Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-23
ASKS MORE MONEY
Maj. Willard Seeks Increase OF
Hennepin Canal Appro- :
priation.
REvBTING OF BANKS NEooEssARY
To Prevent Disaster-Then Naviga
BILE for Steam
boats.


Illinois and Mississippi canal when il
is completed unless congress author
ICES an additional appropriation of
81 ,9s6,OOO, making the cost of the
project Ss,911 800. If it is completed
under the present project at cost
of Sc, 925, 900, it will be navigable only
by canal boats. This is the opinion
of Maj. Willard, the engineer officer
at Chicago. who has made an inves-
tigation, and in report to the chief
of engineers has called attention to
the necessity for the increased appro-
priation and the necessity for re-
veting the banks OF the canal to pre-
vent the disaster.
Various causes hive operated to i'm
crease the cost of the work since il
originally was planned. The cost
of the right of way and the expense
of constructing bridges have, from
causes arising since construction was
commenced, greatly exceeded the es-
innate originally submitted, but the
most important reasons necessitating
an increase in the estimate is the
fact that experience has shown that
owing to the unstable condition of
the soil through which the canal
route lies and to provide for the use
of the canal by steamboats,. it is of
Importance to protect the banks by
revetment from the deteriorating eff
feet of wave action.
More Strength for Big Boats.
1T is desirable" said the chief of
engineers, in transmitting Maj. Viii
lard's report to congress, that the
canal banks be reveted as work pro-
crosses rather than to defer such
work until the canal is put into ope
ration, as originally proposed. 1t is
probable, Notwithstanding the uneX-
pected increase in the cost of the
right of way and the bridges that IL
canal available for canal boats, with
out projection, can be completed
within the cost now fixed by law,
but il is believed to be the intent of
congress that the work be completed
in the most thorough manner"
In his report on the subject Maj.
Willard, who investigated the matter
thoroughly, said: Il am convinced
that the revetment is of vital import
ance to the safety and protection of
the canal bank. The route lies al
most wholly in sandy soil. and tho
deterioration due To storms already
is great. The wave wash would in
ltensify the damage.
''Should the work be postponed un-
til after the canal is opened for
traffic it's operation would have to be
suspended by drawing down to the
levels below the footing required for
revetment, thus putting the canal
ont of service for long time.
There are other items of increas-
ed cost which could not be forseen.
More highways have been opened
and larger and stronger bridges are
required than was planned. Since
the estimates of 1900 the state of Illi-
nois has increased the load of high
way bridges 10 100 pounds per square
foot of floor surface, or 20 per cent
more than the load formerly accept
ed as sufficient under the best speci-
fications. The railway bridges have
been changed from swing to fixed
spans and planned for the heaviest
modern engines of high speed.
The dam at Rock Falls for inn
pounding water to feed the canal, in
stead of being a simple crib. is re-
quired by decree of the court to be
movable tn pass floods and to he put
down in winter. Therefore the cost
may be seyeraA times the original es-
innate, depending enti>ely upon the
form adopted. The length of the
dam will be about 1900 feet. and the
problem is complicated by the exist
ence of water privilege making the
decision as to type one of great del
icacy.
FINALLY, the banks of the canal,
which are entirely in fill, should be
strengthened, especially on the feed
err, where a break would involve dam
ger to an extent that cannot be COM
puted, there being no outlet for the
overflow between Rock Falls and
Green River aqueduct, distance of
twenty-four miles"