GG 7.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF WISCONSIN RIVER FROM PORTAGE TO MERRILL.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Milwaukee, Wis., September 26, 1882. GENERAL: In compliance with your letter of August 11, 1882, I have the honor to submit the following report of a preliminary examination of the Wisconsin River from Portage to Merrill.

Under my direction, Capt. F. A. Hinman, Corps of Engineers, made a personal examination of that portion of the river, and the following are extracts from his report:

I left Merrill the 30th ultimo in a skiff, accompanied by two rivermen, and examined the river as far as Portage, reaching the latter place the 6th instant. I made four portages, as follows: One-half mile around Little Bull Falls, one-half mile around Big Bull Falls, 4 miles around Conant's Rapids, and 5 miles around Grand Rapids. I could, however, see most of these parts from the wagon-road. The results of my examination are embodied in the following reports which I have the honor to submit. It only furnishes a general description of the river, and the facts in relation thereto, which is all that is desired:

The Wisconsin River, in Wisconsin, is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It rises on the northeast border of the State, and has a generál southerly course until it reaches Stevens's Point, between which city and Portage (almost due south of Stevens's Point) it makes a long, deep, general bend to the west. It is very tortuous in this bend, flowing north in several places. From Portage it flows a little south of west to its mouth, 2 miles below Prairie du Chien. Its entire length is estimated at 600 miles. At Portage it is connected with the Fox River by the United States Portage Canal, about 2 miles in length, forming with them a water-route between the Mississippi River and the Lakes.

Above Merrill (formerly Jenny) are innumerable small streams, the waters of which are usually clear, originating in springs and lakes. The following are the principal tributaries of the Wisconsin froin Merrill to Portage, in their order down the river: Prairie, Pine, Trapp, Rib, Big Eau Claire, Big Eau Pleine, Plover, Mill, Spring, Roche a-Cri, Yellow, and Lemonwier.

The Wisconsin River and many of its tributaries have cascades or rapids on the upper portions of them; lower down they run through narrow, rocky gorges, called "dells."

The distances by the river given me from point to point were very conflicting. I think the following are about right, judging by the time it took to make them in the skiff, due regard being had for the swift rapids and still mill-ponds:

The principal towns along the part of the river under consideration are as follows: Merrill, the most northerly town on the river, at Jenny Bull Falls, is a growing place of 2,500 inhabitants. Wausau, at Big Bull Falls, is a prosperous city of 7,000 inhabitants. Stevens's Point, at the head of Conant's Rapids, has a population of 4,500, and Centralia and Grand Rapids (opposite to each other), at Grand Rapids, a joint population of 3,000. These places are very largely engaged in lumbering, their chief business in fact. (There is also one saw-mill at each of the smaller points.) Kilbourn is the center of a farming community, and a resort for summer tourists. The Dells are here. Portage has a population of probably 5,000, is quite a railroad center, &c.

All these principal points, and some of the smaller ones, are reached by one or two railroads, and, Portage excepted, have dams for water-power purposes, &c.

From Merrill down to Point Bosse, the foot of Whitney Rapids, the Wisconsin is quite similar to the Fox from Appleton to De Pere, but on a smaller scale, abounding in reefs and rapids. There are no snags here to speak of. From Point Bosse down to Portage the river is similar to that below Portage, having a movable sandy bottom, with snags and some leaning timber, excepting about 10 miles at the upper end, which might be called a mean between the extremes above and below it, the bottom being composed more of gravel. I consider parts of the river between Germantown and Portage much worse than any below Portage, except the mouth. At Lewiston, 5 miles above Portage, the left bank is so low as to require levees, aggregating 23,933 feet in length, to prevent the Wisconsin from discharging into the Fox River at high stages. I had no means of ascertaining the fall of the river from Merrill to Portage; it must be several hundred feet.

There are twelve noticeable banks between Merrill and Portage, from three-quarters of a mile in length by 35 feet in height to 300 feet in length by 8 feet in height. Those along the upper portion are of gravel principally, with streaks of clay; between high and low water marks they are shingled with very coarse gravel, which the current has washed out but is unable to carry off. Along the lower portion these banks are composed mostly of pure sand. The river naturally bends towards all of these, and erodes them more or less, especially during high stages.

The Wisconsin River Improvement Company, with a capital stock of $50,000, was chartered by the State of Wisconsin about 1866 to improve the falls and rapids of the Wisconsin River, by means of dams, blasting, &c., to facilitate the driving of logs and running of lumber over them. This company is composed principally of lumbermen along the river. It has worked on Grandfather Bull Falls, Big Bull Falls, Little Bull Falls, Grand Rapids, Conant's Rapids, Whitney Rapids, and a few of the smaller rapids, and has expended from $75,000 to $100,000 on them. Its dams are ordinary spar-dams, backed with brush and stone, with slides or natural sluices; they cost about $3 per linear foot.

The company has divided the river into sections, each rapids constituting a section, as follows: 1. From Point Bosse to foot of Grand Rapids; 2. Grand Rapids to Little Bull Falls; 3. Foot of Little Bull Falls to foot of Big Bull Falls; 4. Foot of Big Bull Falls to foot of Grandfather Bull Falls; 5. Grandfather Bull Falls. The company charges 74 cents per thousand on logs on section 5 (no lumber goes over here); for the other sections 74 cents per thousand on lumber alone, nothing on logs.

This company has a force at work now on Whitney Rapids repairing dams. Its work looks strong and substantial. No instrumental surveys have been made by the company. Wherever a dam has been deemed necessary it has been built. Blasting has been done under the same conditions. There is some prospect of reorganizing the company, making it into a river improvement and log-driving company.

About 1856 a steamboat ran from Wausau to Mosinee, and another from Mosinee to Stevens's Point. There are two steamboats now at Stevens's Point; one, a pleasure boat, is sunk at the dock; the other belongs to a mill just above Stevens's Point; it is a stern-wheel boat, 118 feet by 18 feet, and draws 1 foot when loaded with hard-wood logs; this boat also tows a scow of about the same size, loaded with logs.

It is said that a steamboat was once taken from Stevens's Point over the rapids to the Mississippi River. I was informed that in 1853 a steamboat loaded with supplies went up the river as far as Point Bosse. At Kilbourn there are four small steamboats for pleasure purposes; three run through the Little Dells (up as far as Peyton Well Bridge at fair stages), and one on the Lower Dells; one of the former ran up from Portage under the bridge this spring and was drawn up over Kilbourn Dam. There are no draws in any of the bridges at or above Portage; there was formerly a draw at the west end of the Portage Bridge.

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Pine is not so easy of access as it was, being further away from or higher up the river, and the price is correspondingly higher. Now logs are cut that would have been rejected in former years; for example, hemlock; anything that will make 4-inch by 4-inch lumber is used now. If the mill capacity be not increased largely, the pine, &c, will last fifty years. In the next five years there will be a large amount of hemlock cut. No logs are driven below Port Edwards now, except the few that escape from the booms. There are no mineral lands along the Wisconsin River. Cranberry marshes abound below Stevens's Point. Considerable hard-wood timber is standing in the vicinity of Stevens's Point. These lands make fair farms when the timber is removed, but lumbering takes precedence of all else, the business done in it being

enormous.

"All waste from the mills, save slabs and the sawdust that is burned under the boilers, is thrown into the river. Slabs are burnt in yards distant from the mills. Many mills have planers, and sash, door, and blind factories pertaining to them, in

order to get their product into as valuable a form as possible before shipment; of course this could not be rafted. It is the practice to let lumber season before shipping by cars, in order to get more into a car, the weight being limited. It wastes lumber to raft it over the rapids, and besides it makes it gritty to raft it. Most lumbermen prefer to ship it by rail where possible; then they can deal better with consumers, and grade their stock before shipment, which middlemen did before, at the expense of the lumbermen.

I have not learned of any river-improvement convention in the interest of the improvement of this part of the river. In fact, but few of the prominent men I have conversed with about it were aware that it was contemplated to have it examined until so informed by me. I have found no one very enthusiastic over the improvement of the part of the river under consideration, except for log-driving purposes. No one wants this portion improved for boating purposes, which would involve an extensive and therefore expensive system of locks, dams, &c., that the business on the river would not warrant.

If it were the only possible outlet for the business interests of the region bordering it there would be some justification in improving it, but such is not the case, as the railroads furnish satisfactory outlets for all the interests involved.

The lumbermen know their own local wants, and have an improvement company organized to attend to them. It is a necessity for them to have the rapids improved, but this work pertains solely to themselves; the general public has no interest in it. I therefore state that it is not of national importance, not "a public necessity," to improve the river from Merrill to Portage.

Captain Hinman wrote to a number of persons engaged in lumbering and in other business on the river, and received some replies, from which 1 extract the following:

Mr. W. W. Corning, of Merrill, Wis., writes:

Replying to yours of 21st instant, will say there is no one here, so far as I can find, that has any interest in the examination of the Wisconsin River below this point. If it was above here, there are many who would have much interest in the work.

Col. C. K. Pier, of Merrill, writes:

I do not think the Wisconsin River is worthy of improvement between Merrill and Portage, and of course the improvement of it is not a public necessity. In my opinion neither commercial, boating, nor agricultural interests demand expenditure of public moneys for its improvement.

Hon. John C. Clarke, of Wausau, writes:

I was not aware, until informed by you, that the last river and harbor act of Congress contained a provision for the examination of the Wisconsin River from Merrill to Portage. I have never heard any one speak of it or express a desire for it.

I have resided here since 1845, and I consider the river now at a very low stage. I have run the river myself, and am very familiar with it from Merrill to the mouth. The fall at this point is 19 feet.

As a citizen, I think the improvement of it is not a worthy object, nor is it a public necessity. There is no sense in it. It would be attended with a vast expense to improve it, and then only for a secondary consideration. I am very strongly in favor of the reservoir system at the headwaters of this river, and hope it will be carried out. The boating, commercial, industrial, and agricultural interests do not demand any improvement between Merrill and Portage.

Hon. Thomas B. Scott, of Merrill, writes:

My opinion is the river from Portage City to Point Bosse could be improved for small steamboats during a portion of the year, but I do not think the improvement would be used much when made. The business would be irregular and could not be done at any rates to compete with railroads. There is very little business along the line of river, and the facilities of river navigation would not develop any of any

amount.

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The railroads now carry nineteen-twentieths of all lumber to the consumer or to markets in the interior of Western States, instead of sending it by rafts to river points on the Mississippi, as formerly. The sure and quick way being the cheapest and best opening, making a regular and steady market, railroads are opening up all the markets to us east, west, north, or south.

Messrs. P. & J. Meehan, of Meehan, Wis., write:

Replying to your inquiries of to-day, we have to say that we are greatly in favor of the proposed system of reservoirs, to be operated by the Government, at the headwaters of the Wisconsin River. We think it would help matters between Merrill and Grand Rapids to improve the river for log-driving. The present Wisconsin River Improvement Company is an outrage on the people; it has ceased to keep its dams up for the past two years, yet it continues to charge tolls as usual. We think it a public necessity to improve the river from Merrill to Grand Rapids for log-driving purposes only. Below there there is no log-driving. We are highly pleased with the Government work on the river below Portage. Our capacity is 12,000,000 a year.

It appears that the only demand for the improvement of this portion of the river is for the purpose of facilitating the running of logs and lumber, and that there is a company chartered by the State of Wisconsin to make such improvements. There is no demand for its improvement for purposes of navigation, nor is there any commerce, present or prospective, which would justify the large outlay needed for the purpose.

I have, therefore, in view of the foregoing, to report that, in my judgment, the Wisconsin River from Portage to Merrill is not worthy of improvement for purposes of navigation, and that the work is not a public necessity.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D. C. HOUSTON,
Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers.

Brig. Gen. H. G. WRIGHT,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

APPENDIX H H.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE HARBORS OF CHICAGO AND CALUMET, LAKE MICHIGAN-IMPROVEMENT OF ILLINOIS AND CALUMET RIVERS-SURVEYS FOR HENNEPIN CANAL, AND FOR THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL.

REPORT OF MAJOR W. H. H. BENYAURD, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1884, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKS.

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith annual reports for the works in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. H. H. BENYAURD,

Major of Engineers.

Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

НН 1.

IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

The project of improvement now in course of execution at this harbor was adopted in 1870, and modified in 1878. The objects sought are, first, the formation of an outer harbor adjoining the entrance to the Chicago River, and designed also to furnish increased commercial facilities, by relieving the river from its overcrowded condition; second, the creation of a harbor of refuge, affording a good anchorage in deep water, and safe access to the outer harbor and river.