, 1870-07-13
THE THREE MILLION CANAL JOB.

The Chicago Times, which, three years
ago, stenuous]y advocated the three mill
Jon job, to deepr1 the canal between
Bridgeport and Lo export, begins to grow
nervous over the realization Of the benefits
to be derived from this job as 8 sanitary
measure, for the puridcstion Of the Chica-
60 River. It begins to perceive the truth
OF what TIE Ta1BusE has been alleging all
along, andif it will scrutnize the matter
Little closer, it will see that the project
had it's origin and impulse in q drainage
speculation.
If it will examine good map Of Cook
Comfy, it Will see names Of the owners Of
the land who were uainly instrumental in
committing the city to this three million
expenditure to drain their low, wet lands. It
will find thereon the names Of ex-Mayors
and rich and influential real estate specu1a-
tors, who bambooz]ed the citizens and
bought the Common Council, as is gener-
ally believed. Here is what the Times
says in regard to the condition of the work
that has been done at an expense OF ST.
so0, 600. .... ..
But 1t Is Just az essential to the realization Of
theee benefits that the ditch should be 1ndesl1ch-
BILE By any natural causes az It Is that II should be
renty good authority that the deep cut is n many
places, already filing up. Fol considerable part
,he distance t9e snttng e saa 70 psss @ tnToSa 3
sloptng banks TO the BOTTOM The slope of the
banks is nearly fortyhEe degrees; the depth, sev-
dsposited sediment il Tue bottom 70 Tie
depth Of seven feet Probably this deposit does
moi extend entirely across the bottom, which Is
he Complete destruction Of the ditch for the pur
poses Of drainage would be only question OF
tine. End Of comparatively abort time, TOO. It is
certain that some uf The contractors for The work
express the conviction tha. The Kork WILL prove
complete falure unless the banks shall be walled,
or securely protected b. Sheet nilns, ihfoughout
| and Lockport- To build such protection would
| eost more than the original digging. --
It Is further represented that the City Engineer
| In charge Of the work, is either not acquainted
with these facts, that he refuses to recognize
them. It is part Of his duty to make estimates
for the amount Of excavation done each month.
For this PURPOSE he naygates the canal IL boat,
| carrying q pole which be occasionally thl7lsts 70
the bottom 10 measure the depth. Tne lower END
| Of his pole ls shod with nat board, which pre-
vents 1t from guipg TO the real bottom Of the cS.
cayaon, but arrests It's progress at the surface OF
! the sediment which has fallen IN from tue banks
lie thus nnds tna, the depth Of water is nos what
| The contracts require He assumes that the coz
tractors have been cheating. He proceeds to
sdock 'then,, accordingly, IN bis estimates
THIS, at ali events, Is what tho contractors
say and, Ia order to verify the fact in court OF
justice, they have for some time mud upon tae
| work IN engineer Of their OWL THEY Intend 70
sue the city for the difference between the esu-
mates Of the City Engineer and the amount or
actual excavation, which they expect to prove by
They ailege, also, that the City Engineer IL
charge is an incompetent person. They intimate,
tscss, and ia; be EXHIBITS favoritlsm in measnr-
| ing fnnse portions OF the work which such con-
tracts embrace And they say. gsneraiyc1sT;h'ch