The Holbrook news., 1920-02-27
WATERWAY
 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 prOj- ect which will cost $20O00,O00 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. It remained for Governor Lowden to carry the great improve ment through to success.
 The last bar to the project was re- moved January 16 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 a 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.
 'HThe 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, no feet wide, accommodate ing fleets of barges carrying 6,600 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 it 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 IA feet, as conditions require. In addi- tion to the great advantages to com nerce, water power valued at approxi- mately $1,0OO,OO0 year will be devel- oped which will effect a saving of ap- proximately 100000 tons of coal an nually.
 The surveys and engineering work for the improvement have been under the direction of M. 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 I. Bennett, director of the depart ment of public works and buildings, and William L. Sackett, superintend- eut 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 $2O,- 100000 bonds which have been af- drmed by vote of the people.