The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-11-04
REQUEST DENIED.
Right of Way for Canal Refused
by Commissioners Richards.

The application of the Minnesota
Canal & Power company for right
of-way for system of reservoirs and
canals in the territory east and south
of here, has been rejected, according
to adyices received by the Duluth
land office from w. A. Richards, COM
missioner of the general land Office at
Washington. The decision of the
commissioner is subject to appeal to
the secretary Of the interior within
sixty days, and it is considered almost
a certainty that an appeal will be
taken.
The plans of the company in con-
nection with the application included
the construction and establishment
of system of dams, reservoirs and
canals, by means OF which the water
from the Rainy river watershed, COM
prised of Birch, Gabro. Bald Eagle,
Isabelle and other lakes. and Birch,
North and South Kawishiwi, St0ney,
Isabelle and other rivers were to be
diverted and turned into the Embar-
ras river, thence into the st. Louis
river, and thence into canal carry
ing 1t to an immense power station In
or near Duluth.
AS stated in the articles Of incor-
poration and in the application. the
purpose of this system lis the crea-
ton of a water power plant at Duluth
and elsewhere in the state OF Mime
sofa, to supply power to the munich
palities, corporations, individuals
and the public at large. direct from
its water wheels, and also to generate
and distribute electricity for light,
heat and power, and to supply water
for the use of any municipality desir-
ing the same aud the inhabitants
thereof, and to provide irrigation
when needed to lands adjacent to Its
general work of improvement, and to
run and drive logs and timber"
Many of the public lands affected
by the right-of-way were withdrawn
for the proposed Lake Superior forest
reserve prior to the filing of the COM
pany's said application, so that a
special agent was appointed by the
government and directed to examine
the proposed rigbt-of-way and report
what work had been performed in
connection with the enterprise, the
necessity of the rignt-0f-way, etc.
He was also instructed to report
whether there were any reasons why
the application should not be sub
mitted to the secretary of the interior
for approval.
After what is said to have been
very thorough investigation this
special officer submitted a very COM
prehensive report, adverse to the
proposition of the power company.
In brief he finds:
First, that the effect OF the diver
sion OF the water from the Rainy
river watershed will work hardship
and often disaster to many industries
already established and dependent on
the flow of said waters In a northerly
direction.
Second, that two natural water
powers located on Birch river, each
of which is capable of developing an
immense amount of power will be
completely destroyed by a diversion
of the water from its present course.
Third, that the proposed diversion
of water would deprive many settlers
and inhabitants of the section of the
country drained by the waters of
Birch Lake OF their present means of
egress and ingress and render this
territory useless SO far as settlement
Is concerned.
Fourth, that the proposed diversion
of water would doubtless give rise to
international complications by reason
OF tue fact that the Rainy river is an
international waterway; also that it
would work considerable damage to
the United States government 10 its
work of developing harbor at War
Road, Mimi.
Fifth, that many, il not all OF the
lakes and streams which the company
proposes utilizing are nayigable.
AS to the effect on the proposed
Lake Superior forest reserve, he re-
ports in part as follows:
Recently l made trip by canoe
over the waters extending over the
proposed forest reserve and included
in the application for a right-of-way
by this company, As a rule, the
banks of these lakes and rivers are
high and picturesque and add much
to the natural scenery Of the river.
In some cases, the erection of reser-
voirs as proposed by this company
would cause small tracts of land lying
adjacent to the lakes and rivers and
within the reserve to become mum
dated and thus destroy the appearance
OF the shores and kill all vegetation
growing between the present natural
water line and, that created by the
formation Of the reservoirs. 1t would