Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-07-08
SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVFN
TO NEWS OF IOWA PEOPLE
Special Representative viii Keep
Public Opinion Readers Posted.
Interesting Developments Of Ma
tion's Affairs Tersely Described
by Former Iowan for Iowa
ReadeI
Public Or. N ureau
Washing. ,'0A G.
Lake Superior To The G

The states of Wisconsin and Ml,s'
nesota have descended upon the
Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors. and have pointed out the
feasibility of a. waterway between
the head of the Great Lakes and
the Mississippi River. This seems to
be an era of canals, since the Pan
anna Canal is about ready for bust
ness, while Cape Cod has been sever
ed to shorten the distance between
New York and Boston by many
hours. Governor Eberhardt of Min
nesota headed the commissioners
and was accompanied by State Sem
ator George H. Sullivan of Mime
sofa and Ed L. Feet and John Chin
mock, representing the state of Wis
consin. The gentlemen pointed out
that a preliminary survey of the
proposed canal has already been
made by the government engineers
who have md that from an engi-
neering standpoint the plan is en-
tirely feasible. The new waterway
is to start at Allouez Bay, near
Superior, and the canal is carried
across country for twenty-five miles
connecting with the Brule River
which in the time of Grover Cleve-
ol+ oin
stream, because the Presidential
angler was accustomed to cast his
s'fy' in those waters. The Brule
River and ST. Croix furnish a direct
outlet to the Mississippi This water
route, $50 miles in length, will
give ST. Paul and Minneapolis the
advantage of cheap water transpor-
tation. Under present conditions
seventy-two per cent of the railroad
freight between the head of Lake
Superior and the Twin Cities is coal
and it was shown that the water
Buffalo to Duluth is thirty cents a
ton, while it costs ninetylsix cents a
ton for soft coal and 81 20 a ton for
hard coal for the additional short
railroad haul from Duluth to Mime
apolis. The commissioners pointed
out that the single item of coal alone
furnishes reason why a canal
should be constructed. The immense
traffic in this commodity would be
met by an equally important demand
for the use of the canal for the trans
portation of -four and general mer-
chandise from st. Paul ald Mime
apolis, while the wheat and corn
producing states along the Missis-
sippi and Missouri would thus be
provided with transportation direct
ly to the head OF the lakes. The main
stickler of the whole proposition
seems to hinge upon what would
appear at first to be a trivial con-
sideration, and that refers to the
type of barge that would be most
feasible for use on the canal. 1t is
explained that this great project af-
fords means of transportation that
will lessen the cost to the consum-
er of fuel going west, and food pro
ducts carried eastward. This gigan-
tic enterprise will cost from $S,00O,-
600 to $10,000,0O0, but the com
missioners claim that the traffic al
ready in sight is sufficient to pay a
substantial dividend on the invest
ment from the start. Senator Nelson
and number of congressman ap-
peared with the commissioners, and
added their support to the demand of
Wisconsin and Minnesota for the
completion of the survey at the ear
liest possible date.