, 1865-01-16
THE CHICAGO RIVER.
Meeting Of the Committee Of Thlrty--Report
of The sub CoHmlt:te-Eill for a
Board OF River Com un1seloners,
PubIfc Meeting on Tuesday
Night.

PuDlfC NACeIihE On IucSu0y
Night.
The Committee OF Thirty, appointed at puhlic
meeting Of the citizens OF Chicago TO devise som,
plan for cleansing The Chicago River, assembled
On Saturday evening at the Office of ]. Il. DIM
ham, Esq, pursuant to adjournment The Chair
was taken BY Mr.. Durham, and the minutes OF the
preceding session orthe Committee read and ap.
committee Of i've heretofore appointed, reported
8s iolloWs:
REPORT or COMMITTEE
The Select Committee appointed at the last
meeting Of the Committee at Lnrge to draft bill
providing for the establishment 81 suitahle Com.
1nanent cleansing OF the Chicago Riyes. beg leave
to submit the following report, With the bnl ac.
companying:
Your Committee find that the conclusion arrived
at with 90 much unanlmity BY the COMMITTEES at
Large ut It's last meeting, That the execution Of
this work wou1d require tue creation hy legisla
purpose was iu1ly sanctioned and approved by The
Judgment Of the President Of tile Board Of PnbIlc
Works, with whom your Committee had 9 f11l
Win them to some extent IN ihe consia liberation of
Tho bill herewith submitted. and gave its general
featnres and object his hearty concurrence: MI:
se wo;Es ba ntesaF ox u
public nature on their hands sufficient
10 employ all their time, End that In his Judgment
II would not te IN the power Of that eoav, consls.
tcntly with the proper performance Of the duties
already deyolyed upon them hy Law, to give the
needful amount OF thonGht time and labor ~
work Of tuch importance and difficulty "a that pro
posed to be entrusted to such Com mission; and
So far ns your committee have been able to asccr-
tam. the general opinion In the community is dc
cleed7y favorable 70 the apposntm at of separate
special commission to devise euit2bie plan and
carry 1t into execution.
In preparing bill for this purpose yonr CON:
1uittee haye not Of course embodied In such hill
any specific plan for the object in view. The
adoption as we'll as the execution Of the plan II To
he lef 70 the Commission created for that purpose
by the bill.
q plan wee submitted 10 them By Mr.. Glndcle-
the leading feature Of which was cnta1 Of one
hundred feet in width from point near the head Of
uavarablc wptef in the South Brunch TO point IN
the Calumet River, near fts mouth. With p1mp1ng
works Of the proper cap5city to change the entire
body of the water IN the river and both Of fts
vhole be,ne @ through the canal At rate
Of oycr mile m hour into the Lake through the
Calumet, which plan secraed to them to meet all
TIC requirements both Of immediate IT, and nesma,
the sewnge md also from the various uanufactnr-
This plan involves an expenditure Of about
F20DO, according to the estimates Of Mr, Qindele.
This plan seemed to Sour committee falsy aae.
qrate to all The needs Of the city for period Of
city ehould ever Increase in population to such an
extent as to make 1t necessary TO cease using the
river even ; =. ssmposar 1essptass o. me pnnlls
Without witheat M di1lcuity, to a system of inter.
ccptIng sewers ior the entire city, which
wUnld conduct the sewage to reservoir
located at thc sids Of s tie pumping works p,o
the cannl, 1ntrrmtxed with faesh water, and after
undergoing the purifying feet OF tsansit Of ten
miles In rapid current Of frcsh water. discharged
we'll established fact that The cleansing effect Of =
current Of fresh water upon drainage Of the foul
est description go rapid and edcctua1 that there
ts no reason to doubt that ut the point Of dis.
In sufficiently pure condition to remove every
objection to its being there empucd into the lake
wn&crs.
Sufficient powers are embodied In the hill suh-
mittcd to cover the execution Of this plan, II upon
subsequent investigation 1t should BE- deemed the
The plan Of relief by deepening and widening
the Canal, and by means Of The deep cut, connect
ing It With Lake Michigan and thereby tasning the
current Of the T1ve. soutAward, which has been sc
mittee and the public Journals, and which msny
regard as the only mode Of accomplishing salts
iscto,y pffsantnt re3et, was ially considered anS
ful powers to carry such plan into execution, i
they shall find it desirable.
A. measure Of i,nMetIidtt relief, however, 1t II
admitted that this plan Is not available, as it nil
It's execution, and our citizens would mot be sa1s
fled With my plau which did not give them TIL
PROSPECT Of tnmedlate present reiief, as well as
1t may be that the fuller and more thorough In
vcsiigaticn Of the subjects hy the commission
created by this act, will establish the necessity
the ultimate execution Of both plaus-the one o
Mr.. Ginbele's ns measure furnishing an imne
dinte remedy which will be fully adequate to al
our needs for many years. md the other AZ th
most complete and satisfactory permanent 1e:ned
Tor ali time to come.
If such should prove to be the case, 1t will be
gFrat eoGrrc Of satisfaction IN the execution OF t
proposed plan for immediate relfct that the mon
ey 80 expended will in no event be wcstcd, but III
canal to the Calumet furnishing A. It will, ne,
outlet from the river to the like, and new an
valuable locations for manufacturing estahlith
and eheap water aeerss to he fske, viii anquss
| tonatly he worth to the city fa1 Horc than III
amount which viii be expended on ils constrns
/ ton.
| tits believed that snfBclcnt powers are vestet
by this bill in the Commissioners TO corcr eithe
OF 10th Of these plans. as may he found nccessaI,
xens, of maEi6s q communication with The BE-
F1aincs River. by opening passage through Au
Lake, has uleo been considered by the Committet
The necdfnl inTestission. II It shall he 1aaad d.
sifable, the lfll contains ample authority to cart
ii into execution.
I NODE or AF1Q1AIAISls
| The nodc of appointment OF the Commissioner
| BY the Judges Of our Courts is one sanctioned b,
the action Of the Legislature In other cases, an
which seems peculiarly approximate 70 the selee
| c,;iztns OF Chicago. suffering under the eyt1
eought to be removed, in common with the rest G
the citizens, and are, at the same time, men who's
position ana IA nd
] As m election ot these Commissioners By p0pu
LII vote could not be had before The next cbarte
election in April. which would make great delay !
maturing and preparing the needfnl plans; ana
! made at that time would complicate this tmpol
tnnt mater, In which our e,tiscns Of all 1,a1
| ties are nike Interested with the political an
thought by the Committee that the mode Of ap
| poiutmeut provided by the lill would be general
| Is regarded as the most satisfactory which conf
1 Oc adopted
To prevent imposing Oh the community any II
creased burden by the establishment Of sepArat
4 commission, az well a. TO prevent the appoint
| meut leing sought for mere personal cmolumen!
serre without salary.
| Your committee, npon conference With lcadin
; pToper men can he obtsined to all t.is importsn
public trust without the expectation OF receis1n
Lny Other reward tian the satisfaction Of promo
Ing 1he Interests and welfare Of the slty. az 20
remedy for ttls existing evils
DURATION OF TIE COMMISSION.
Tic bill fixes the term Of otice OF these Con
mitsfonc,s nj six years, In order to give eahctei
to fnil completion. but with view to prevet
| The continrance Of separate Commission N
longer than the pubic interests shall reqnir'
Is to s on sG so9
lie done bur 10 n1antain and supcrr1se It, to 9bots
| such Coz mis- sion, 1y two-thfrds vote, and tran
fer fts property and duties to tic Board OF Publ
WorEe. ----
TO secure to the Commission adequate mnans
execute the work without delay or hindranc'
they nre authorized to rcport to the Comno
Council The amount required for the work. not e:
cretling III the whole the sum Of three million
and upon such report, 1t becomes the duty OF tt
| Mayor ard Conlptrulcf to Issue the require
the Commissioners for negotiation and sale;
tho required mans equally rs wcll 81 il they thrr
selves were authorized TO kign a. ana Issue 81 sas
and negotiation Of these bonds Win the other q
indchtetncss, and their signature and execute
by the proper officers for such PURPOSE
xrsnER-
THE ,d1] proytdes that the Board shall consist
| Eve persons, wllch number WIS agreed on hy sol
Conu,iuee az securing a sufficient number for fu
consideration Of The subject, and yet not too ms
| To hrinc he Work Of tie commission into t,
,Tupcr RELATIONS with the other departments OF II
city Cort m. 1cnt. the Mayor and tho President
! AhE HQafA Qi 4EH1E NNThS MtE 1l1AIE NA-JttC
| members Of the Board Of Commissioners create
| by 1ils att.
I DRAINAGE LICENCES
As the dteinagc frou the various mauufactu
| inr establishments is known to be one proli1
source Of The corruption Of the public watefs. u
as the plan proposed co1tenplAtes punp!'
works witch must be maintained At heavy anu
al cspcnse, it was deemed just and equitable th
ali persons draining into The river should contri
lstc something towards such expenditure heyc.
whst was paid BY. the citizens general
md TO tGia end md with a. Vie
MISC, to bringing all such drainage nader the co
tFol of lhc PUBLIC authorities, ths etll Psovid
nil from the Board Of Public Works for u
11arnage I into the liver. or The canals construct
! by The commissioners, and the said Doard Of pabl
Works fe authorized to exacta license fee
cnd kind OF such drainage, and the Comm
Council to provide suitable penalties to preTe
! nf fttleF DfOyfsIQp2 OF {