The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-12-13
MINNESOTA CANAL COMPANY
SCHEME,

April Is, 1898, one Henry M. Spald-
ing. civil engineer, met the board of
public works at the city hall to ex-
plain the main features of a power
plan, proposed and backed by the Min
nesota Canal company.
Spalding was a short, rather broad
old man with q flowing white beard,
He had been about everywhere and
done a good many different things, &C.
cording to what he let drop now and
then. He even had lost his toes in
some of his engineering adventures and
his gait slightly showed their loss.
The plan of the Minnesota Canal
company, as outlined by venerable
Henry M. Spalding, was to construct
a canal from the headwaters Of the St.
Louis river to the hilltop above Eight.
teenth avenue west for the purpose of
turning water wheels and generating
cheap power to the city Of Duluth.
The idea was to dam st. Louis river
about seven miles above Cloquet, there
by making the canal about Is miles
long. It was proposed to make the
canal 120 feet wide and 20 feet deep
in the middle. with its course as near
level as possible to make it, with just
enough grade to make the water run
towards Duluth, giving current flow
Of about 3 feet per second.
When the water reached the hilltop,
above the city, about $50 feet above
lake level, it was planned to convey it
down the hill to points where it was
desired in q steel conduit six feet in
diameter.
Engineer Spalding informed the city
officials that his proposed canal could
furnish power at SIS year, per horse
power, as against $3.50 a year that
hen was being paid for steam power
in dear old Duluth.
It was estimated that the Minnesota
power canal would utilize only about
one-tenth the water supply Of the St.
Louis river. To augment that supply,
however. Mr.. Spalding showed that
there was only heighth of Sc feet be-
tween TIE St. Louis river and the wa
making it entirely possible to divert a
flow southwark from that basin with
out encounte-ing any prohibitive en-
rineerine difficulties. That plan, the
board of works was assured, would
make available 100000 h. D., regard
less of the natural and normal water
SIMPLY of the st. Louis river. That
plan. however, raised international
questions.
The canal was represented not only
| as means of bringing water to pow
fy1 NH Al
| hioh pressure. but was considered suit
able for floating logs from the hinter.
land to the then large. sawmills at West
Duluth and other points along the city g
water front. A special sluiceway down
the hill was planned for the logs.
At that time, Duluth had a rotten
water service and, in times of fire, the
pressure was ample only to squirt weak
stream onto the second floor Of burn
ing building. A pressure from the
hilltop would throw stream over any
building in Duluth and tax the strong.
est pines. The canal water, too. was
considered suitable for all household
purposes save drinking.
It further was pointed out that the
| canal would make a summer waterway
'nto the hinterland for boats and .
driveway and halfway in winter. The
estimated cost was 100000.
Engineer Spalding's scheme excited
the envy Of various Duluthians. Not
only were objections made to giving
the Minnesota Canal company certain
rights and privileges that it desired
but q rival power company was organ.
lied, the late o. H. Simonds being
prominent and active in its affairs
There was much pickering, backing
and filling, shooting propaganda and