Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-12-02

sed Great Lakes-to-Gulf
connecting link, Cover
nor Len Small last night
ordered c O |. Miller.
mead OF the state department of
public works and buildings to pro.
oeed without further delay in com.
pleting plans and specifications for
early letting of contracts for the
Starved Rock dam.
Inc governor accompanied by
MAYOR Thompson, of Chicago. Colonel
Mlller. Chief Waterway Engineer
Barnes and W. L. Sackett, superin.
tendent of waterways, spent all of
yesterday touring the route of the
proposed works which will make pos.
sible movement of ships between
Utica and Lockport.
Has Change Of Heart.
Ffior to his official visit to the val.
icy the governor had been charged bv
waterway fans with assuming an air
OF indifference toward the waterway.
Last hlght members of his party pro.
GAINED him to be one of the most ON.
thuslastic men in the state for tho
project The switch in attitude cana
when possibilities Of the waterway
were put to the executive by Engineer
pdrhes ana Others of his party on the
scenes or many proposed works
MI Barnes in his conversations with
tiic governor announced that plans for
the starved Rock dam were already
completed. but the specification vet
remained to be finished. Following
receipt OF this information the gov.
ernor's orders were to get the last oh.
stacle removed to an early letting of
contracts. The implication was that.
the specifications could be drafted in
a few weeks and that by the end oe
thirtv days the. state would advertise
for bids.
The governor was determined that
the dam at Starved Rock. being the
largest project III connection with the
waterway, should be first completed
and then would follow work on the
locks at Dresden Heights and at Lock.
lort.
All Lands Purchased.
W. l.. Sackett informed the governor
hta all lands needed for right of waY
II connection with the dam west of
ottawa had been purchased This
'aved the way for proceeding with the
works without any legal barriers to
dispose of as preliminary to getting
under progress, he said.
Engineer Barnes in Discussing the
at Ottawa said that every
lrccautiCr would lie taken to safe
guard this city against floods. The
for the dam, he added,
would take care of the sewage PROPOSE
ion i'll Ottawa and make secure at all
ines proper drainage facilities even
hough the waters in the Illinois river,
o which the sewers throw their
waste, viii be greatly increased by the
resence down streem OF the large OBJ
truction created by the dam
The dam, Mr., Barnes estimated. will
ost in the proximity Cf S5G00,00 and
will require three years to erect Thft
5 one of the reasons why the governor
S deSirOus of meeting with no more
elays in getting the project under
fay,
Create $4,000 Horse Power.
The water power created BY the
am, according to Mr. Barnes. viii
reate 75,G00 horse power and supply
nough electricity for all the cities of
he valley. He estimated that at least
1900 tons Of grain annually would
e shipped over the waterway by farm
rs of the valley alone, at a saving OF
early cents bushel in freight
ates. Among other things, it was
ointed out, il the waterway fulils
s expectancy, it will pay for itself in
lree years time
This helped make the governor wax
and brought him almost
} the poirt where he was ready t.
nnounce sale of another huge block
t the $20D00,000 in waterway bonds.
Intimation was made that some
itch is threatening to tie UP the
anal extending $4,000 feet eastward
ON the Belle Isle locks upstream and
ev0nd the site of the present Mar
silles dam The insult interests. said
, control large tract east of Mar
eilles, is said to be putting up some
npositiNn to the states acquisition Of
s property.
The visit of Governor Small, Mayor
thompson and the rest of the party
dS bl SHtIl uuldJitH III ONidNd' Al
wing here about | 80 o'clock Friday
fternoon, they took on gasoline for
leir FIVE machines and at 1:45 were
aaded west for Starved Rock where
ley spent the remainder of the aft
noon.
Lauds playground" Idea.
incidentally. the governor heartily
ldorsed Colonel Niller's plans for
aking the state park the greatest
in the middle west.
he colonel recounted the many im-
rovements he had under contempla-
on aud the executive applauded each
le The proposal to make a great
ee camping site for tourists won the
lthuSiastic Endorsement of the gov