, 1862-03-05
THE WATER QUESTION AGAIN


1ronts' and at some of the bridges-whe
ever: indeed, the ice has been broken. OF
has been melted by the outpourins Of the
fermcnting mass from hundred sources Of
pollution. 4 walk across Rush street
Madison street Or Polk street bridges will
work conviction Of the trouble upon the
happy possessor Of the obtusest of noses.
In order that We might speak under
standingly Of the extent of the nuisance
We have, within the last day or two, tray
ersed the whole length Of the city upon
both branches Of the river, from the North
limits to Canalport, observing the condition
OF the water at various points, and noting
what seemed to be the principal contribu-
tors to the grand total Without naming
the various establishments, to which.
though necessary in themselves to the SUBJ
sistsnce and commerce Of the city, much Of
the evil may be traced, We may say in brief
that, between Fullerton and Chicago Ave
nues-a distance Of about two and a half
miles, as the river runs-arc some half
dozen suites Of cattle sheds upon the river
banks, in which over four thousand head
Of "neat" cattle are being stall-fattencd.
The entire drainage Of these sheds, min
gled with the waste still-slops upon which
the cattle are fed, pours directly into the
river. In several localities the river bank
is lined with q broad flat, formed of the
clcanlngs Of the stables in an oozy and
semi fluid state.
Within the above named space are four
large distilleries, q slaughter-house where
several hundred cattle are daily killed and
packed, couple Of glue factories and two
Of three tanneries and curriers' shops
Each of these adds bouquet peculiarly its
Own to the mixture, which, by tic time it
reaches Chicago Avenue, has fairly earned
its right to roll TRANQUILITY along to the
Forks, to peaceful marriage with the
kindred stream from the South, undistu1betl
by further additions from sewer or syauel,-
ter-house
Tearing ourselves from the fragrant
Lcthe, let us make one stride to the fertile
plains Of Bridgeport, that capital Of modern
Greece, and turn our faces and our steps
northward to the city. In the three miles
from Bridgeport TO Madison street bridge,
we count no less than seventeen packing
houses, all hut two Of which are also
slaughter houses. In some Of the larger
conce1Ds from seven hundred to nine hun-
dred cattle and hogs are packed daily: and
probably the aggregate number Of animals
slaughtered On or near the rivers banks.
whose blood sWelIs the crimson tide. is mt
less than five thousand per day. After
this, the streams from few tanneries, dis
tillelies, &c, tributary to the South Branch.
may be said, by contrast, rather to dilute
and purify than to Snake the cruel thick
and slab" The addition to au this, the
emptyings Of some forty ss,cers, make
compound, dip from which, at Rush
street bridge, if added to the witches cal
dron, might raise the devil, but would cer
tainly lay Macbeth and the witches.
The effect Of all this is two.fold: first.
directly upon the health Of the city from
the presence Of dccaying animal matter in
its midst; and secondly, upon, the lake
water which VIC drink and wash in. The
pollutlag effect upon the lake water, 50 fur
from the river as the water works, is By no
means constant, and depends mainly upon
the direction and force Of the wind, As vet
there have been but few periods of serious
annoyance from this cause, though there
have been quite sufficient to prove the ne
cessity Of immediate remedial action.
But when the ice breaks up, and the
warm spring Gun acts upon the mass Of
impurities floating through the city, the
effect upon both comfort and health must
be severe. We arc aware that the ptbs-
pective condition Of the river, and its DOS
slhle effect upon the water at the pumps,
have been matters Of much consideration
With the late Water and Sewerage Boards.
though The evil seems not to have culmi-
mated in their time; and the facts must
have already pressed themselves upon the
attention Of the. present Board Of Public
Works We do not doubt that they will
seek to provide such early aud efectual
relief as lies in their power But so many
speculations are indulged in. as to the
causes and extent Of The nuisance, that we
have thought it worth willie to yiew tbe
premises and present the result Of our
observations, however unpleasant the state
Of affairs may be-
The sum Of our conclusions is, that
somtthins must be done to remedy this
rapidly increasing evil, Of which Ill con-
sumers Of water justly complain Wc, as
denlzcns Of this loyal burgl,-and in " We
the whole population is included-canuot
afford to incur the risk Of damage to the
reputation of the city, consequently to the
value OF the property therein, and the risk
OF pcstilence which the condition Of the
river invites, by saying that the evil Will
correct itself, and that nothing need be
done The difficulty has, rs the city has
increased IN population and business, par
ticularly since Chicago has been gradually
rising to be the largest beef and pork mar
kct IN the world, been rapidly increasing.
NOW it has assumed, under the cxtraorj;.
nary business Of the past year, propor-
tons that are positively alarming, and the
remedy cannot be longer deferred. There
have beer, since octoberlast, poured into the
r1Eer the blood and entrails of more than
eighty housatad head ef fat catae and Of
four hundred thousand hoqs. besifea tba
sewage and the winters refuse of him.
dred and twenty thousand well fed people
Let us not wonder, when this conduit of
corruption is leaking out its contents into
the lake, that when the wind is right, the
water is abominable Rather let us ar
count it mercy that it is no worse.
The particular thing to be done we leave
to The Engineers, who will shortly give the
public their report. We only insist, that in
spite Of the war and the numerous cs1,s
upon our resources, action shall not be de-
ferred until another winter does its abomi,
nable work, and the people are poisoned
outright.
Confederate FabFleattona.
Thoge who look for the full effect unon t,e
English mind, as we'll - the people of the
South, ofthe brilliant victories with which the
past few weeks hive croncd the Federal
arms rnrst not fall to take infn arroupe tha