Morris tribune., 1911-03-10
MtERCHON !. PLAN.
To Be Explained by Rep.
Spooner This Evening.

become most prominently identified.
He is to be congratulated on having
got thru the house his bill providing
for an appropriation of $40, 900 for
preliminary surveys to determine the
cost and feasibility of this great plan.
The Tribune has heretofore spoken
of this great canal scheme as one
which it is an honor to Mr.. Spooner
to be so prominently identified with,
and not only voters but especially
young people should attend the meet
ing tonight and hear Mr.. Spooner eX-
plain it. for it is question that con-
Germs more vitality the citizens of to-
morrow than it does the citizens of
today
The following brief explanation is
taken from an article in Pioneer Press
of Oct. "a, 1909. and the accompany
ing map will be found of great assist
ance if taken to the meeting tonight
when Mr.. Spooner explains it.
The Pioneer Press said:-
The Mershon project purposes to
gather that wealth into stOrehouses
and so use it as to make it the in
strument for saving millions of dol
lars annually in transportation char
ges, and for the creation of water
powers, the revenues from which
shall foot up many other millions an
nually.
meanwhile it will reclaim vast
areas of swamps and double the val
ue Of Minnesota farms.
THE principal features of the pro-
ject are these:
'First-A barge canal, of the same
dimensions as the enlarged Erie ca
nal, twelve feet deep, extending from
the Lake of the Woods to a point
on Lake Traverse known as the In
trestate Crossing.
'Second,= a. ship canal, twenty feet
deep and of a size ample for the ac-
eommodatlon of the largest vessels
on the great lakes extending from
Granite Falls on the Minnesota ri
YER, across the state, and across the
northwestern corner of Wisconsin to
Lake Superior.
"Third-The transformation of the
upper stretch of the Minnesota ri
yer. gorge above Granite Falls, and
OF the area now occupied by Big
Stone and Traverse lakes, into an
;G5nense finland sea" or reservoir.
This will be accomplished by the
erection of dam approximately 1875
feet high at Granite Falls, and of an
other 20 feet high at Interstate Cross
ing, as shown Oh the map.
sFourth-Tile .scanalization of the
mississippi river, between St. Cloud
and the Twin Cities, so that the lat
ter can be brought into water COM
nlunication with Duluth; the river
being adapted by a series of locks !
and dams, to the accommodation of
the same large vessels that will use
the main ship canal above described !
':Ffith-The erection of a dam 100
feet high in the Mississippi gorge |
between he Twin Cities, transform
ing the river at that point into a |
lake which shall afford a harbor for ,
vessels from the lakes.
''Sixth-The canalization of short !
portions of the St. Croix and Bois
Brule rivers, as preferable to dig
ging wholly artificial canal in the
Wisconsin portion of the route.
"Seventh-The construction of a
branch canal, of FEEDER" between
Fcrmillion and Red Lakes, and the
canalization of Red Lake river from
Lower Red lake, via Crookston-
where it joins the main stem barge
canal-to the Red river.
"Eighth-The utilization of the
Chippewa river, in Swift and Chip
pewa counties, by canalization in
stead Of digging wholly artificial {
canal.
Water Power Development-At al ;
most every step along the course of
the proposed canal, from Vermillion
lake and Lake of the Woods to In
ter State Crossing and Granite Falls,
from Granite Falls to Lake Superior,
and from st. Cloud to the Twin
Cities, water powers of great value
are z developed. To the total fall
above named of 755 feet is to be add,
ed the sum of various falls in small
streams intercepted by the canal,
the development of whose water pow 6
ers will naturally accompany the pro- t
gress of the main works. When it is S
remembered that the great water
power at St. Anthony falls, Minnea- t
polls, is the product of total fall s
Of only about thirty-five feet, it t
Is easy to believe that the power '
developed as above described will e