Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-12-19

= SO millions of public money must be
spent. to make q water power, that
no one can use but the utility corpora
: lions; besides this dam will damage
much property and make Il great lake
of stagnant Chicago sewage, that Will
nearly surround ottawa. 1t has been
estimated that the probable cost OF
this water power and incidently the
making of an S.foot waterway, will
be $50 100000, enough to build a rail-
road on both sides OF the Illinois river
from Chicago TO the outlet or the river
at $4,000 per mile for each line. a
river waterway can be operated only
six TO seven months of the year, while
n railroad can be used twelve months
of the year. A railroad can build eX.
tensions and switches TO factories and
to points where freight can be easily
and cheaply loaded and unloaded,
while in case of river traffic all freight
must be taken to the river The talk
given to the public Is that river trans.
portation is so very cheap. That one
tug can handle a line OF barges carry
ing 5000 tons or 500 cars of freight.
This sounds nice. but il must be con-
sidered that it would take some time
tc accumulate 5000 tons OF freight at
given point and much time would be
lost in making up thirty-six TO forty
barge loads. Furthermore, in the
regular course of business. each of
these 800 cars of freight would go TO
different place. mostly not on the
river. 1t must be remembered that
the river and all river equipment can
be used only six TO seven months in
the year, that for five TO six months
all this equipment of boats, locks and
docks are dead investment that re-
uuires expensive upkeep and care
without bringing in anything. Owing
to such conditions, river transporta-
ton is not cheap and it has steadily
declined. The Mississippi river the
waterway of the Mississippi Valley Is
navigahle for over 1900 miles from st.
Paul to New Orleans and has been
used for over 100 years and the Gov
eminent has spent many millions on
its improvements, yet il is safe TO say
that there are not ten boats on this
river today, where there were 100
twenty-five or thirty years ago. That
the Illinois or Mississippi rivers can
ever furnish shipping facilities equal
to our coast seaports is fantastic talk.
River boats have a draft of four TO
six feet while ocean going vessels
draw thirty to forty feet.
Inland river transportation belongs
to the era of the stage coach. Bust
ness of today requires transportation
that can be used every day in the
year. An improved waterway connec-
ton between the drainage canal and
the Illinois river at La Sale is desir-
able If at a reasonable cost. The
State already has this waterway in
the Illinois and Michigan canal. This
canal had depth Of five and one-half
feet when built and to make an. eight
foot channel It would only be neces-
safy toetafse fifteen inches out pfsthe
bottom of the canal and raise the
banks fifteen inches. This canal was
built mostly hy hand with pick and
shovel. Today steam dredges iwpuld
quickly transform it into channsl of
tie q eeessaEy7 Eist9 ,aa!f depth sand!
With new locks II &orrd only tost a
SMALL part of what the proposed water
power scheme will cost. OF tohrse
an enlarged canal would not Produce
any water power. -rbut 1t would carry
all the freight, that there will bs to
80 hylyfters b9j6Io94q
The principal matterItQ,be considered
BY The people bf Ottawa in connedfion
with this water power schemeI Id as
the Free Trader has stated. How rnuch !
Will IT t6stetthe people of OHt&wa. !
How much damage will 1t fo?I any |
one that will take the trouble to look |
will find on the lowland east bf fheif
Fox river on the high school grounds
and other places surveyors stakes
marked 459 and 461 with stake num-
bers 459 is the number of feet the |
top of the dam at Starved Rock will |
be above sea level or 121 feet below |
the lake level at Chicago, which is
$50 feet above sea level. 461 or two |
feet higher than the top of the dam
is probably the estimated permanent
is built since it is understood that the
state is proposing to pay for all land
up to the elevation of 461 feet. This
permanent low water level of 461 feet
above sea level is just twenty-five feet
below Washington park and II anyone
knows how many feet the river has
raised in the past during flood time
from low water 1t can be estimated 4
pretty well what floods have in. store
for ottawa after the dam is built. A
rise in the river of fifteen to eighteen
feet from this permanent low level of
i61 elevation, will back the filth of the
sewers into the cellars and a rise of
feet will put the river into