The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-22
|EOKUK TO Be ON
| HUGE waterway
M PROPOSED by Senator Gore to the
Local Terminal Enthusiasts
for Their Con- ....
sideration.
EXTENT OF 1900 MILES
Illinois Drainage Canal Entering tho
Mississippi at Hennepin Near
Rock Island Would be
Used.

Local people who are interested in
! The matter Of river terminals, will be
interested in the bill proposed by
senator T. p Gore of Oklahoma, in
which he proposes huge ship canal.
which will utilize lie Hudson, the
st. Lawrence, the ureat lakes, the
Illinois drainage canal. and the Mis-
sissippi river. Keokuk would be on
this huge waterway. The cost of this
proposed waterway would be seven
millions and 1t could be of use in
time of war, or especially invasion as
an artery for the conveyance of NUM-
tons.
When completed the proposed
waterway would constitute a VERT
able inland sea of more than 1900
miles, extending from New York by
way of Buffalo. Chicago and st. Louis
to the gulf Of Mexico, and from the
gulf of Mexico to the gulf of st.
Lawrence. OF this way the Hudson
river would constitute 212 miles, with
depth Of IL feet. This link can be
furnished and ready for use in 1917
at cost Of less than 100000. The
Erie canal would constitute 265 miles
Of the route, not including the Lake
Champlain and the Lake Ontario
branches. This can be completed and
ready for use in 1918. The great lakes
constitute $50 miles of the route,
with minimum depth of 20 feet
The Chicago river and the Chicago
drainage canal are already available
for use from Chicago to Lockport,
with depth of q feet The state
of Illinois has authorized a bond
Issue of 100000 to connect the Chi
cago drainage canal with the Illinois
river at Utica, distance of about
sixty miles, with an S-foot channel
Government engineers have report
ed favorably on the improvement of
the Illinois river from the Utica to
its mouth. distance of some $50
miles. with an 8-foot channel and on
the Improvement OF the Mississippi
river from the mouth of the Illinois
river to ST. Louis, distance of forty
miles, with like channel. An Sfoot
channel is already available from ST.
Louis to the mouth OF the Ohio river,
9-foot channel from the Ohio for
distance OF 1913 miles, and channel
Of more than thirty feet in depth the
rest of the way I'd the gulf of Mexico,
distance of 240i miles.
Rock Island is Point.
The link between Utica and ST.
Louis can be constructed at an esti-
mated cost Of }$4,700,o00. so that in
order to renderi the entire way ready
for service it would require an ex-
penditure Of less than 100000 on
the part of THE general government.
Connecting with this is the Hennepin
canal from + hennepin ON. the Illinois
river to Rock Island on the Missis.
sippi. and ALSO the Mississippi from
apolis
When finished this will be. the
greatest finland waterway in the
world. 1t would exceed the Rhine in
length SEVERAL times over and under
proper safeguards would exceed it in
navigation and traffic. In addition to
the waterway itself, there are two in
dispensalble conditions to inland navi-
CATION LIST, terminal facilities. and,
End. sec4rity against destructive rail
way determinations Legislation
looking to the latter has already