bottom
Tor the river division. and not less thaH
I.J feet surface width for the canal with
dcptn in the river division of eight feet be
low extreme Tow water and in the canal
ten feet Such existing railway ana nigh
way bridges over this division must he
contemplated to civ" suitable openings over
the prNosed channel
WithToCks OF the same dimensions oi the
United States and state locks III an" / Nty
Illinois River. u by 30 feet h.tSscrE Inii"r
siIle steamboat navigation will Ii" sNt"nds!
to the head of the Illinois fiV"i For ne
remaining canal divisions u. "tnL. VII
Bridges 10 Give Hend Room.
With fixed bridges giving twenty-five feet
head room thc engineers believe that these
divisions should give ample navigation ;"r
the largest targes heretofore IL usr "D tie
Mississippi and that The c"innin"ti', viii
afford a waterway ten feet 3' 'p II ayes
Two seet above extreme lr at 81 the
Illinois River, with sufiics.- "a - for
gny other barge G-. ha.Iy Z" SEEK IT.
Two dams will II" ..a. t'.,. on" @i tici
md one 1T the hcaG - H.. ,rs'''i',..- canal.
n. hoard beiit,, 'i..'. '"i.. ...-i. III t!a
o.. .i-..,ol'. .G u' sur.- t.'-. ri movable
.,..-r to r..,.c. .- t5ti.... a.! food dis
,f.aree. 10y an ar1 "E 80 !.I-t ''iu'l :" that
which has b' USE. 10 tit s.H'i'ipIii
discharge Of t.. sanitary canal. The seven
,nnt waterway wnul| i'ii. e fnN same
mutt a. thu eishr-foO.. g.. %. i" dimensions
of river channels. canal ana locks will he
,h4 same except in depth. This wouii
furnish niue-fCot navigation at a two-fOnt
G.nth In the Illinois Rive: {" the mouth of
the Desplainrs and provide for through
barge navigation TO Lake Michigan at chi
cagO-
me report is signed by Colonel J. W.
Rarlow Major ]. n. Willard and Major =.
Mcdonald Townsend.
II is evident that Chi'ag"'s representa-
tive, in Congress are determined: ga push
the project Of through waterway. As
supplemental reports ar" get To- he made, IL
Is improbable that actor will be had this
winter but eventually |; is probable that
there will be a determined effort to unload
the drainage canal on the Federal Govern
ment part. nominaliy at least. Of II
Through waterway.