, 1865-03-07

ted Nun ~ Aue CITY must pe d1scoafgea 1nto me
The ee,iusted cost Of the third plan 70. purify
Ing Chicago River, which IS TO cut down the eum-
nit o. gs 9eI9w es sse @ The 50 =
eub!c feet Of water per minute, is ss,1oa 4s7 50.
THIS estimate provides for Increasing the ca
paci'y Of the canal somewhat oYer the plan adopt
ed " The Canal Commissioners in 1886, 50 as to
create current In Chicago River, which Is deemed
sufacient to cleanse It. The quantity OF wafer
drawn nom The lake through the river would sel::
at the average stage Of water much grea:er: The
sdys3ntaees OF this plan over any other are briefly
l. It furnishes tie only possible eelf aching
means Of cleansing the main river and the South
Branch (end possibly to aceEtain extent the North
branch aleo. every hour in the day and every day
2. The filth Of the city which passes into the
river will be dr1ined of through the canal with
cut contnmfnating the waties Of the lake, and the
river rom ever becoming very offensive. - ''
3. The cost Of constructor will be the only ex-
Pense to NE city, as al subsequent expenses in
proving 1t will be boshe By the State.
4. Tie money expended In cutting down. the
summit OF the canal So as to procure tne supply Of
watcE directly from Lake Michigan Will constitute
canal 50 az to admit the passage 81 Steamboats, Of
the largest class-an improvement which must
s. By using The present summit locks-or, ii the
@ - as aytR cena s. Il
eoa bs e af o
Chicago river, making strong current to the
like This may never be necessary. eut the plan I.
hercaf'er is r be cd deemed enc desirable. l''A' sA'A'u -
Ne bare mentioned Tue prominent advantages
ofthe plan lts principal disadvantages are its
ing the work. The probable cost has been given.
The time which would be required to execute the
work economically, without seriously interfering
about three years Bnt no other plan By which Tie
ri, could be eGectualy purified could becxecuted
In less Than one year; co. for year, atleasi some
remedy The evils which it is Intended ultimately
i Is Selieyed hat the Hydraulic Works at
or even 50 rs 70 raise all the water which tie
present Canal, with come eight addition to It's
banks. could discharge, would prevent The river
@ asert ep oSt ssase
This We deem Of the utmost importance, and, in
t.et indispensable to the we'll being Of the city,
until pnn ef asaaf b
leries which hare, at umes, rendered the waters
o. the North Branch almost putz1a, and other es-
which nays gssnn G1aaieago wo.ld
mitsed to remain the nuisances which they hare
been. CeStatnly. the process Of thoroughly
no % mofe Offensive n @ % snbsances e we're aiseharssd
iEto II than could possibly be avoided. Il would
ectm to be The part Of wisdom, a. much to avoid
for s % cieans!e lie liver Be ial'y Completed. it
dies which may e. resorted to, will entirely pre-:
vent the water from becoming impure. They Will
only mitigate the evil.
1be leeoppsndation b.. bsa fteaasnsly been
made Int re pesplains p e Ryet shoad s bo turned @
purify II: but atthe very seasonfwheu the process
would be most needed, there is NOT Water enough
II ". river To- do any fooa and 3D. T there wa he
river would furnish, in times of freshets, water
enough to fconr the South branch and main rivet
two Or three times year, SO horougnly that 1t
and wonld also be Kept IN far better naylgable
condition. AZ . measure Of satisfactory RELIEF
from nuisAnses In the river We believe It wonld
maintaining suitable depth In the harbor, VIC
think 1t might be made valuabe;sbnt after careful
are md sn.yeys We aFs thor9ugh,y sat,
Recommended for the purpose would be totally in
adequate. Some Of us have had actual experience
in matters Of this Kind and we belieye that canal
that would cost less than s1'a aooo would end only
IN disappointment TO this fun ehouid be added
whatever It might cost to dredge ont deposits In
the nrcr below Bridgeport, brought IN from the
Canal.
1he Commission have made the proposed aurvey
.of The Despia!nes river, with relerence to new
channel from Bridgeport to LocEpo1s, iRdepend.
referred to Us bJ your honorable body. We have
found, as was expected, very extensive deep
places in the channel OF that river; bnt notwith:
more to make new channel 81 eqnal sfze to that
ofthe Ill1nots and M1chtean Cannal, from Bridge.
port to the Desplaiues. and thence down thai
present canal. The new channel, after being
completed. would be epcumhered with the drain:
age Of the DesP!aine valley, but the present canal
il csse ii should be thoueht advisable to con.
et1uct the proposed canals between the Lake and
the North and South branches, the question o'
do not at present feel perfect confidence IN any.
the f.il,oad companies Of this State in the use o
nomical IN the hrst cost and maintenance, thai
We think it might be worthy Of TRIAL, and We
i ~ promising TIN reliance al1% rPS.
winds. While xind:azlls T., could ri IKE ID 4
vantage Of aDy srsszs 'i Tnsfs 1a ase L. an, an9s re
is species OF ude, or ebo and dow. occurring
1ometimes AZ often rs once In ten minutes in tht
calmest days Of sunms5' Ihs esnse o. this set
10 orr knowledge, but Of !ta existence there ts NJ
doubt, and Is little, thst by means Of selfacttn.
to
tfnot to sufficient one for permanent benefit
The suggestion has been made that reservoir
Desplainet. and sufficient quantity Of waite
stored IN them to dush the river occasionally
This could undoubtedly be done, but slight IN
billy oi obtaining Tom such sources snppl,
eut1ic1ent to keep the river pure at all times, IN
lees at cost greatly exeesdng other %eth9ds
ing the seseon fs go doubtful, when compared
With constant publication. we do not think i
adyits', to construct snsh I Z scsosyoiss !. H.
fur cleansing Chicago River" that NC can deYise /
to cut down the summit Of the canal go IS to draw
sufficient qusntity through It ts9n h;9 ths Lake
We are aware that the frtt cost OF e1ecutinI
this work would exceed that Of constructing shof
c1nals from the North and South Branches TO III
lake, and erecting the necessary machinery there
Oh. We IRE sware also that theoretically. tn
intereaton the additional cost would be more tha'
@ sie 6 GERs'na ER y aedns sa ST. Sa
of great inPeost%ee et q to f6e iassre.ts of ,he eiy
ea2 ststs LesislsTe, M xh,eh gives the eit5 of Chi
caCo q lien upon the Illinois and Michigan Cans
and its revenues aiteF the payment q ths gse'su q
=. deep cut,r and the interest aecruing thereon
rbsll have been reinb9raed to the eity;
VIII regard 70 he North ea' Branch % while We cor
best r!.n TO recommend feE permanently clean
Tered to 20 as heretofore, We believe It Is bot
s9eh discharges. This would Be- by fl t tic sin q
plest, cheapest and quickest wsy OF purifying thu
brnnch IN fact the only method We can think .
to obtain immediate as well a. permanent relie
1t has often been said within The Last three year
that any edectnal prohibitions OF such discharge
Of drh into the river would drive the dIstiller1e
from the city, and thus tnf1ict serious blow upo
it, prosperity. By an act Of Congress oflast yea
such EeavJ taxes were imposed upon disttlle
liquors as to csn!e the stoppage Of these dIstlle
r1es last July. But one has resumed work, an,
ha, sith,n id ihs lat two months result
enjoyed unusual freedom from nuisances, whfc
were often before Of most abominable character
heard Of
The proposed canal on or nea. Fullerton ayenu
probably pot les than ] annually % aisesssra I'D
g. bseF ssas@ S2 IL saSp sy
saiy, to prevent the NoTth Branch from Being e POI
luted. than to construct and na1nta1n this canal
"hsteseI may be the fnal necessity for keepin
believe the true policy OF the city IL to preyeu
all nnisances, as TN a. possible, from being made
and then the unavoidable ones will be compare
md ana Toq
extent tthy discharges INTO it and the river, non
establishments that would be most probably nni
sanses Of themselves to their neighborhoods:r
| The present Beverage system Of the city ha
been planned and thus far carried out at some ad
d1tional Inconvenience and considerable expense
o aGeRs pdRas me- Sg5e bs pa1pos
avoiding the heavy expense that would otherwise
be required 10 purify it. Up to this tune there i
but one sewer, and that only few blocks long, o,
chicago atenue, that discharges constantly Int;
the North Branch. The Wesi ktnzfe street seVe
discharges into II during heavy rains only. Th'
probability Is that for many years TO come, th'
amount OF sewerage it may be necessary to dis
charge into that branch will not be sufficient t.
c6use ofIepsiveness, H The establishments abogt
1 mentioned, as well Us similar ones, can be pre-
Ali which Is respectfully submitted.
| (Sfened)
VIZ. GooD1Ea, E.B. TALcoT1,
R. B. MASON, E.S CHEsRRouoH
L Yrt1Hv Frsxx e =