, 1863-01-16

state Of The water; tor with q stcady current
Of water running into the lake there never
could be such concentrated mass Of filth
% sometimes accuinulatcs in the river to be
driven ont in a body BY the wind or alight
freal.et, OR = sudden depression Of the hike.
This point NC hare already developed: How
ever, the experiences Of the past few winters
admonIsh Us that the supply Of pure drinking
water must not be, left dependent upon the
purity Of the Chicago river. If therefore,
the drinking water is affected BY the discharge
from the river, means Of q permanent and.
durable character must be adopted
which shall secure to. Chicago a
constant and unstinted supply Of pure drink
Ing water Most assuredly there is no body
of water upon the continent purcr, clearer. or
healthier than Lake Michigan. Therefore,
with this broad, ,hcalth-giying oxpansc Of water
ut our very doors, no expense or pains should
be stopped. at which will supply us with its
| purity untainted by the impurities Of tile city.
| - -" THE P1AEs :.
The plans proposed. to supply pure water
resolve themselves into two classes as BY far
the most economical those which 60 directly
out into the Lake, either BY means Of q npe
with flexible joints or tunnel, or northward:
along the Lake shore to IN excellent site for q
natural filter basin, short distance north Of
| the Lake View House. .~*.
| TEE T1xx1a1E r1rE.
The yery excellent report Of E, 8. Ches-
brougb, esq, Consulting Engineer, made to
The Board Of Water Commissioners, rs pub
s1fshed in their semi-annual. report, January
LIST, 1861, furnishes. us with some. data and
facts relative to these methods.
The report says: A wrought iron pipe five
feet in diameter, one-qunrter of m inch thick,
two miles In length, and with flexible Joints
one thousand feet apart, would be amply large
enough to supply the city with water from
that distance. In the sinking and laying Of
this pipe, there would he many difficulties to
overcome. Hwould be necessary to dredgc suf-
fciently to place the pipe below the bottom Of
OF the lake, at ]east far enough out to pre-
vent the keels Of vessels from striking in the
tho bcaviest storms. Pilc-work would be ne
cesfary to steady it during the operation Of
sinking. The whole pipe must be put togeth-
er on the lake shore, for such pipe, with
joints COO feet apart, could not be towcd ont
OF the river. If the joints were placed nearer
together they would bcinsufferable lindrances
to navigation. Such are some Of the difficult
ties to be overcome with tho flexible pipe
method.
TIE TUNNEL.
To avoid any Of these risks, the tunnel
method Inns been proposed, and in regard to
this the Report eays substantially as follows:
(Ihe figures we have changed aomewhat, to
accommodate distance Of two miles, instead
Of one, as originally proposed)
# the clay formation which is known to e1-
and eouDdings indicate that it does then It |
would be quite feasible to make a tunnel "a a |
substitute for the pipe.
With three shafts, one at each end, and one |
II the middle, with the moderate progress for
such q tunnel could be made in less than two
years after: sinking the shafts. The outer |
Shaft might he protected By hollow crib |
equal IN weight to one fifty feet square, which,
according to experience on the lake shore,
would be immoyable. The middle SHIFT con1i /
be protected in the same way,
The tunnel would be made circular, with a |
clear diameter of Rix feet aud lined with brick |
work twelve inches thick-the inner ring four |
Inches thick, to be laid In pure cement, and |
tue others In mortar made Of equal parts Of |
~~A4NA4t 04AA 31AA-
Either Of these methods, when finished, |
would undoubtedly supply the city with pure,
wholesome water. The depth Of the lake two |
miles out is between thirty and forty feet, and |
although tho water is affected by storms.
sometimes, even at that distance, vet It won1d |
be free, both from the wash Of the lake shore
and the flow Of the river. The estimatcd cost |
of the flexible pipe is about $3.50 00oO; Of the |
tunnel, about Sa'5,oo
THE P111rR n.s1r
The other project for obtaining nure zxa+er
is natural filter basin at Lake View. and th;s
strikes us as being moro practical in a11 it's
surroundings than either the pipe OF tunnel
methods. It has been tested II, numerous In. |
calities, both In this country and Europe, and |
y a,.s"1 ~ tu1 oeet VI 1ssnils' These |
..4t a..e1 oeas "iu ssfln anu clarity the water,
49,. 49,, en.-,. ~ .os'"e' VIII moi purity 1t
Snsn1ea1 ~, SUBSTANCES held In solu- |
% lton; me accomplishment Of the former
..~ s', uonsser' would Prove a consumma-
.,'a,,a.e .un uesoa.y TO DC wished for. The plan
Ifoposeo aS 20 construct basin just north Of |
~ M ~ ~" W. frontage 10 the lake, say Of
'' ~ ~ eiAs eunaelenuJ ample to
.s.-s pp's 'u'q"a.e 10 lnc wants Of the
s,., s' '"etse iee. ~ oeptn oelo~ The lake, the
oioes " NC "aAeo without cement, except
"Asls ~ - necessary 70. prevent a flow Of
." a'hp WATER 1he "hole to be connected with
.sSa ~ esssns @s, "en ~ sne pumping works "
I'pe, "msH "oaio oe ABOUT I'VE miles in
.s' 4ne "a'er m'ght De forced through
'u'7 p'pe eltner ny an engine, which, in turn,
ulEGL pe connected with the Droppsed Nnrfh |