Mr. DAVIS. Will you be kind enough to give the size of the canal and the locks, and what you consider its capacity?

Mr. UTLEY. The canal is 60 feet wide and 6 feet deep.

Mr. DAVIS. Sixty feet top or bottom?

Mr. UTLEY. Sixty feet on the top, with slope of one and a half to one, making 42 feet on the bottom, and 6 feet in depth.

Mr. DAVIS. How about the locks?

Mr. UTLEY. The locks are 103 feet long, I think. I have not the data with me that I ought to have to answer that question.

Mr. ANDERSON. One hundred and six feet.

Mr. UTLEY. One hundred and three feet, I think, and 18 feet wide. Mr. DAVIS. What capacity of boats do you let through?

Mr. UTLEY. One hundred and sixty tons.

Mr. DAVIS. Do you experience any want of water in dry weather? Mr. UTLEY. No, sir; we have plenty of water.

Lake Michigan.

Mr. DAVIS. How much are your lockages?

We draw now from

Mr. UTLEY. The lower mitre-sill of the lock at La Salle is 145 feet lower than Lake Michigan, making 145 feet of lockage.

Mr. DAVIS. Is that regular, so that you can get your supply from Lake Michigan at all times.

Mr. UTLEY. At all times; yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Through this cut?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir, through this deep cut.

Mr. DAVIS. Did you name what the distance was?

Mr. UTLEY. It is about a hundred miles from Chicago-the canal proper. I think it is between ninety-six and ninety-seven miles in length.

Mr. DAVIS. Do you know the cost of the canal?

Mr. UTLEY. I do not.

Mr. NORWOOD. Have you not some report that gives that data?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; but I haven't them at my hand, except the last report of the canal commissioners.

Mr. NORWOOD. You will be able, however, to furnish the committee with those papers?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir.

Mr. DAVIS. It is stated by Mr. Brainard that a little over eight millions of dollars was the cost of the canal.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Utley, can you furnish us reports of your company, and of the operations of the canal in your State, for several years past? If so, it will save a great many questions that we would otherwise ask you now?

Mr. UTLEY. It is possible that we may find some old reports, but it is rather difficult to get them.

The CHAIRMAN. Then I will ask you one or two questions at the present time. Can you state the relative economy of transporting by the canal under the State management, and under the company management? I mean the comparative charges. Which is the higher? Mr. UTLEY. The tolls are less under the State management, and the cost of repairs has been a little less under the State management. I think I am right about that.

The CHAIRMAN. How are the net profits under the State, and under the company management?

Mr. UTLEY. The last year, under the management of the trustees, the net revenue was about $10,000, and the last year, of 1872, under

the State, it was about $120,000 that we deposited in the State treasury, saving enough to carry us through the winter.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you tables before you from which you can state the tonnage of the canal for several years past?

Mr. UTLEY. I presume I can find that. I have here a table of the articles cleared, on the Illinois and Michigan Canal, in 1871 and 1872, at the lock at Henry. I have at home a statement of the kind you speak of, which I will furnish to you.

The CHAIRMAN. Will you be kind enough now to state to us the proposed enlargement and improvement of this line?

Mr. UTLEY. I know of no proposition for the improvement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at the present. The improvement of the river seems to be the great desire of the people, and the construction of the canal from Hennepin, across to Rock Island. If you wish to know what has been done in reference to the improvement of the Illinois River, I can state it.

The CHAIRMAN. We should be glad to know.

Mr. UTLEY. As I stated before, surveys were made in an early day, and a good deal of interest taken in the matter about 1867, and surveys were again made. In 1865, I think it was, but I am not certain as to the date, Congress made an appropriation of $85,000 for the improvement of the Illinois River and the dredging of that river. Little work was done, and the money diverted by order of the Secretary of War to the im provement of the Rock Island rapids, as there was hardly a sufficient sum appropriated to do much good. In 1869 the legislature of the State passed a law making an appropriation of $450,000 for the improvement of the Illinois River by constructing a lock and dam below La Salle, or between La Salle and Peoria, and appointed commissioners. Under that law we were appointed, and we located the lock at Henry. It be came necessary then to have dredging done. In the same year Congress had made an appropriation of two millions, I think, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War, for the completion, repair, or preservation of the various works of the West. Under that law the Secretary of War allotted $85,000 for the improvement of the Illinois River, which was expended under the direction of the then Chief of Engineers in dredging below Henry. The plan agreed upon between the commissioners and the Chief of Engineers was this: that wherever locks were to be built, there should be a line drawn from the lower mitersill of the upper lock to the upper miter sill of the next lock below, and the tops of the bars dredged off it; otherwise we would have been under the necessity of building the dam so high that it would overflow a large amount of country and entail large expenses upon the State. That agreement has been carried out on the part of the Government of the United States and of the State government.

The next year Congress made an appropriation of a hundred thousand dollars. That was also expended in dredging below points where the $85,000 was exhausted. According to our plans the size was about 350 feet long for the lock between the miter-sills and 75 feet wide. In adopting so large a plan the reason was, not because the needs of commerce demanded a lock of that size, but the United States engineers had determined that it should be of that size to pass gun-boats; not that gun-boats are 350 feet long, but to give 7 feet of water they must also construct camels to buoy up the boats to pass them through. The amount of water that was determined upon was 7 feet in depth, and not less than 3 feet wide at any point.

The lock at Henry and the dam was built at a cost of $400,000.

The last legislature made an appropriation of $430,000 for the construction of another lock and dam at Copperas Creek, sixty miles below the lock and dam at Henry, and, as I said, the State legislature having made an appropriation of $430,000 and Congress an appropriation of $100,000, and the appropriation made by the State government not being available until $100,000 was accumulated from the tolls, we applied to the United States authorities to assist in building that lock by putting in a foundation. The dredging is of comparatively small cost, however, and the building of locks and dams is a large cost; consequently, they are far ahead of the State in their part of the work. The United States authorities determined to put in the foundation of the lock at a cost of about $80,000. The contract is let, and the work is progressing. The foundation of the lock is to be completed by the 1st of May. We hope then to have a sufficient amount of money, and we have no doubt of it, to go on and complete the locking at Copperas Creek.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the estimated cost of the improvement of the Illinois River to give you through connection from the Chicago to the Mississippi?

Mr. UTLEY. The cost of the system of locks, being five in number, is estimated at about $2,200,000, and the cost of the dredging about $430,000. And I will say right here, that the State legislature, in consideration of the United States Government doing what they have done, and what they propose to ask them to do, to complete the dredging, have passed a law allowing United States troops, munitions of war, and any other property of that kind, to pass forever free of toll, and have obliged themselves to keep the work in repair.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the estimated cost of the Hennepin improvement from Hennepin to Rock Island, with the feeder from Dixon?

Mr. UTLEY. Before I answer that I wish to make another statement. The distance from La Salle by the Illinois River to its mouth, at Grafton, is about two hundred and thirty miles. The fall is 29 feet and 4 inches, and, consequently, by the erection of five dams we create a pool from one dam to the other, making two hundred and thirty miles of navigable water 7 feet deep. In reference to the characteristics of the survey of the canal, that canal was surveyed by the citizens in 1866 by Colonel Hudnut, and his estimated cost of the work was $4,500,000. The CHAIRMAN. That is for the Hennepin improvement?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; across to Rock Island. The length was sixtyfour miles from Hennepin to Rock Island of the main canal, and the length of the feeder from the summit to the Rock River at Dixon was thirty-eight miles, making a hundred and two miles of canal 6 feet deep and 60 feet wide.

It has been since surveyed by the authority of the Secretary of War— I think, in 1871, by Mr. Lowe, under the direction of Colonel McComb. His estimate of the cost, material, and labor, being cheaper than it was in 1855 and 1866, is $3,899,000. I have looked over the estimates very carefully, in consultation with Colonel McComb and other eminent engineers, and I have no doubt three millions and a half of dollars would build that canal. That would strike the Mississippi River and accommodate the upper part of the Mississippi, and they would be enabled to reach Chicago and save about two hundred miles, from Rock Island down to the mouth of the Illinois River. Of course a great portion of Iowa and of the western portion of Wisconsin, and much of Minnesota and the western part of our own State, would be greatly accommodated by the construction of that canal.

The CHAIRMAN. It was proposed in 1862, in Congress, to enlarge the Erie Canal and this Illinois River Canal to a depth of 10 feet, for the passage of gun-boats; what do you think of the practicability or desira bility of such a canal through here?

Mr. UTLEY. I think it is very desirable that there should be a connection between the Mississippi River and the lakes. A treaty stipu lation, which you know more about than I do, confines our United States marine to a very small point on the lakes. I think it is very desirable that the connection between the Mississippi River and the lakes be made complete.

The CHAIRMAN. What do you think of the practicability of a canal of that depth from here to the Mississippi?

Mr. UTLEY. It would be very expensive indeed.

The CHAIRMAN. And not necessary for the purposes of commerce! Mr. UTLEY. No, sir.

Mr. NORWOOD. I have not had the good fortune to understand your statements, Mr. Utley, for want of a map. Do your reports give the cost of this construction-the percentage that the tolls have paid upon the cost, the variation for each year of the receipts, and so on, so that we, by getting hold of those reports, can have all that information before us?

Mr. UTLEY. So far as the Illinois and Michigan Canal is concerned, we have all that data.

Mr. NORWOOD. I am speaking of the first canal which you spoke of. Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; we have all that data.

Mr. DAVIS. I understand you, that is the only canal now in operation in the State?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir.

Mr. DAVIS. Except that there is one on the Wabash River improve

ment.

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; that is a small matter.

Mr. DAVIS. Is that in the hands of the State?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir.

Mr. NORWOOD. Will those reports show the amount that was expended directly out of the State treasury, as well as the receipts from lauds donated by the Government?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; I think they will, if you can find them. Some of them are very old, but I think that they can be found. I will make an effort, at least, to have them sent to you.

The CHAIRMAN. I wish to ask one additional question. How do you account for the small amount of business done by this canal? It is situ ated in a very populous and very productive country, and I want your theory.

Mr. UTLEY. My theory is, that no canal of so short a length, unless under very peculiar circumstances, can be made to pay any profit. The great advantage is to people living upon the line of the canal, in reduc ing transportation. Now, if we had perfect navigation of the Illinois River, so that people could afford to build tug-boats, steamers, and canal-boats to do the business, the tolls would necessarily be largely increased. Then it would connect the great lakes with the Mississippi and its branches, having more than fifteen thousand miles of steamboat navigation. I think, sir, that its importance cannot be over-estimated. The CHAIRMAN. Your theory of the small tonnage now is, that it has no through connection?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; that it has no through connection.
The CHAIRMAN. The Illinois River not being reliable.

Mr. UTLEY. That is it, sir. To prove that, you can see that we have had rather a wet season, and the tolls have vastly increased. The bars in the Illinois River are so prominent that in many seasons above Henry, where we constructed the last lock, there would not be but 16 inches of water. Last week I sounded about Copperas Creek and Point, and found but 2 feet and 1 inch of water, and now we have not boats enough on the canal to do the business of the canal.

The CHAIRMAN. Those boats are furnished by private individuals on the same principal that the Erie canal-boats are furnished.

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir.

Mr. DAVIS. Without your canal do you think that the railroad-freights would be the same as they are now?

Mr. UTLEY. No, sir. If we had no canal they would be the same as they were on other roads where they have not the canal to compete. Previous to the last law and previous to the 1st of July the charge was about 10 cents for a hundred miles from Chicago, and about half that sum by the canal.

Mr. DAVIS. You speak of previous to the recent law. What effect has the recent law had upon railroad freights in your State generally? Mr. UTLEY. Well, sir, I am not very familiar with the subject, but from my observation it has increased the cost from some points and decreased it from others. From points about a hundred miles from Chicago it has decreased the cost, I think, somewhat, say 2 cents a bushel on corn. I believe that is the effect on the Northwestern road. On other property the difference is very slight-less than a cent a hundred pounds. I am speaking from my own observation. On the Northwestern, at Dixon, it is 45 cents a hundred for second-class freight, or 44 cents and a fraction. It was 45 cents previous to the 1st of July. Mr. DAVIS. Are the railroads recognizing the right of the legislature and complying strictly with the law that passed, or do they call it in question and do as they please!

Mr. UTLEY. Well, sir, I am not thoroughly posted upon that point. Mr. NORWOOD. From an improvised map of the country, which I have before me, I see La Salle is less than half the distance from Chicago to the Mississippi. Do I understand you now that the commerce over this canal has, none of it, been drawn from the Mississippi River through the Illinois?

Mr. UTLEY. Very little, indeed, sir. During the high water in the spring we had, up at La Salle, steamers from Saint Louis, and from Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati, but it was only during the season of high water, which is very short.

Mr. NORWOOD. So this traffic has all been local?

Mr. UTLEY. Yes, sir; it has all been local.

Mr. NORWOOD. What would be the necessity of a canal from Hennipin to Rock Island, if the canal through the Illinois River, with the improvements, were put in good condition, to transport the freight of the Illinois to Chicago?

Mr. UTLEY. It saves about three hundred miles of transportation for two-thirds of Iowa, all of Minnesota, half of Western Illinois, and all of Western Wisconsin which desires to reach Chicago. The mouth of this canal is more than two hundred miles above the mouth of the river. The Illinois River, you will notice by the map, runs for quite a long distance nearly directly westward. Then, at Hennipin, in a south-southwesterly direction, until it unites with the Mississippi River about forty miles above Saint Louis, and Rock Island is not more than thirty or forty miles farther South than Chicago.