The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-02-25
WATERWAY A
], FACT UNDER
GOV. LOWDEN
49, AZ
Illinois Executive Carries Project
/. to Success After Others
/. Fail. .,s,s
LINKS LAKES TO MISSISSIPPI
Improvement ct Vast Importance 70
Mississlppj Valley and Northwest
All Bars. to Actual Con.
s'e,s ttructlon Removed.


One OF the outstanding achievements
Of Gov. Frank o. Lowdens admins
fratioD In Illinois was the putting
through Of the Illinois waterways prof.
tct Which VIII cost $2OOOO,OOO and
pFovide water connection between the
Nreat Lakes and the Mississippi river.
The project has been under discus
sion for more than 20 years, and
several state administrations have
struggled in vain with this important
problem. It remained for Governor
LoWden to carry the. great improve
inent through to success.
The Inst bar to the project was re-
moved January 10 with the issuance
OF permit by the secretary of war
authorizing the state to proceed at
once with the Improvement. The be.
ginning of actual construction work
Is now but a matter of short time,
and completion of the water link ut
la'. becomes a visible goal. Tremen-
Nons benefits will be realized by all
classes Of business interests in the
Mississippi valley as the result Of
the opening of the water route.
THE waterway will be Of immense
value to farmers Of the great produce
Ing region of the entire Mississippi
valley and the Northwest" Governor
l.0wden said. "The Illinois project
Will be in accord with the improve
ment Of the Mississippi. Ohio and Mis-
souri, rivers by the federal govern
ment for navigation. Locks will be COO
feet long, ITO feet wide, accommodate
ing fleets Of barges carrying $500 to
Sah0 tons of freight, the equivalent
OF six to eight average train loads.
@Before the war and the increase
Ut rail freight rates ton Of freight
was. carried a thousand miles by wa
ter as cheaply as fifty miles by rail.
This is fair Indication of the benefit
to be afforded the public by the work
when 1t Is completed. It's value Is
now enhanced by the government re-
quirement of interchange Of freight by
railroad ut suitable water terminal
points throughout the country"
The waterway will follow the
drainage canal from Chicago to Lock-
port from which the connection will
he made with the Illinois river at
Utica by barge canal eight feet deep.
which may later be deepened to IA
feet, as conditions require. In addi-
ton to the great advantages to COM
merce. water power valued at approx
mntely $l,O00.000 a year will be devel-
Oped which will effect saving of an
proximately 100000 tons of coal an
nually.
The surveys and engineering work
for the Improvement have been under
the direction of NJ. G. Barnes who,
during the Roosevelt administration,
designed for the government the struc-
ture of the Panama canal. Construc-
tion work will be supervised by Frank
!. Bennett, director OF the depart
ment Of public works and buildings,
and William l.. Sackett. superintend-
ent OF the division of waterways.
These officers state that much Of the
preliminary work has already been &C.
compllshed. Funds for carrying on
the construction were provided
through the action of the last legisla-
ture authorizing the issuance Of 500.
OOOOOO bonds which have been af-
firmed by vote of the people.