The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-12-15


CANADIAN WHEAT SHIPMENTS
COULD THUS BE MADE WITH
OUT CHANGING OF VESSELS.
ASHLAND, Wis, Dec. GA ship
canal across Northern Wisconsin con-
Meeting Lake Superior with the Mis-
sssippi river. spasmodically agitated
for the past 80 years, is reality,
when the deep waterway project goes
through according to marine men
here.
The New Orleans-Lake Pontchatrain
Industrial canal which began in 1872,
will also ultimately be a stimulus to
the Northern Wisconsin canal, cutting
off the Mississippi below the Crescent
City, avoiding the Eads jetties, and
bringing the ocean right to the doors
of that city.
For down this route Canadian
wheat from Winnipeg, transferred to
boats, at Fort William or Duluth-Su-
perior or Ashland, would, by this
route. be directly accessible to the
gulf and the Atlantic without change
of vessel.
SURVEY THREE ROUTES.
Three principal routes for ship
canal from Lake Superior to the Mis-
sissippi have ben surveyed.
One of these begins in Chequamegon
Bay following Bad and White rivers
to the source of the Namaka-
gon or. Owen lakes paralleling the
Omaha" railroad for a distance
through Mason to Hayward, and then
following the source of the st. Croix
river through Washburn and Burnett
counties, and thence straight down
that river past Saltwater and Hud-
son to the Mississippi.
But there are alternative routes,
through a hundred lakes, including
Lac Courte Orrielles, Lake Chetek,
Lang lake, Shell lake and thence fol-
lowing the water courses to Saltwater
or Hudson. There is ample water,
engineers say, in these many north
Wisconsin lakes. to float vessels over
the locks.
SUGGEST OTHER ROUTES.
Another and somewhat shorter
route, is that up the Brule river in
Douglas county, the original natural
water route up which the early voy-
ageurs took their course to the
sources of the st. Croix, and still an
other route, is that up st. Louis
river from Duluth Superior, but none
of the three has ever been fully in
Yestigated or thoroughly surveyed.
Harry HI. Downes, Twin City dele
gate to the Rivers and Harbors con-
gress in 1916, submitted report to
the council of Minneapolis in which
he said in part:
s'In reference to the proposed gov
eminent canal between the Twin
Cities and Duluth-Superior (via st.
Louis river or Amnicon river, or the
Brule river, all being practically Du-
luth and Superior projects, while
such waterway is possible, it is
not practicable on account of the
enormous expense involved. / made
inquiries as to a waterway from Ash
lard, Wis.,, and have reason to be-
lieve that such waterway would not
only be feasible, but would cost less
than from Duluth. Ashland has one
of the best harbors on the Great
Lakes"
SUGGESTS SURVEY.
Mr.. Downes then continues, recon-
mending that an attempt be made
to get congressional authority for a
survey of the Ashland Minneapolis
route via White River.
The Wisconsin divide is near Cable,
on the summit of which is Lake Owen,
10 miles long and very deep, and Ma
makagon lake with about hundred
miles Of coast line, and also very
deep and clear lake.
From Lac Courte Orreilles lake to
Brentwood there. is an almost unin-
terrupted string OF Iakss for 80 miles
with enough w.ter to supply the Pan
ANA canal There is considerable rock
on the,dst. Louis, Amnicon or Brule
ropes.
The Twin Cities have long agitated
"a Lake Superior Mississippi canal, as
it would furnish the Twin Cities and
the Northwest an all-water route to
Lake Superior, and thence to the
ocean for their wheat and flour, and
would also enable them to get their
coal by barges shipped at Lake Erie
ports to Minneapolis without trans
shipment to cars.
The Deepwaterway will greatly
stimulate the efforts to obtain thor
ough government survey, and no
doubt, the two water systems will be
connected by canal along one of
these suggested routes. The cost of
nanaI 60 1o~<., %Lo Nox,y N-Ioc,c