Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-21

capacity of the large freight vessels
estimated at SO tons per inch of draft
and would cause a loss on American
vessels alone at the lowest estimate
of S1,0oO,00O per annum."
To overcome the lowering of the
lake levels the engineers propose the
construction of submerged weirs in
Niagara river to hold up the level of
Lake Erie and in the st. Clair river
to hold up the level of Lakes Michigan
and Huron at a total estimated cost
of s475,O0O with $4,000 annually for
maintenance.
Approved by River Board.
The board of rivers and harbors, in
its report on the special report of the
board OF engineers, agreed in substance
with the findings and concurred in the
recommendation that the government
undertake an eight-foot channel pro-
ject from Utica, on the Illinois river,
to st. Louis, on the Mississippi, at an
approximate cost of S4,76O,OO of this
total S1.050.0O0 to be for the construc-
ton on the Illinois river and S3,710,00O
for work on the Mississippi.
For safety and ease of navigation
the engineers recommended that the
channel be excavated to IL feet in
rock cuts and canals and the locks
be given IL feet depth, so feet width
and 500 feet disable length. \ water
way of these dimensions would have
a capacity exceeding 100 200, 900 tons
per annum.
Against Mississippi Dams.
The engineers also threw down the
of the ,Lakes-to-the-
Gulf Deep Waterway association for
of large dams across the
river at Jefferson barracks |
and Commerce, Mo. The board esti- !
mated the cost of such dams, includ |
ing every possible reasonable charge, |
at S42S, 900. 900. while their continuous I
output would be not over 100000 cleo |
tricaI horsepower. Therefore the fl |
nal cost of development of power, they |
find, would be far too high to justify /
he undertaking.
The special board of engineers said |
hat "a primary condition of coopera-
ion between the United States and
he state of Illinois should be the &C
.eptance in perpetuity of full respon-
sibility by the state of Illinois or its
lgencies for all damages by changes
n lake levels, including cost of COM
work, and for all damages
10 riparian owners, and tie state
should transfer to the United States
he locks and control of the new water
way thus created so far as needed by
navigation, and the locks and dams
n Henry and Copperas creek on the
illinois river.
FuIflIs l. & NJ. Obligations.
with such a transfer" it added,
the obligations of Illinois to the
United States with reference to the
of the Illinois and Michi-
ran canal may be considered as ade-
Iuately fulfilled and any equities of
he United States in the rights of way
md other properties of this canal
houId be transferred by the United
states to the state of Illinois"
The states project contemplates the
of water power at four
ties between Lockport and Utica and
he Improvement of navigation by the
of five large locks, so by
90 feet in dimensions. with 24-foot
epth on their inter stills.
This project proposes the utilization
or power purposes of the water which
nav flow through the Chicago drain
ge canal and contemplates an ulti-
late channel depth of "a feet for navi-
alton purposes, though the estimates
to approximately 100000
90. provides for "a feet only TO
brandon bridge and for IA below.
The special board said that the wa
er way proposed by the state was
lore than sufficient for any probable
avigation.
Berlin-A proposal TO improve the ;