Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-10-23
STATE IS READY TO
LET CONTRACTS FOR
DEEP WATERWAY
SUPERiNTENDEN SAC X
SAYS SOME or JOBS ARE NOW
READY FOR ETTlNG-WRlTES
OF PLANS TO JOURNAL OF
COMMERCE.

lIlluOlnS deep water W ny, dNtpI ul'b ~
an article written by William l., Sack.
EFT superintendent Of the state divi-
sion of water ways, which appears ~
the current issue Of the Illinois Jour
nal OF Commerce. The article is en-
titled Opening the World to the Com
merce OF Illinois by Means of the
Great Safe Water Way
Mr. Sackett writes.
1T has required more than two cen
turtles to work out plans and secuf"
legislation for the construction OF the
Illinois water way. What joliet ana
Marquette saw with such prophet
vision in 1873 seems likely to become
Il realization within the next five
years--the Improvement OF the Dea
PLANES and Illinois Rivers between
lockport, in VIII County, and Utica.
La Sale County, so there may be an
adequate channel TOR Water-borne con-
merce from the great lakes 20 the
gulf, and via the Ilennepin Canal to
the great producing centers o. IN"
northwest.
The proposed water way Will con
meet up and make serNlceabie i3,ouo
miles of inland rivers Of the greh'
Mississippi alley and join the system
with the great lakes at Chicago,
Center of Population.
illinois is now the center OF popu
latiOn Chicago Il the second ldrgeS'
city of the United states. Existing
conditions will soon make the state
the natural location OF vast mannidc
turing activities, and the vatlou
cities of the state will reap CONNER
cial benefits heretofore never dream
ed of
Railroad freight rates are exceed
inely high as the result OF the wal
and changed conditions. Industry
staggers under the load il is carry
ing. Transportation by water ole.
solution OF one OF the high costs
Without water connection to tn
gulf from the lakes the Panama Cana
is commercial handicap to the. mid
die west and great mississippi Val
lev. Both east and west coast point.
get the advantage OF the cheape
rates for long water haul, while thu
middle west has a vast unused system
OF water ways,t merely because there
is an interruption of sixty mile
through which boats cannot naylgate
In the earlier days the Illinois an
Michigan Canal provided the channe
for water transportation, but its Ill
mansions are limited and the tonnag
capacity small Railroads developed
commerce went To them because o
the greater tonnage capacity, termlna
facilities and rates approximately tn
same as BY water, and in some case
less when cost of operating antiquate'
boats and teaming charge was added
The railroad doubtless will continu
the greater factor in transportation
But its cost nder the pest moder
practice is and must continue to b
several times greater than that O
water trans portation under prope
navigable conditions.
Several attempts have been mad
since 1908 tn obtain Legislative al
thorization to construct the waite
way In 1913. during the administrf
OF Governor Dunno, the first favorabi
legislative action was taken. IL. Pre-
vided for use OF a part OF the lllinol
and Michigan Canal Locks We're onl
$50 feet long and abolt fortyfiNe fee
wide These dimensions did not COZ
form to recommendation Of geverl
ment engineers and the war depar
ment refused to authorize its con
struCtiOn.
Governor Lowden presented tn
situation to the last session OF the lie!
islature and gave much study to III
project Eminent engineers were el
gagged and law was enacted by tn
legislature which embCdes the re-
concentrations OF government engi
GERS and provides an adequate cham,
for profitable water transportation
will have carrying capacity OF mo,
than 60 900 900 tons annually
Ready to Let Contracts.
Will it be constructed? The stat
is ready 20 let contracts and sta
some of the work Governor l.owde
has asked. under provisions of fe
eral law, for the approval of plans !
the chic fof engineers Of the war d
par.ment and authorization for co
struction by the secretary of war.
favorable response from the COVER
ment Is expected at any time. Thel
may intervene a question as to amour
OF water diversion from Lake Mich
gan for sanitary purposes and prote
ton of the water supply Of Chicas
that may result in delay, but goveg
ment objection to the project is n
ANTICIPATED.
in the Improvement of the portion
OF the Des PLANES and Illinois rive
not now navigable. There will be
lock connection with the sanitary d
trct channel at l.ockport. Four ado
tional locks will be required to NAL
navigable pools to connect with &
Illinois River at Utica now the he;
OF river navigation.
These locks will be 500 feet usap
length and no feet wide. The cha
mel will be zoo feet wide, with
minimum depth of eight feet in cart
ten feet in rock and fourteen feet ov
inter stills of locks II will perm
navigation of fleets of boats carryil
from Ave to eight average train loa
Of freight These fleets of towboa
and eight barges can 90 through q
locks without being broken up al
consequent delay"