Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1879 — Major Smith's Report of the Cost of Improving the Kankakee River. [ARTICLE]

Major Smith's Report of the Cost of Improving the Kankakee River.

Major Smith,,Who made a r*cuß»pi*ar><;n of the Kankakee river lu»t sttrtnner, with tho view of deciding tho question of in nnvignble condition, lit* made a report quite favorable to the proposition, so far as it* praelieabilhy i* concerned. He estimates I he cost of improving tho river firbnj Momente, Illinois, up to the state line at $■150,000; from the elate line up the river 160 miles, $160,000. Major Smith any*: Thu System to be pursued in these improvement* would have in view simply a deepening, and, to a small extent, straight'! eniug lhe ehnuuel. The deepening ot the chut:nel will require; I. The removal of snags. 2. The removal of bars. These will disappear to a con.-iderabic extent by the removal of snag* around which' ibvy have formed. Those then remaining can bo rcadtly-uut awpy by increasing the vel? oeity of tlie current, through the agency ol wing-dams nnd similar expedients. There being no peveepljble amount of earthy matter held in ausporitlfm by the water nt anv stag*, little or no difficulty need be anticipated in {he removal of nil bar* without tho formations of new ones. 3, The unification, of the channel. In many places gorfi .p** of the water leave the imiitr mSc through sloughs or bnyons, arid fn some places island*, divide the channel. These'evil* cpn he rciidily remodled by the use of cheaplyconstructed works q£piles and hrnstt,. a { In straightening the bend* two rases will arise: • . . , 1. Where a large bow exists, formlfig a peninswta with a narrow neck, tt inay bo found desirable to shorten the channel hyt cutting ncross the neck olland. This would only be desirable where the shortened distance Would not too greatly IhcftnSe the declivity. In most cases the distance from side to side ie very »hort, and a single cat of n dredge would be all the opening required fbrthe water to perfect the work. 2. Where bends are so sharp that they cannot he readily navigated, the point within the bend may bo cut with a dredge, and by wing-dams or bunk protection ett the opposite side tho necessary results can be accomplished at a small expenso. In some places the action of the water ii'constantly cutting the banks, and beside* otherwisu injuring the channel, is additfg to its supply of anags. Any system of improvement looking to permanence should check this cutting,,by a proper protection of the exposed balnks. I would make the tslimate as follows; For improving Kankakee river iu Indiana.^ Removal of snags f 50,000 Dredging. 60,00.) Brush and pile work 24.000 Engineering and contingencies........ . 10,000 Total .« *l*o,ooo The above being at the rate of SI,OOO per mile.