Smyrna times., 1933-04-19
GULF CHANNEL
READY IN JUNE
Is Link Between Great Lakes
and the Mississippi
Valley
DETAILS OF PROJECT

Washington.-Just before he re
tired as secretary of war. Patrick
}. Hurley announced that the mi.
nois waterway would be formally
opened next June in connection with
the opening of the Century of Prog
ress exposition. Plans for an ear
lier official opening were abandoned.
II was stated. when it was found
that delay in the alteration Of rail.
road bridges spanning the channel
would prevent the larger harges
from being brought into Chicago
from the lower Illinois river.
"One of the major waterway de
velopments of the country. provid-
ing link between the Great Lakes
and the Mississippi valley. is near
realization" said Mr.. Hurley in his
announcement. THE celebration of
its completion, scheduled for June.
will mark another great advance in
our national program to provide an
interconnected waterway transporta
ton system.
Details Of Big Project.
In the river and harbor act Of
July 3. 1890. congress authorized
completion by the government Of
the Illinois waterway. which had
been partially constructed by the
state Of Illinois. and authorized the
appropriation of not to exceed
$7,5O0,GO0 for completing the neces-
sary locks and dams. dredging and
appurtenant works. The army en-
gineers undertook this job and lost
no time in arranging for transfer
of the state works to the United
States and getting work started.
This Improvement. now in the
final stage of construction, in CON
junction with the Chicago sanitary
canal, the Chicago river. and the i'm
provement of the lower reaches of
the Illinois river, will afford a
through waterway with a navigable
depth of 9 feet connecting Lake
Michigan at Chicago with the Mis-
sissippi river system and the Gulf Of
Mexico, 1,623 miles distant. The wa
terway will insure direct nagivable
connection for water borne com
merce between the great industrial
and agricultural centers as well as
with the protected intercoastal wa
terways along the gulf coast.
From the mouth of the Illinois
river at Grafton to Utica the river
has been dredged. The locks and
dams at Kampsville and La Grange,
Bis miles above the mouth, have
been reconditioned. Both projects
were authorized In the act Of 1927
with an appropriation of not to ex-
coed S3.500.0O0 for the lower Sec
ton of the Illinois river. Between
Utica and Lockport, FIVE locks and
dams. at Starved Rock, Marseilles, (
Dresden Island, Brandon road, and
Lockport, have been practically COM
pleted. The necessary connecting
channel ways and river walls where
the pools have been raised above
street levels. such as at Joliet, also
have been finished.
To provide the maximum relief to
idle men and to hasten the water
ways, the government work has
been pushed with all possible speed.
The federal expenditures up to jan
uary 1, 1888. amounted to S2.630OO0
for the section below Utica. and
for the section above
Utica. a total of S7,755,OO0.
Delayed by Bridges.
"Seventy-nine railroad or highway
bridges. of which 81 are between
Grafton and Lockport. and 80 be-
tween Lockport and Lake Michigan
and alterations TO them by the
owners thereof to permit suitable
are progressing. While
ther have been many complicated
problems, it is anticipated that upon
the opening of navigation, or soon
the difficulties attending
this feature of the waterway will be
adjusted.
Upon completion of alterations.
the bridge clearances will be sub
stantially as follows:
Mississippi river to Starved Rock:
Vertical, "A feet above extreme
high water; horizontal. rs feet.
Starved Rock TO Lockport: Verti-
cal. AZ feet above standard pool
levels; horizontal, 10 feet.
Lockport to Lake Michigan: Yer
teal. 161s feet above present lake
datum; horizontal y feet.
1.-THE bridges will be equipped
with lift or draw facilities where
necessary.
"The creation of the waterway
will climax the dream of the early
explorers, the French Jesuit Father
Marquette and his companion, Louis
Toilet. The opening will prove Mt
ing celebration In connection win
he opening of the Chicago Worlds