The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-28
Pleasant Prospect.

The Illinois and Michigan canal is to be
closed this year some two weeks earlier than
usual, to enable Chicago to carry out her
project of deepening the canal to Lockpori,
so as to turn the current of Chicago river
this way. The contract for the work has
been let to parties in Chicago for 81 SOC, 000,
and the work will commence on The 18th
instant
This project, which Chicago undertakes
with her usual GOODNESS, without as much as
saying ''by your leave to any part of the
world outside of that salubrious city, though
such outsiders may be as deeply interested
as herself, is one which has not received
as much attention along the line of the canal
as i: ought to. Many have an idea that it
will benefit the canal, by deepening its bed,
increasing its capacity, &c. This is al
Illusion. when the work is done the canal
will be no wider, the water in it no deeper,
than at present; the only difference will be,
that two locks--.he one at Bridgeport. aud
one at Lockport will be dispensed with.
and the ''long level as it is called, instead
Of being BODY of water almost without cur
rent. will have strong current settling this
way.
But the point where our interest; and that
CT the whole country from Chicago TO Alton,
comes in, has reference to The material of
which that current Will consist that is to set
so strongly this way We have read grea;
DEAL in the last half dozen of years, of the
delightful 'isnells and scents" of the Chicago
river. These scents" have hitherto abound
ed chiefly in The vicinity of Bridgeport: sell
dom reaching Chicago itself in their intenst-
tv, as me river is really without any current.
BY this deepening Of the canal, however, all
these delightful ''smels and scents" will be
precipitated his way. Not only what is now,
and will be daily hereafter, floating on the
surface. will float this way, but The accumu-
lated filth and rot'enness of years, sunk to
the bed OF the river, viii be agita.ed BIZ tie
active current to be impaired to it, ard put
ahoat. The Illinois river, instead Of being
the pure, limpid stream it is now, will be-
come the main sewer OF that filthy metropo-
lis. As to The sports of the angle, in which
We have hitherto taken so much delight, our
fish viii probably have too mich seI;respect
to remain IN such stream o. pollution as
the Illinois river must then become, and, in
stead Of fine bass, perch and p;ckerel, our
hooks viii bring up choice bits of hall rotten
garbage, whose Offence is rank, and smells
TO heaven
We recollect, a year and two Yeas aTo,
when on account of The drought. it was ne
cessary 10 pump wafer from the Chicago
river into the canal. the few thousand gal
lols day then sent this way, and which 10
1he whole body of water in the canal were
but gallon in Ter thousand, so pollu ed the
water that the sink became positively a
serious nuisance as fer down as Morris. and
was very sensibly apparent at Ottawa
When Chicago shall empty her whole hfh
this way, is it assuming 100 much 10 sar thai
the water OF he O-Plain and Illinois river.
will not only be too impure for use, bat hat
they will be too filthy 20 support animal life,
and that the r in their vicinity will he laden
with noxious smells and vapors ibat must be
extremely dele'erious to health =?
The cholera is com 'ng. Chic 20 has never
escaped its visitation, and will not ibis time.
Could more cerlain and diabolical scheme
be possibly devised for spreading the conta-
gion, than TO iurn the fil,h and garbage OF
the infected city upon the wide county
around?