Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-18

(From Marengo Republican-News.)
The sanitary district OF Chicago has
constructed deepchanneIf from Chicago
to Lockport "a feet deep-for sewage
Lockport "A feet deep--for sewage
purposes-made. wide and deep enough
for a deep waterway. Its estimated
cost was SIS. 100000. 1t has cost $780,
900, 900. and Is not yet completed.
The district is issuing additional bonds
| this year.
The Desplaires river connects Lock
port with the Illinois river at Utica,
stretch OF SO miles, and has q fall Of
50 feet, which, with $4,000 feet of
water per second passing from Lake
Michigan through the sanitary channel
and Desplaines river, is capable Of de-
veloping about 100000 horse power.
At present only about 5000 cubic feet
of water per second passes through
this channel. The Illinois and Mich
igan canal lies alongside OF and near
the Desplaines river. All water from
the Chicago sanitary channel now
passes down the Desplaines river-the
Illinois and Michigan canal having
been closed up since the Chicago Trib-
une and other influences at Springfield
In 1903 brought around this result and
closed up the "Tadpole" ditch. In
1907 the trustees Of the sanitary dis
trict of Chicago came to Springfield
and sought legislation to turn over the
development of water power in the
Desplaines river to them. The Chi
cago sanitary district is substantially
Chicago. It was conceded then and be-
lieved that all water power right in
the Desplaines river were owned by
the state Of Illinois. The legislature
refused to grant these rights to Chi
cago, and passed a resolution submit
ting to the voters Of Illinois an amend
ment to the constitution Of the state,
authorizing a bond issue Of $40 ZOO, 900
to construct deep waterway or canal
and for the erection, equipment and
maintenance Of power plants, locks,
dams, etc. During all of the discus
sions of this project, In the legislature
and out, it has been conceded that the
waterway and canal should be a gen.
eral system Of deep waterway from
Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico
which could only be taken up and car
rfed out by the United States gov
eminent.
The internal Improvement commits
sion, appointed by Governor Deneen,
in its report OF 1909, page So. says:
''The water power is. however, strict
ly by-product Of the waterway which
is of national and even International
concern. No existing power now or in
the future should be permitted to con-
dition in any way or interfere with the
best possible waterway development,
and the legislature may. wisely safe
guard the appropriation Of waters for
water way and sanitary purposes"
This was March 1, 1909.
During the discussion of the con
stitutional amendment In the house
in November 1907, It first came to
the attention OF the governor and
the general assembly that private In
terests had secured or were attempt
ing to obtain the water power rights
along the Desplaines river by buying
up the riparian, or bank rights; and
company commenced the construction
of a dam at Dresden Heights. On
Nov 6, 1907, Governor Deneen sent a
message to the general assembly, ask
ing that authority be granted to the
governor and attorney general to
cause the removal of all dams and
distractions in the Desplaines river,
and further asking the general assem-
bly, to declare the Desplaines river a
navfgable stream, and in this message
the governor said. eff such action is
not taken and the legislative measures
enacted at your present session In re-
lation to water way do not go into ef-
feet until July q next, in what posi-,
ton viii the water way interests of
the state be found when in November
following, the proposed constitutional
amendment is submitted to the people, |
If, instead of the assurance that the |
total water power development will |
become public property, It appears |
that at the outset very large frac- !
ton thereof has been allowed to pass |
into private hands, and If 1t further |
appears that the rights of the state to |
Its recovery can be determined only |
after protracted litigation, which IL un-
successful, would subject the state to
the necessity of enormous expendi-
lures in acquiring by condemnation
the property In which pri-
vate rights had been permitted to vest,
It is not difficult to foresee what would
become of $40, 10000 in bonds which
has been suggested by your honorable
body for submission to the voters"
The legislature promptly passed an
act declaring the Desplaines river a
navigable stream and granted the
power to the governor and attorney
general asked for in the message.
The governor at once, through spec
al counsel, In behalf of the state of
illinois, brought suit against the Econ
,my Light & Power company to Gust
he dam and to determine the water
power rights in the Desplaines river.
rhe state of Illinois was defeated in |