The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-13
NO UNITY IN WATER PLANS.

| Mr. Herbert Knox Smith, commission
er of corporations of the Department
of Commerce and Labor, has rendered
valuable service 10 the country in call.
ing attention 10 the lack Of unity in
plans for developing the water transpor-
Part ]. of his report, relating 10 trans
portaion by water. has been forwarded
to the President. In it the Commission
er gives review of tho great extent
of the water routes of the United States,
natural, artificially made, or yet sub
iect 10 development The inland water
way along the Atlantic coast is one di-
vision of the water transportation prop.
ositlon. and is an important one. An
other is the great water system of the
Mississippi valley, the main stream of
which is the Mississippi river and the
great branches are the OHIO and the
Missouri. The main stream aud each of
the great branches named, have in turn,
very large numbers of smaller tributary
systems, some Of these being in them
selves laroe enough 10 have other trih-
utary systems. There are besides these,
the westcoast waters, and n large num-
Der of other water systems either nat
ural or artificial, including the New
York canal. the proposed water system
from Lake Ontario down TO the tIud
son, thence TO the ocean: the canal from
Lake Michigan through Chicago 10 the
Mississippi; the old Fox and Wisconsin
river project. and various other systems.
including one for the turning of the
waters Of Lake Superior into the St.
Croix river, thus adding 10 the flow Of
the Mississippi in the dry season. As
an adjunct TO this river Improvement
system, il is proposed to store water in
immense quantities in the spring flood
time in the upper river lakes, in the
sloughs. and in some cases in artificial
mcnse capacity at various places. and
which would be great sources TO draw
from when the river is low A steady,
clear channel Of from six 10 nine feet
in the Mississippi wide enough for prof
table boats, would be Of immense bcuC
fit 10 commerce. The Missouri river
could be made navigable with like
channel 10 Omaha and four or five
foot channel thence as far up as Fort
Benton The Ohio channel can be easily
improved so as TO give six foot chan
mel all the year round for navigation
purposes
Mr.. Knox is quito right in his review
Of the plans discussed heretofore. None
Of these has been of sufficient compre
hcnsivcncss so take into consideration
the complete water system Of the whole
country, or even The Mississippi basin
in It's entirety. IT is obvious that The
river systems including the Ohio, Mis-
sissippi. and Missouri, although the Ohio
river may be improved so rs to afford
six feet OF channel from Pittsburgh TO
Cairo, always provided the lower Msss-
slppi were improved corrcspondingly.
would afford no difficulties in the de
vclopment of n SIX or nine foot channel,
except at the rapids in the Mississippi
around Rock Island. A great deal of
work would he needed there. Probably
a lock of sufficient dimensions 10 hold
the biggest boats should be put in there,
and it need not be lock of any great
height, either; and it would also save
the water in n much better manner than
IL The channel were blasted out to the
required depth and made a sort OF rapid.
With the opening Of tho Isthmian
canal, there is no doubt but that the
next great transportation problem that
the country should turn itself to- If in
deed 1t should not turn itself to it now,
is the development OF the Mississippi
and its main tributaries for navicabie
purposes. There is ample water in the
spring season to store sufficient re.
serve water TO afford channel of
ample depth all the way from ST. Paul
to the Gulf. The country is not lacking
in ability to handle this great problem
and reduce it to practical and com