, 1874-06-20
The Canal Commissioners Troubled
for the Safety Of Joliet.
Results Of Opening tho Gates at
IOclkpOrt.
Amount Of Sediment Carried Down by
tile Ditch.
Remedies Suggested.


Iildreth occupied the chair, mud
TuEnE WE'VE rBEsESr
Of tho Committep. Aid. sldwoll Stout.
O'prien, and tho following citizenH and otllcnls,
some Of whom had loen Invited to attend and
e&proha their vious regarding tho anticipated
danger to the city In case Of 3 flood in tho DoB-
PLANES, tho deposit Of sediment in tho South
Branch, and the interference with tho cleansing
OF tho Chicago Rtvors Col. Utloy Afr, Ander-
son, and William u. Drntuard, Canal Commits
sonors; Mt. Thonas, Superintendent Of tho
cana1 Commissioners Wah1 and rrindivllo, Of
tho board Of Public Works; Mayor Colvin,
Corporation Counsel Norton, r. p. Deriokbon,
and f. N. Singer, OF Lemont
When the Committee had beon called to order,
tho Chairman called on Mr. Derickaon to cypress
his opinion.
MI. DEn1cKsoN
anld tho subject was ono Of such vast importance
to tho pooplo Of Chicago, and 80 vast in itself,
TINT much could be aaid about It, Hence be
would prefer TO simply answer question:.
Tho Chairman asked him to state what ho
knew about the digging Of tho ogdon ditch. tho
capacity Of the Illinois l. Michigan Canal, and
tho effect OF tho latter upon tho Chicago Riyor
far as purifying 1t was concerned.
hlr. DorickBon replied substantially Is follows:
All understood that ditch Ind boon dug from
tho Dosplainos River to tho west fork OF tho
South Brunch. aud that tho water thus turned
from its natural course went into the South
Branch. and supplied tho canal when the supply
should como from the lake. Ho mas decidedly
Of the opinion TINT the canal in its
the water from the Desplaincs did not run into
tho South Branch. Tho nitor-aill ut tho upper
lock at Lookport was Home 81 foot below tho
city baao, and from 10 to l8 Inches lower than
arn1 Art$t IN I'm ri1ynr md
from calculation and observation, he had con-
c1uded that the canal would carry OF all tho water
once iu four days with tho wator in the river 16
inches above the city hane. and the water Of
be carried oil in three days; and with tho wnscr
at the Chicago end Of tho canal, or in the river
10 inchoa above the city base, aud drop at tho
ptuor ond OF foet 10 inches nhoyo tho mltor-
sill, in two t1nys and six honra.
Q.-Da YOU mean change tho whole Of tho
water in tho South Dtanch2
THE OGDEN nrToH.
A.-Tcs, from tho mouth OF the river. Az
present tho canal excayatod by AEr. Wentworth
and Alr. Ogdon brings supply OF wator flon
the Dcsplaines down through the Wost Fork
into the South Branch, entering tho btanch noar
spea sae ihs spa to It's % eapas @ 5st aos
the supply does not equal tho discharge. But 1t
is necessary in order to enable tho canal to
cleanse tho Chicago Rivor to cut of that wator.
Tho more that that comes through the ditch tue
lcss is taken out Of the Chicago River. Tho
canal was intended to draw water through Tho
river from tho lake, but doeB not do so greater
part OF the timo. There WIS a little
fog in tho ~. minds Of tho public
Wentworth had perfect right to drain his land.
No ono would dispute that, But wlat waH COM
piafned OF was that he should tnp the Desplanes
River, and draw it's wator through the ditoh into
tle South Branch. He lad
FOUR OBJECTIONS
to tho ditch. Tho first was The bed OF tho
| Deaplaines was nine foot higher than tho CITY
baBe or some four or five feet higher than tho
alrcota. This would naturally create a rapid
cnrront in tho ditch; and, looking at is practi--
cally. he could not but think that the soil washed
| from tho hides OF the ditch would be carried
into tho South Branch. Some Of it. In solution,
would undoubtedly DO carried into tho lake. but
l,e thought it fair to assume TINT &uo-thirds Of
| tho detritua would bo deposited In tho South
Branch. lie had estimnted that with tho ditch
100 foot wide and II feet deep, 2,700,000 cubic
| yards Of enrth would ba carried along In tho
course cf year. Hence bis objection, 6ccauso
| ho mould ov ventua)ly have to pay his portion Of
tho appropriation In taxcn to drodgo the sand ont
Of the river. His second obteotion ras that tho
canal got it's supply Of wnter from tho DespIaincs
| instead Of Lake Miohigan. His third TINT in
| overflow was liable to occur my spring,--
i THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH wAADs
would be submerged. The point where the
| ditch !ntorsects the river being 10 much higher
water, and, in cane Of all ice gorge 1T the river,
or sunkon vessel or barge athwart the bridge
| piers, 80 as to form sort OF dam ia tho riVor,
Chicago would sufror devastation compared to
which the Fall River catastrophe would DO but
drop In the bucket. Nothing could saya the city.
| lho matter had not been properly brought to
tho attention Of the people by tho newspapers,
or tn any othor Way; yet 1t was Que entitled to
| Rerlous consideration.
HIS FOURTH on1xoTtoN
1aB that this tampcrinK with tho plan adopted