, 1860-02-24

Within the two or three days past, no one
ID Chicago has put tumbler Of water to his
lips without having, whether conscious Of it
or not, :: reminder of lhe necessity which now
exists, and which will, year after year, grow
'nore imperative, for tho deepening Of The lii
uos and Michigan Canal, in sucll manner
that the Chicago river, being the principal
feeder, will change tic direction OF its current,
aud bring daily food Of pure Lake wattr
through the heart Of the city. The wind, our
readers need not be told, has beer, for the last
few days, blowing strongly from t1,o Sout1,
Toe shore current setting South, down the
West side Of the Lake-l current Of wlIi::
few Of our readers know anything, but which
ac:uslfy e1is:s-,.as, by the Enrco Of tl,c wird
been reversed, AID the water poured out Of the
river swollen by tie river and the tllaw, las
been carried directly North to the PUMPS
ut the Hydraulic Works. and thcuce sent t.
every kitchen AID dinner-tatie, bathroom and
nursery in town. What it is VIC have no need
To tell; but what it will become when
The sysem Of sewerage now progressing
is completed, and tho coutents or all
the stables, manure heaps, ccss-poole,
aud other places not to be named to ears DO
lite, the rashnss Of the streets, slaughter
houses, distilleries, manufactures, &C. H., are
daily carried into the river, thence, moderate
ty diluted, into the tea-kettles and coffee urns
Of Michigan Avenue, Killsubbcn and all pla.
Get intermediate, we leave orr readers 10 iu,aS-
inc. It is thought By the Sewerage Commits
sioners aud their Engineer that they have thu
mcaus by which, at email expense, for few
years at least, the river may be kept so pure.
that the public health will not suffer by tile
masses Of filth that will be daily s1uiced iaioi..
Admitting that they are correct, there will b.
periods, varying in length from one day to Il
week, in which all tleir precautions Will be Of
no avail, and during which the water from tho
hydrants will be fit for nothing except the
breeding Of pestilencc. ii tic causes which
arc now giving US q fluid compounded Of kreo-
sote and stable DRAWINGS, were in operation
IN August, the water works would for the
time being, be superfluiiy, aud the Commits
sioners' Office sinccure
We need not loint out to our readers that
il the Canal were enlarged in the manner re-
commended, and the current Of the river turned
up stream, the sources from whence the city is
supplied never would 10 contaminated by the
filth which is now carried into the lake. The
contents Of the sewers, and the washiugs Of
the Streets would be sent of past Bridge
port, and thence to the Illinois river. This is
not one Of the advantages, though by no means
the smallest one for Chicago, that would fol-
low tho completion Of that work upon some
modification Of the original plan. There are
others, which would accrue TO the public health
and convenience, 10 the commerce uc the poft,
the increased growth and prosperity Of tie
river and canal towns. and the general good Of
the State, which VIC do not propose to discuss
at this time. When tho din aud excitement +
the present political contest is over, we sh:l1
lay before our LADDERS such facts as we doult
not, will fix in their minds the Importance aud
necessity Of the policy that we would have tie
State pursue.