The Holly chieftain., 1923-10-18

ftation and electric power but not yet channel
for commerce.
They would see New Orleans with its slogan.
"The second port Of the United States" and its
$20.000.000 new harbor.
They would see the Great Lakes teeming with
commerce. but not yet with path to the sea; tho
Mississippi with Its barges but not yet a path to
the Great Lakes.
They would see the East and the West at vari
ance over the Great Lakes-St Lawrence route 10
the sea- They would see Illinois and some Of her
neighbor states at variance over the Great Lakes
Gulf route via the Illinois Waterway
They would see In Illinois itself legal complies
tions which threaten further delay
But they would see. looking with the eyes of
the 1929 nation-bulders, within the space Of ten
years one great path leading to the Atlantic and
Europe and another greut path to the Gulf lead
Ing to the Panama canal and South America.
Doubtless this vision will be fulfilled. What was
done at the 500 can be done at Lachne the chan.
neng of the st. Clair fats can be repeated In the
mudbanks Of the Illinois.
The Illinois river, which flows into the Missis-
sippi above Alton. Is connected with Chicago and
the Great Lakes by the Illinois and Michigan
canal which begins at IaSalle. This canal was
completed and opened In 1S4S. II contributed largely
to the initial growth of Chicago and aided In the
development Of northern Illinois. Until 1887. when
the railroads were able to haul greater tonnage
and the state was unable. because Of the restric-
tions In the constitution Of 1870. to enlarge 1t to
Its right Of way is steted to be now worth slh-
100000. sN5&
II was the necessity Of more adequate channel
Of navigation and water transportation from Chi.
cago to the Gulf that impeed the people Of H.
lnols to vote in 1908 the twenty-mon- dollar bond
Issue for the purpose. Power development was an
important factor in the final selection of the river
route as against an attempt to enlarge the canal
Following the bond issue authorization In lyOS
all efforts to get action In the legislature were
blocked by differences OF opinion and political
jeaIouses In 1915 the legislature agreed on a
bill Incorporating plan for the work. which he
came a law. II provided for locks Of minimum
width OF IS feet and length OF $50 feet The
chief Of engineers Of the War department refused
to approve the plan on the ground the size Of
locks was but little Improvement on the old canal
and that water power scheme was paramount.
This refusal resulted In u delay of four years
more. In 1915 Superintendent Sackett had con.
ference with Gen. william NJ. Black, then chief
Of engineers. and succeeded In working on an
agreement with him. This was Incorporated in
the law Of 1919 passed by the Fifty-irst general
assembly. Plans for the work ~ M G. Barnes
chief engineer. who had been In government serv.
Ice In connection with the construction Of the
Panama canal, gained approval of the chief of en-.
gneers of the War department and secretary Of
In March. 1920, after FIVE years of effort fol.
lowing the first enactment by the general assembly
The pan approved provides for the Improvement
of the Desplaines river from Lockport to Its mouth
eight miles west of Joliet at Its confluence with rhe
kanliakee river, the two forming the Illinois river,
and of the Illinois river from that point to Utica
where the present nayigable water of the river Is
reached This will be done by construction Of
four dams creating navigable pools and five locks,
compared with fifteen locks In the old Illinois
and Michigan canal. The locks will be the same
width as the locks Of the Panama canal. ITO feet,
but COO feet long. two-thirds the length Of the
locks of the Panama canal. These locks ,bont
two city blocks in length and nearly half block
In width. They will have depth Of IA feet over