New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-08
PUBLIC WORKS IN CHICAGO.
REMARKABLE ENGINEERING ENTERPRISES.
THE COURSE OF THE RIVER TO BE CHANGED
PECULIAR TOPOGRAPHY OF THE Clrf'-TUN-
NEIS AND WATER-WORKS.

CHICAGO. MAY 23-The little river from
which this city takes It's name is to be made to
perform feat which must for It conspicuous men
ton In all future school Biographies. 1t Is ahout 10 DC
made to run backwards. Its mouth Il 10 pecoihe
(what indeed mouth ought to bel IFS inlet ltlsto
to swallow Lake Michigan-in detail OF
course. Chicago would he nothing without her rVer'
which affords some miles OF harbor ana DOCK
age accommodation through the very heart OF the Guy
an nestmable commercial advantage But the river mas
threatened nevertheless to he the death OF the CITY, ls
sagnant offensive waters carrying the contents OF the
sewers the wasteof dstieres and packing establish
ments have been, for years, perpetual menace OF pes
thence. People who have never been here na'Wa9
suppose the river empties into Lake Michigan ouen'
20 DO so, hut it does not except when there Is oo
At an other times it exhibits the most swnish oD'u"S
and sucgshness 1t will neither be driven nor coNeu'
To overcome this unwngnoss seemed to be ana was I'M
uractcahle What then was to be done Z The problem
was a difficult one, but it involved the hie Vi
Chicago. and the leading men Of TINS Guy arc
not the kind to give it mp" under sneh CIT
Cumstances. To have the grass actually gro"
in the streets" would be humiliation TO them ana
triumph TO their rivals TO which IT was not IN ther ma
lures to submit If Brains and Capital and Pluck ana
VIII could save them salvation should be wrought out
III the river would not run outward, as Chrlstal'
civilized river ought TO DO. then the stubborn, 1ooh
thing should he made TO the other way, ana 'le'
would send its foul waters down into the Gulf Of Mexico
lift the waters Of the South Branch into the limos
and Michigan Canal which flows into the ILLINOIS NJ
q branch of The Mississippi But this proven " "
expensive process, and necessarily h'ei" -,
The remedy was only partial. Then, sH''' .
demonstrated its feasibility, they set 70 WIZ "
down the Summit Level" Of the canal SO rs u es'
li,h natural ow dispensing with the pumps anu WIN
locks also During the coming summer the WoIh WIN
be coHpleted and the clear, sweet waters VI LAM
,au will pour into and through tne rINeI 0n'n0 CIV w
south Branch forever The North Branch VIII not smart
In, zen tho river and the South Branch the benefit
~ This arrangement Whatever additional engineering
NAV, ocome necessary for that Branch will IN due Time
De undertaken.
mav lie mentioned that the harbor and dockage PRIV
icces of Chicago having become overaxed the pressure
Is TO be relieved by the Calumet and Chicago Caal anu
Dock COMPANY incorporated and organ zed in 1863.
whose charter provides for the construction OF snip
canal about 10 miles in length, connecting the son'n
ppcb of the Chicago River with the Calumet River AT
or near AinswOrth Station, which will render aVaaDe
the Calumet River harbor and lake for shipping DOCK
age and manufacturing purposes congress aPpro-
raton Of $4,000 has been made for the Improvement VI
the harbor, which sum has been partially expended
,,on the work system Of "outside" docks THAT is,
dr ont into the lake) has recently been inaugurated
Nv kindred Company with a similar title The Chicago
Canal and Dock Company. They have begun on the
orth side of the mouth of the river at the IoOt oi
Michgan-st and have nearly completed the Dredging
,nd sping Of canal slip 5000 feet long, the sales OF
Garth paving all the cost of excavations and they intend
making similar slip at the foot OF each alternate street
between this and ChcagOave., being five slips III all
similar series of slips and piers is in contemplation on
che outh side Of the river for the protection OF Wheh
ahout 600 feet Of breakwater have already been COLI
trpced OF the $4,000 inhabitants of this city, nearly
1 are from the state of NewYork 5000 Is the next
highest state representation, which is that Of Massachu
satt so that New-York pretty well represented here
But Notwithstanding the great intimacy OF relationship
both business and socalbeween the Garden Clty ana
the ,eaboard ana Notwithstanding that hnndreus ana
perhaps thousands Of your readers have visited Chcaeo
presume the great majority Of those who VIII see tlS
letter have no very clear conception OF the pc
culjar topography Of this city as determined by
the river and its branches. They may get
pretty idea Of IL by supposng Few correspond
ing transformations 20 have taken place in NewYork
Let Tour enthst from the East River to sixth-ave be
navieabe nver feet wide, branching off at the ay-
cuue at right angles north and south forming the letter
N tbe branches running respectively to the Battery and
10 Harlem, with about dozen connecting slips ana ca
mails each from 5000 feet long Now let the river
sides and the slips and canals be lined with steamers ana
sailing vessels and canal boats, loading and unloading
and LET the channel be alive with craft coming and going
the lazy steamers and the frantic little tugs believing
and screaming hdeousy and threaeningy for the next
bridge TO OPEN this noise being kept up at all tunes o
the day and night Understand that the 100000 popula
lion are distributed nearly in the proportion OF TWO
eiC
st. and east Of sixthave, threeeighhs on the South
eide,' IL e. south of Fourteenthst, east of sxthave
and the remaining three-eighths the west side H. e.
west OF Sixth-ave, all the remainder OF the clty
Now imagine series of parks and connecting pouIe
wards commencing at the foot OF East Onehundredahd
twenty fthst, and completely grdng the city Oh lts
land sides terminating the East River at the loot OF
Walst its westerly line ming through the middle OF
Jersey civ The East River Of course, represents Lake
Michigan and the North River must be supposed TO be
land covered with streets and houses The area OF the
city is % square miles.
The three popuous sections Of the city thus shown
10 be separated by the river and its branches They de-
pend for their communication with each other upon
pyo bridges al each alternate street. which, however
are very uncertain dependence as they require 10 DE
frequently swung open TO accommodate the CoIno @
river interest. Hence tunnels became necessary, anu
one was accordingly built under the south DTanch OF
Washiu gtonst about year ago at cost OF nan mn
Ion dollars and another larger Dut costing Ie SAM
now nearly completed under the main river at sale-st
The former locality would be represented by sixt4ave.
Tcnths and the latter by tourleehthnt' AT rHn
ave The Importance Of these tunnels VIII De oetter
appreciated in the light of the following statement
showing the extent OF the traic bOth over te p,Gses
and the river: About SIX weeks ago 3ouO peuestdh
and 1850 vehicles by actual count OF the police crosd
a single bridge between a. IN. ana y. III. anu go
pedestrians ana 1905 vehicles crossed the main Ner on
tour adjacent bridges III the same time AS to the river
traffic IN June, July ana August 1862 theIe were Oh an
average daily i40 entries and departures OF vessels
The completed tunnel has already become a great
fhorouyliare. A line of vehicles 1000 feet long
NAV times be passing through IT, as near 10 each
The bridges OF frequent occurrence than al the
New York and Brooklyn ferries The bridgemen ring
1e a. warning or notice OF their intention TO open the
bridge Instantly there rush 10 get over IL 10y every
one within half block Of it who is intending TO cross
From 10 To so people, according to the time OF day
pprOaching each side, on foot ana In vehces VIII
fns strive 10 avoid being delayed till the bridge closes
again some will succeed in getting across before the
bridge begins TO move. Others Will jump from the NOV
ing bridge 10 the bulkhead The straggers are III danger
of being crushed between the railing Of the bridge and
that of the bulkhead-a not unffequent occurrence
Similar danger attends jumping on the bridge AT the last
writ. aVya
ayo escape this fghtfu death by only the narr0~est
conceivable chance and has seen wagon drlVe on the
bridge after il had begun TO swing. DIldgegate Is
desderaum and If satisfactory one cOuld ne devised
and demonstrated, the authorities would DE eldG 10