Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-07-01
ST. LOUIS v R|T Err
DETAILS ILLINOIS
WATERWAY LINK
POINTS OUT NEED OF IoCkpoRT.
IA SALE LINK IN ARTICLE
SPECTtoN' OF |. s. NJ. CANAL.

A few weeks ago Charles fl Huff.
a special correspondent from ST
Louis. visited Ottawa and other
points with a view 10 writing series
OF articles on the problems connected
with water transportation. One o:
The series was devoted to navigation
on the Illinois river and We quote
from this article as follows.
The Illinois river. with its cana,
connections. presents an aluring
prospect Tor the prompt development
of river traffic on the Mississippi
waterway system as a means Of eX-
pedltins war transportation By takins
"A part III the load oil the 0yerburden.
ed railroads There are two reasons
and only tw0-why actual freigh,
On the Illinois river is not today
tact. The principal cities have no
modern terminals, and there are no
available modern boats. There is a
sufficiently dependable channel TO en-
able he traffic, and there is an I'm
mense volume of freight that ought
TO be diverted TO such traffic.
1t may be stated that the termin.
ais are now on the way Peoria. the
largest point on the Illinois. in April
voted $500 600 for building terminals
and harbor development. The program
is 10 build the first terminal unit this
fall. La Sale, the other principal
point on he river and at the head or
The navieable portion OF it. 200 miles
above its juncture with the Missis.
sippi. As short distance above st.
Louis, also has terminal prospects.
The manufacturers OF La Sale aim to
provide modern terminal there As
10 boats. reference might be made TO
me government program to provide
boats for the upper Mississippi, and
II might be added that the cost OF
boats from the Illinois river would
be small item alongside some OF the
governments war expenditure.
Going above La Sale and proceen-
| ing to Chicago BY way of the Illinois
and Michigan canal. there must be
added TO the foregoing two reasons
| for the absence of river traffic a third.
- IN
| able channel between La Sale ana
i.Ockport--a distance of 63 miles.
The situation found to exist is ar
most unbelievable. in these times
OF economic capacity developments,
There is the evidence of the remark.
able engineering feat, which not only
gave Chicago its splendid harhor anc
its deep waterway into the heart OF
its industrial enyirons, but also ex-
tended that waterway of 22-foo.
depth, In direct connection with Lake
Michigan for a distance of &c miles
to l.ockport. Then there is the ILL.,
nOls river with its dependable ~.
foot channel from the Mississippi.
river TO La Sale. And between III,
Sale and I.ockport Is the 63-mile
missing link-a waterway but so i'm
peded with mud that it stands solely
as an economic waste.
The explanation of that missing
link lies in the state OF loggerheaGs
which exists in Chicago, and in Iii
nois generally, among waterway ex
p0nents, and dates back to the lakes
to-the-gulf deep waterway days. Hi.
nols has been nursing S20, O0O, 900
program to provide at leas. l4foot
channel between Chicago and the Mis-
sissippi river, the idea being a contn-
uous waterway for the lake boats, ultl.
mately 20 reach the Gulf of Mexico.
In the meantime considerably less
than One-tenth of that contemplated
expenditure would provide a sixfoot
or seven foot channel bewteen La
Sale and Lockport. In fact, a decd
eddy small expenditure would clear
the Illinois and Michigan canal sutti-
GENTLY for the type of modern river
barges which the government is to
put on the upper Mississippi next
year. There could then be actual
river traffic between Chicago and the
Mississippi river.
Chicago is NOT strange to waite:
traffic. The city's industry is fully
alive to the value of the lake for
transportation. Immense tonnage in
hard and soft coal iron ore and grain
is received b. lake boat, Chicago
ships, by lake boat, enormous quan.
titles OF grain, oil, manufactured iron
merchandise and millstuffs. Chicago
needs only to recognize in its easy