(No. 50.) Report on the Cedar and Grand River Branch of the Clinton and Kalamazoo Canal. OFFICE OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT, To the Hon. the House of Representatives: } I have the honor of transmitting to the legislature a report of the survey of the Cedar and Grand river branch of the Clinton and Kalamazoo canal, made in pursuance of a resolution of the late board of internal improvement, and referred to in the annual report of this board. By order of the board. E. H. LOTHROP, President. REPORT, &c. To the Honorable the Commissioners of the Board of Internal Improvement. GENTLEMEN: Agreeable to a resolution of your board instructing me to make an examination and survey for a canal route from some eligible point on the main line down the valley of the Cedar river to the navigable waters of the Grand river, I respectfully report: That the examination and survey has been made, and the route found practicable and feasible. This route in point of importance and interest to the state, has much merit, and perhaps may be considered the most important connection that can be formed in the state, uniting the great thoroughfare across the peninsula with the rich and fertile valleys of the fairest portion of Michigan-a section of the state perhaps unsurpassed in the richness of its soil, the abundance of its valuable timber, and the superabundauce of its invaluable water power, which is met with through the whole extent of the route on the Cedar, the Lookinglass and Grand rivers and their numerous tributaries. It opens into the mineral region, which from present examinations bids fair to become of immense importance to the state. It intersects at Lyons, (at the mouth of the Maple,) the northern railroad route, and at Ionia, a few miles below, the navigable waters of Grand river; intersecting also the route of steamboat communication between the navigable waters of Grand river, by the way of the Maple and Saginaw canal, to Lake Huron. These and many other advantages, with a population rapidly in-. creasing and unsurpassed in persevering industry and enterprise, entitle this route to much consideration; and were this work now completed in connection with the eastern division of the main route, I think there is nothing hazarded in predicting the time not far distant when it would pay a revenue into the state treasury. Although many may have their fears and forebodings that our system of internal improvement is fraught with ruinous consequences to the interests of Michigan, yet I feel an entire confidence, from the knowledge I now have of the natural resources of the state, its relative position to the country bordering on Lake Michigan and stretching to the far west, that we can embark in no policy so well calculated to ensure her rapid growth and prosperity as that of judiciously prosecuting our system of internal improvement. Of this brauch to the general system, it will require only a glance of the eye over our state map, to see the important position which it would hold in our scale of internal improvement. Diverging from the main route at a point but one-third of the distance across the state from Lake St. Clair, and after traversing the rich valleys of the Cedar, the Lookinglass and Grand rivers, terminates at the head of steamboat navigation on the latter, (the largest river in the state,) and at a point from its junction with Lake Michigan in a direct line, equaling one-third of the distance across the peninsula. Then by constructing a canal, only about one-third of the distance across the state, another channel of cum. munication is opened to the shores of Lake Michigan, through a portion of country where nature, in bestowing her rich bounties, has been lavish beyond what I have met with in any other por tion of the state; and her enterprising population is fast developing the resources which are destined to freight our canals, our railroads, and our navigable rivers. With the prospect and encouragement of being soon reached by some navigable channel of communication, the hidden treasures will be sought out, and Mi, chigan, instead of being a sterile country, destitute of articles of transportation to make her public works productive, will be found rich in her treasures, and abundant to make her public works (with economy in their construction,) of vast utility to her citizens and productive to her treasury. This route commences at the end of the first division on the main line, in the valley of Shiawassee river, about two miles west of Livingston county centre, the village of Howell, and gradually diverging from the main line, crossing the dividing ridge between the Shiawassee and Cedar valleys, under favorable circumstances, as will be seen by the estimate of the section. A line was run by the village of Howell with a view of crossing the Shiawassee a short distance below the present crossing of the Grand river turnpike, and intersecting the Cedar route again at the point of crossing the Big marsh. But the high ground, bordering upon the west branch of the Shiawassee river, was found too high for any level we could assume. The valley of the Cedar is mostly very favorable for canaling. At the Big marsh, a level was taken with a view to ascertain the practicability of crossing at that point from the valley of the Cedar to that of the Lookinglass. We did not reach the summit, yet I have no doubt a level could be assumed that would find it an easy and feasible route. A little to the west of the principal meridian line, I found the country uneven and much broken, the river crooked, and the banks rising into high bluffs from fifty to eighty and ninety feet in height, with broad and deep valleys occasionally intervening, which induced me to keep a high level and carry the line back from the river. At the north bend of the Cedar, below the junction of the outlet of Pine lake, on section thirteen, town four north, of range two west, I intersected a line with the Cedar river, but on meandering the stream below this point, we found it very crooked and in some places shallow. I also continued the line across to Grand river, intersecting at the mouth of Alcott's creek, on section nine. The last mile and a half on this line is objectionable, from the embanking it would require across a wide swamp and the deep cut through the high ground bordering upon the east bank of Grand river. This could, however, be mostly avoided by changing the route to the south and intersecting Grand river near the junction of the Cedar. The objection to intersecting with Grand river at this point and making it the point of termination for the canal route, is, that the river is extremely crooked below and not navigable except in high water, above the mouth of the Lookinglass, or Lyons, at the mouth of the Maple. The country from this point to the junction of the Lookinglass with Grand river, lying between the two rivers, is mostly high and rolling, interspersed with low valleys, swamps and marshes, which would be difficult to overcome without great expense in the building a canal and making a line so crooked that it would be a serious objection to the route. From these considerations, after traversing the country, I was induced to examine a route from the valley of the Cedar, by way of Pine lake and Prairie creek, to the valley of the Lookinglass river, which resulted favorably, and is the route on which I have based my estimates. From the mouth of Prairie creek an examination was made with a view to intersect some of the south branches of Stoney creek and get a line as direct as practicable, to the mouth of Maple river. But the country being too high, rising eighty feet above the level, it determined my course down the valley of the Lookinglass. I made another examination to reach the valley of Stoney creek between Scott's and Waterloo, up the valley of Marvin's brook, but found the country again too much elevated for the level. A third examination was made opposite to the village of Waterloo and one of the tributaries of Stoney creek, on the summit, was intersected with suitable cutting for our level; but its course lay in a northeast direction and at right angles with the one I was desirous of pursuing, which again induced me to return to the valley of Lookinglass. It was not from any obstructions met with in the valley of the Lookinglass that induced me so often to make an effort to reach the valley of Stoney creek; my object was to get, if possible, as good a line and shorter distance. Below the village of Waterloo, we found the country some broken, and five miles from the mouth of the Lookinglass, we encountered high bluff banks on the river, rising from forty to one hundred feet above the bed of the stream. After much examination, we discovered a favorable route through a natural ravine, passing from the low ground on the east, through the high ridge, and connecting the valley of a brook on the west. After crossing the brook we met with another bold ridge, the summit of which rises thirty feet above the level. This ridge is narrow, and no break or ravine was found through it. From the west side of this ridge a line was run down the valley of the Lookinglass to its junction with Grand river, and was found to be a cheap and feasible route. From this point, a feasible route, I think, might be located down the valley of Grand river, and obviate much of the expense of the deep cut in crossing from the Lookinglass to the head waters of Goose creek; the same objections, in a measure, may be urged against terminating the canal at this point, that were made to intersecting near the mouth of the Cedar, though the river is less serpentine in its course below than above, the depth of water on the bars varying some from that above, but is not of sufficient depth to admit the passage of loaded boats that would be used on the canal. From the mouth of the Lookinglass a level was run up the valley of a brook on the west side of Grand river, to ascertain the practicability of a route directly across to Ionia; but the summit was found from sixty to seventy feet above the level with which we could cross Grand river, which rendered this route impracticable. The route estimated diverges from the one continued down the valley, of the Lookinglass, after crossing the ridge of deep cutting, and bears to the right, and in consequence of taking up a lock to favor the deep cut across the summit, a heavy embankment is incurred on the two first sections after the diverging point; but this could be obviated by varying the line to the right. The estimates are based upon the line as run. The deep cut across the summit, I think, could not be lessened materially, except by crossing it with a higher level, which, I think, is practicable. The deep cutting extends one mile and sixty-six chains, and is from ten to twenty-six feet deep. After crossing the summit the route is located down the valley of Goose creek to its junction with Grand river, then down the valley of Grand river to the village of Lyons. Here I again intersected that river, at a point claimed to be the head of steamboat navigation. I was informed that boats carrying from ten to fifteen tons, have already ascended to this point, but from the statements of respectable men, that in low stages of water there were bars in the river between Lyons and Ionia, on which the water was less than two feet deep, 1 thought proper to cross the river at Lyons, and extend the survey to a point on the river opposite the village of Ionia, where a safe and easy connection with the river can be had. This route, in connection with the eastern division of the main line when constructed, will open a more direct communication to market, for as rich and a greater extent of territory, than any other contemplated work, of the same distance, in the state; and over no portion of the state of the same extent is there to be met with any thing in proportion to the amount of water power that can be improved upon this route. Abundance of good stone and sand are met with in the vicinity of this route, suitable for the construction of locks, aqueducts, and culverts On Grand river, the most of these materials were found. Indications of ledges were observed on the banks of the Lookinglass. One quarry had been opened and stone for building purposes had been taken out. The appearance of the quarry, however, was not very favorable. Others were examined which had not been broken into, but none of these indicated as good a quality of stone as those examined on Grand river, at the sandstone ledge, and a few miles below. Coal was found of good quality at the sandstone ledge, from one to four feet thick; neither lime nor hydraulic cement were discovered on this route, except in detached surface specimens. Appearances of iron were frequently noticed, but not sufficient, however, to induce the belief that it existed to any considerable extent. The amount of lockage upon this route, is two hundred and seventy-six feet. The locks are favorably located at different points along the line. The descent from the starting point on the main line to the Cedar river, at the Cold spring, and down the |