The Arvada enterprise., 1923-10-18

miter sills. The minimum depth Of the pools
formed by the dams will be nine feet, which Ia
the available depth for navigation In the Mssis-
sipp. from Cairo to New Orleans
The Lockport lock-the picture gives IN idea
OF Its size as reckoned in skyscrnpers-will hav.
the highest lift of any lock Of its size IN the world
Ill feet. This will enable boats to get from the
Desplaines river into the Chicago Sanitary district
channel which affords II navgable channel of 2l
feet into Chicago-an important link In the I'm
provement by the state of the 65-mile stretch of
the Desplaines and Illinois rivers from Lockport to
Utica and considered the most valuable potential
artery OF transportation for Its length In the world.
These locks will permit transportation In fleets.
without breaking bulk. from New Orleans to Chi
cago, OF 1900 tons cargo capacity. which Is equal
10 IL average trainlOads in 1920. The waterway,
when completed will have IN annual tonnage ca
pncity Of more than sixty million. The cost Of
haul by water Is about One-third the railroad
freight rate Of 1921
The fall from Chicago to Utica Is 40 feet. This
VIII anord IA power development at each Of the
dams totaling 5000 horsepower. This, It 10 esti.
mated. should net the state annual income Of
$l.JOO.OOO
With the completion Of the Illinois Waterway
Chicago will be 400 miles nearer TO New Orleans
than is Pittsburgh and there will be five locks ON
the Illinois Waterway route as against hfty-f0ur
on the Ohio river route. Chicago will have q
7.OOO-mile all-water route to San Francisco with
one barge-toship transfer at New Orleans sav-
ing OF over $1,000 per car between Chicago and
Pacific coast ports.
In 1922 1t was planned to proceed with the con.
struction OF the Starved Rock lock and dam. for
which plans were ready. The site for the lock
hnd to be acquired. Because of complications In
title the attorney generals Office held II wOun be
necessary to acquire this land by condemnation
proceedings The decision Of the county court Of
LaSalle county In this case was adverse to the
natl h0
pending the decision of the state supreme court
where the LaSalle county case In on appeal Gov.
ernor Small has authorized the construction ot the
L0ckpOrt lock.
Several questions have been raised In the La.
Sale county which threaten years Of DELAY in
actual construction II 1t would be possible to coo.
struct the waterway at ALL II 10 contended;
That complete detailed plans. not only for con.
strucion Of tho waterway. but for all water power
plants and appurtenances must b prepared asd
submitted to the court.
That the court must pass on the sulI,ciencv a.
these plans and determine II the waterway aad
power plants can be built according to the p,.oe
for s2O.O0OOo0.
That detailed plans must be submitted TO m, N.
cites and villages along the route Of the wate,wa,
and must be approved by them
That all this must be done before the ssa,s hs.
any right to bring condemnation suits to scouine
land for any part Of the construction Of the water.
way At any poInt.
CHIEF Engineer Barnes contends for the s,s,s
that It 10 physically imIossiblsto TO prepare detailed
plans for the waterway and water power and Au-
purtenances in advance Of any cOistructiOt The
waterway construction for navigation must nrs,
proceed-ihs locks nnd dams Following ths, vii,
come details Of water p"wer and other npr,ir,ennn,
construction The rights Of the cities. contends
the stMte, Is limited to cases where public ur.,u.
erty Is affected by construction.
Another complication In this: The state of Wis
cOnsin. In IN original Injunction suit Nl.d IN the
United Stntes Supreme court. contends the I,hi.
csgn Sanitary district In unlM Mwfuily diver,inx yn
ter from Lake Michigan to facilitate sewage i,s
p0sal md that this diversion has lowered IN. hike
level six Inches. impnrlng vigniion facilities md
inhicting nn annual loss TO lake commerce q, fr,u
x75DUO to &lOO.UO.
The sanitary district officials, challenging these
allegations ns mntters OF fnct but grnn,inv them
for the shke Of prompt nctiOn OfYcr to meet tho
objections upon which they bnsed by building
at u cost Of s2.hADOvU and NJ the cxpcns. Of Chi
cngl. compromising works or nOntinx dn,0s in m.
81. Clair the Nngnrn. and the 81 Lawrence rly.
crs The In'nry district represents the invest
ment Of Sl2O.ODOUD. II wns crcnied In 1880 nnd
the drninnge and ship canal connecting IN. chi
cngO and Despinnes rivers was finished In l,ssl
In the meantime Illinois nnh indiana aided md
nbctt.d by the Wnr department, nre getting t.n,,y
for the completion of the Illinois waterway. ElnD
crate plans nre well under way for hnrbOrs -
Lake Michigan NJ the sinie line MTOrding rcship-
ping facilities for Grent Lakes 10 Gulf trMt1c,