The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-11-27
CHICAGO TUNNEL.
Completion OF the Great I'm
dertaking.
Interesting Details Of the Mode Of Construction,
Cost and Other Particulars.
&C., &c.. SC.
our CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.


CHICAGO, III, Nov q. 1896
The great Lake Tunnel which this city been con-
structng for the last two and half years at last an
assured success. At four O'Clock this morning only
thirteen inches Of excavation remained for removal
The telegraph win inform you Monday next OF the
ceremonies which 10 take place the occasion OF
the formal completion OF the work With that telegram
il will be interesting to the million readers OF the
HsaALD to read complete historical sketch ana correct
descriptive detail Of this Lake Tunnel. which has been
one OF the grandsst riuphs of engineering
skill ever attempted in the history OF human enterprise
TlE PROJECT. a
FOR long time previous to the year 1858 the mpurity
OF the water supplied for drinking purposes the
chief objection to residence in Chicago The effect of
the Chicago river reekng with the discharge OF seveny
Ave miles Of sewerage and the refuse Of numerous pack
sng houses breweres and distleres, could often be
ts;tsd in d sckenng disgusting and naliscatng euvis,
which made tho drinking water supplied by tho water
works OF Chicago unfit for the Of This water
was pumped the shore OF the lake. thYee-quarte
OF q mile north of the mouth Of the river And
horrible reality, the winds drifted the concentrated
ah Of sewerage from the river, along the shore OF lib
lake, 70 the very mouth Of the inlet pipe al the wafer
works, where in slightly diluted state II was pumped
up and TO the city, through hundred and thirty
miles OF pipe and hydrants for use in the kitche and
dining rooms OF the inhabitants. S
The contamination OF the lake water rapidly Increased
All sorts Of filthy refuse found their way into the
pitchers and kettles and pals OF the agrieved spulaon
Even revolving fragments of human flesh and ne, from
the dissecting rooms of medical colleges, cne floating
back from their toruous through ting sewer into
the river and thence to the city pumping forks And
the dsected portions of disectcd corpsesere not
frequently the pavement whenceIhey had been
discharged from the hydrants. Ne
The nuisance having at length becon utterly ntole-
rable, the municipal authorities mpfssed with the
EQU1Q MIA I MIR
water, gave their earnest atyntion 10 the
subject, and, alter considering nynerous schemes,
miles IN length under the of fake Michigan. II
was found that while the deete bus and corrupting
distance along the lake shore ethf way from ts mouth
the water of the lake at dsiancebf one mile from the
sna Ss sS c3 @
and clear as the purest and spring water in the
world.
The tunnel project waf received with de-
rision, both by numeros influential citizens
aud by many eminent scynthic gentlemen whose
opinions were solicited But with a full
realization of the nagnitgk of the undertaking, the
possibility OF failure and thIcondomnaton which would
be theirs in case Of such failure the city authorities
adopted the project. Htf splcndidly the wisdom Of
their action attested by fac final success and triumph
of the undertaking. T#7
n admitted at fhe outset that the chances
of success would p determined beyond per-
bed Of the lake. II is we're ANYTHING else than
frin foundation of y or rock, it would be useless to
attempt tho UNDERMINE The presence Of quickssnd
wonla utterly destroythe nope of being able to obtain
pure water through he medium of lake tunnel. ss
Boring for artf Sian well at point very near the
spot where wou@be necessary TO sink the shore shaft
of the proposed had previously demonstrated
about tweEy feea below the surface clay formation
commences and hence extends downward to depth or
one hundred fe Early in the spring Of 1863 expert.
ments were Instituted In order 10 determine whether
this favorable formation existed along the whole
line Of the contemplated work, and at the Same
time various observations made to test the
quality OF thgwae at the proposed outer end and
Of tho tunnel An auger, inclosed In tubing TO
specimens OF earth, a depth of thirty
feet below the bed Of the lake. short intervals along
tbs whole length Of the tunnel line The clay formation
shan which could have been favorable the
construction OF tunnel was found to be Uniform and
continuous, for although the examinations as
thorough as possible the engineers conducting them
unable TO discover place In which the formation
broken b. seams disturbed by lodges OF rock. The
information obtained these and various other points
satisfied the Board OF Public Works that tunnel
would accomplish the desired results and that work
entirely practicable The necessary drawings and
specifications were prepared speedily practicable
and advertisements published in New York md
Boston, we'll as here inviting proposals for the doing
OF the work. tea .sf s.-.s $3.50 ~
THE CONTRACT
The bldg were received aud opened September o. 1885,
Assny eight different parties competed for the CON
tract they We're as ioilows;-Iames Andrews, Pitts
burg Pa, $3.50, 5ss; James j. Dull and James Gowan,
and n n Robinson New York ssiso6o. y Ia mooa
Williams, John Mclean, A. s Brown and George Nelson
Chicago, 100000; Harvey Nash, Chicago, $40 per
Baldwin, New York, $l05d,000. The terms in which
rst bid of the foregoing list was expressed wero
such that apparently the bidder did propose to con-
struct the whole work for definite sum, as so un
derst0od IL rejected indefinite ana uncertain The
hid Of MeFsrs Duh Gowan Of Harrisburg Pa, being
unconditional and for the whole work. accepted
the lowest and best OFFER
The contract executed and signed October 20,
1857 II provided for the completion or the work be-
fore The LIST of November. 1896, the contractors
assuming ali risk of accident aud agreeing TO furnish
all materials of every kind, besides all machinery and
required for the construction OF the tunnel Upon
the completion OF the work. the contractors
criye s3i513e as total compensation for the work,
Which, however ba exclusive or the cos. of extra
work arising from any changes in the mode consruc
tion that might DO Dictated by the Board Of Public
Works
TWAS intended TO commence the work without delay.
But tie Board OF Public Works determined upon change
IN the specifications for the shore shaft which was
originally designed TO he wholly of brick masonry. The
change wa substitution vi three cast iron cylinders,
each ten feet 10 iength essentially ike the iron cylin
ders proposed for the lake inlet in place Of brick work
for tho upper thirty feet of the shaft This wa re-
shaft through tho bed Of qucksand overying tho clay,
the distance through the quicksand TO the clay being
With the difficulty in obtaining the required cylinders
from the foundres deferred the commencement OF the
work until the spring Of 1884
The formal breaking Of ground occurred on the 1Ih
or March, 1884 and since that time has bcen In almost
uninterrupted progress broken only BY the intarva be-
tween midnight OF Saturdays and midnight Of sundays
Thore have boon occasional Interruptions by the hreak
or machinery, strikes among the worknsn, the
presence OF water qucksands and the explosion OF
gases but these stoppagcs of an brief
duseon Yet IL must not DO supposed that work Of such
magnitude involving such supcndors risks AMI ouch
ggt.rc obstacles has been prosecuted without tho aid
OF inorabie perseverance, and unequaled engineering
skili IN unabridged history Of ne unde rakns would
toll story Of patient struggles snsi constantly rccur-
ring rcriis hardship, d,sappoin,men,s and financial
embnrsass iients, that have but one parallel in the
prosecution Of the greatest public work ever at.
tempted. Natures grandcss elements have had
be next overcome. There have been obsta-
Giles which almost baflied the power Of human
force and ingenuity 10 remove. The bridging Of niagara
was hut feeble achievements as compared with the lake
tunnel OF Chicago But the darkest days Q. ~ progress
found ready, with fresh courage andopc.
fu enthusiasm 20 battle with greater difuiues
DESCRIPTION or rnk TfNAEL
The whole length on tho tunnel already stated. D.
two miles tho depth Of the shore shaft, al the bottom
Of WHOM the Dor commences its direction out under
tho lake sixtysayen feet, and the dcpth OF thc akc
shaft below the surface Of the lake sixty.tour feei
rHF sHoRr sHAFy.
The st thirty foet % the shore shaft are incosed In
hrco ron cylinders, two and halfinches IN ihckncs