, 1863-10-02
TEE LAKE TUNNEL.
A Hostile Criticism.

There is GONE opposition to Lake Tunnel. on
the ground Of fnpractieability. James Hamilton
=" civil engineer publiahcs blast" against 1t,
from which We extract the following paragraphs,
In order that both sides may have hearing;
The tunnel, II ever attempted to be built, would
be inpyAc1icab!e and a failure. It ts prupoaed
that 1he said tunncl shall be sixty feet below the
lake al the easte1n terminus, which is eneci1ed to
be two miles hon the shore, and at right angles
with i, where q perpendicular tower f. to be
erected 1o,ty ftet hlgn, consisting Of series OF
stt6-WotK: IN Wstel@t1ght @ compartments, and eighty
ge,her with iron rods ~ 1sehes in diameter, and
Euuk TO the bed Of the lake (which ia sand thirty
tve feet deep, y tth nothing to secure eaid tower
tached to screws driven into the bed Of
as are general , need in holding Or anchor.
appfehend that five tho1sand, much lets i've
would cot be able TO hold towe. Of crib-work
such as above described forty feet high seated OF
lake shore and be able to resist our nottheaste,ly
gales, erch rs we are accustomed TO h.ve-fo say
nothing Of the large fields OF ice which We hare
diameter, and from two 10 three feet thick carried
By the waves In gale or storm, and driven against
said tower Q. crib With 50 great velocity that it
posed size, constructed on the same principle
The eaLd would shift from the eouth side OF said
lower to the moth side; and It wou!d fall because
tower or crib-wotk, being boxed up could not
rcach the clay through the sand and hence no per
manent foundation could be obtained and SO
would the other lake cribs fail for the came
canse.
The specifications cali for but four shafts, be-
sides the land or shore one, that would leaye q
shafts; ard to work from any two towards the cen.
tIe between the eaid two, wou]d make the distsuce
$50 feet, which would have to be surplied with
air from shalt eight or nine feet at most In d.
f.P hn fbAe nara
to be cxcayated could not exceed eight feet for a
5fcet .unnelat distance Of from CO to Ga feet BE-
low the lake There would not be space large
enough to contain air sufficient to meet the cog
tineencdes such as would be likely to arise during
the progress Of the work My experience has
been considerable IN tunneling and am Satisfied
it will take ten shafte. instead Of fire, for tunnel
Of i've feet in diameter below the lake.
Suppose then the tunnel to be built (Which ap-
prthcnd It never VIII and the water lei Into It !;
Tne % e Ut tsse W9aa woa1d pshs1
flow through into the tunnel. falling sixty feet,
wona ItHly he 9 iniat!Ee Niagara Fals' and the
la1ly the sturgeone, which abound in large guam
titles IN that locality, won enter and die In said
together with the other filth that wou1d enter said
tuuntl, would be, indeed, likely to e1danger the
Of our people, who use the wafer that would
be taken therefrnn.
ehall fR1nish the Bonrd Of Public Works state
ment Of ertrd material Furnished and toork dong
each month. This would open great field for
TO the amornt, aud imply that the tunnel won1d
cost sum that gould not at present be reached BY
calcnlation,I,fglly confirming my allegations.
there nobne s Of e ha
&C, DC. Therefore, instead Of saying the pro.
posed tunnel would cost one million Of dollars,
Ss1 sas ssoy III IL ~
OF dollars, and thus. without any doubt whatever
as I hare endeagored to demonstrate, the water
The plan that submitted 70 The Common Coun
merely nominal It would not only BE- benehelal
mon Council, have made eome further and cloeel
investigations Of the matter, and an satiaded tht
| work cau be done for eren much less sum thar
| e150,000. / find on the lake shore. north OF tn.
| present works, on boring down. about IL feet o
| sand below low water mark Of the lake; theme.
from 6 TO feet Of elayj thence bed Or retEatu9
q ve!y eoa5ts gagel Is reached through %'sl
ice ard clear as cryetsl. This Volume would be in
| exhauetIb!e a basin OF reservoir could be con
etsucted at vey moderate cost to the city, witt
S,t III the p pnping & % WosEs 5y % WaeS the t.1 paye1s
could haye an ample supply Of cold, pure water.
j enhmitted my plaa to the PUBLIC for tnyestisa
ton thronsh the Common Council; Fao 20 ordeset
Of = TO 4; but the Mayor and City Clerk hsd them
taken from the printing Office after being let there
and the Mayor refused to allow them 10 be pup
| hshed, the Order Of the Common Council to th'
contrary notwithstanding.
lam not only willing. but ask, that my plans b
Submitted to committee Of our citizens, who vii
consult nth the most engineers and sci
eutic men in the country, who will investigate tn
| matter thoroughly rs to tts merits; 1t beins
matter Of moi only pccuniary bat vital import
| ance to every citizen as much Of the health o
the people depends IN great measure upon tht
| purity Of the water they 1sc.
| will therefore. as before stated, suggest tha
tho different plane be submitted to them, and I
| committee appointed to make a selection, aas
thcu take vote OF the qualified voters on the sub
| ject at the coming election in November next.
shonld the plan that submit be adopted, VII
n11tcd before the first day Of May, 1864.
baye briefly submitted my views TO the citi
zene Of Chicago, and hops they wnl & esEstaily cor
ofauch ia a magnitude ard Of such vital inportanc
to one and all. r,.ur..,x