Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-02-25
WATERWAY A
FACT UNDER
Gov. LOWDEN
Illinois Executive Carries Project
to Success After Others
Fail.
LINKS LAKES TO MISSISSIPPI
Improvement Of Vast Importance to
Mississippi Valley and Northwest
All Bars TO Actual Con-
struction Removed.

One of the outstanding achievements
Of Gov. Frank o. Lowden's admins
tration in Illinois was the putting
through of the Illinois waterways prof
ect which will cost $20,000,0O0 and
provide water connection between the
Great 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. 1t remained for Governor
Lowden to carry the great improve
nent through to success.
The last bar to the project was re-
moved January 10 with the issuance
of a 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 q short time,
and completion Of the water link at
last becomes a visible goal. Tremen-
dous 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 produc-
ing region Of the entire Mississippi
valley and the Northwest" Governor
Lowden 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 600
feet long, ITO feet wide, accommodate
ing fleets of barges carrying $500 to
5000 tons Of freight, the equivalent
Of six to eight average train loads.
Before the war and the increase
Of rail freight rates a ton of freight
was carried 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. Its value is
now enhanced by the government re-
quirement of interchange of freight by
railroad at suitable water terminal
points throughout the country"
The waterway will follow the
drainage canal from Chicago to Lock
port from which the connection will
be made with the Illinois river at
Utica by barge canal eight feet deep,
which may later be deepened to Id
feet, as conditions require. In addi-
ton to the great advantages to COM
merce, water power valued at approx
mately S1,000,000 year will be devel-
oped which will effect saving of APP
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-
ton 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 ac-
complished. Funds for carrying on
the construction were provided
through the action of the last legisla-
ture authorizing the issuance of $20,-
100000 bonds which have been af-
firmed by vote of the people.