, 1875-06-06

oolo1o Auy improvement OF Tue u4IDOf WAS Oh
gun the E1ger made sharp bend southward nea
the present depot OF the illinois Central Roat
and had it's outlet near the foot OF Madiao
street, full halt mile from the bend. eAvsn
between the r11es and the lake a long sand-ba
above water.
the Government began the work Of improve
1nent. The first step "as TO cut through the ba
| 10 as to giTe the river straight outlet. Th
river was cut OF from the old channel by an etn
! bankment, and freshet occurred ths 6rrIn
following the beginning OF the work
OF tho sirer, doing moro work than tn
dredges. A pier was built OF the north side 0
{ the river, beginning nearly At the shore~ne \
that time, and running out about 1,U10 feet in
direction little south OF east, pier was alss
| constructed On the south side OF the river
! through which, at later date, cuts were mad.
Ey the Illinois Central Road 10 form doc1s Il
1886
THE PIER W4B EXTENDED
400 feet, but the direction WAR changed to lit
tie north OF cast probably wl:h / vlsw OF widen.
ing the mouth OF the river, but the result yas
| unfortunate. Ms sand bar soon formed in the
Very chAnnel. south Of the east enc OF the pier,
10 remedy this, pier was built between 1885
aTd ~ curv1ng south until II reached point ID
line With tue orsinai direction Of the pier. In
| 1859 the
On The north shore WAS built 1t il "a
| teet high, or SO fee. abovo the lake
level. The light is fixed and visible fifteen
nautical miles. From tue shore-lne at which
the work was begun to this point is just shout
1850 feet. Notwithstanding these improve
ments, the strong lttor1l currents that set down
tho lAko constantly brought sand from the pro
! lections of the shore Above and rolled up hass
IN front OF the city. This tar gradually ex-
| tended southwark, until in 1854 it reached thu
foot Of Van Buren, street and vessels Of any
considerable drauGEt were forced to rua down
! that far and beat arouud the end in
/; order to gel up the river. Casualties wero
numerous and tue Government not than baing
able, owing to the drain on ita resources By the
war, to naako appropriations for ha1bor i'm
p1oyement, the city was compelled to take action
for itself, and IN 1865 extended tho north pier
45o feet, and direction north Of east: ignoring
the fact that the Government pier whcn bul!t ia
thai direction had cOndncea to the rapid increase
OF the bar.
The haroor was still in very unsatisfactory
condition. and
VARIOUS SCHEMES or IMPROVEMENT
we're broached. The Chicago Dock and Canal
Comrany was formed, ana projected = masnlf-
cent plan OF improvement on The North Side, in
cudlpg canals aud basins. TIE Government
did 10. resume its operations until 1867, when
an extension Of the North Pier was begun, 800
feet from tha old pier, 10 to leave room for a
allp-basln. which WAS subse 4uently inclosed by
the Chicago Canal and Dock Company. This
Company tiled 10 with land distance Of about
$50 feet from the Gns OF the old piar. and then,
leaEing An anterFal for vids ship. constructed
breakW3ter And pier to connect With the extension
OF the North Pier built By the Government This
pier Was completed in 1863 to the leng,h OF 400
1tetr and the improvements on The north aho1e
OF the 1iTer mouth had then reached tho condl-
t,on in Vhlch they are st present. In 1869 And
10,
THE SOUTH PIEn
Was extended 8 le1Eth Of l,2324 feet. largo
area Of ground vas filled in back Of the pier.
principally BY the Illinois CebtraI Road. and
forms raluahle riparian frontage.
In 1870 Board OF Engineers was convened to
consider the subject OF the further improvement t
OF tue h2roor Of Chicago, and Col ]. B. Wheeler,
OF the United Statas Engineer Corps, submitted !
plans which we're substantially approved, and ire
nov being carried out.
TIE IDEA
was to form An outer basin or hsrbor bY the |
building Of O breakwater At right angles to tho I
south pier, and extending eouth for a considers
bic distance. In September, 1870, the work Of
the breakvater WAS begun, and in
1874 the ast of the crlbd sunk to mplete it
to the proposed distance In all 80 cribs so feet
long and 50 feet vide, were sunk, xhieb
would make the length Of the breakwater
f~000 feet, but intervals between the ends
u the cribs make the total distance 4.0S73
.eet, OF little over four-flfths Of mile.
Ia addition 10 this. Biz cEbB we're sunk at right
.ug{es With the rest OF the breakwater, and in
inc with the South Pier, As to make return.
lha interval between this end OF the break
sate1 and the end Of tha South Pier il 800 feat.
The work on the breakwater this season consists
n building supers:ructure on Eoms 1,237 feet |
# the crlb-work. In addition to this IN exten-
ion Of 500 feet is to be made On the North Pier,
II the reader has waded through these |
satisfies. LIE Will now accompany the reporter
|oFn to the end OF the North Pier and observe
TIE MoDCs oPEEANpt OF cRIB-s1SKNa.
'rlo1 to 1873 cribs ware sunk directly on tho |
and bottom aud afterwards filed with stone,
aaklng = fopDdatlon on which the snparstructura
rs laid 1t VAS found, ho~eyer, that the cur ! !
ents would erode the sand bottom under tho
ribs, 10 as to causa them to sette down un-
venly. THIS waa te1nedled BY N Invention Of
ol. y. e. Houston who Was IN charge Of the
'ork here from 1870 to 1874, aud the cribs now
eng placed at the end ct tho North Pier are
aDk by thls proce6a. !
Take bake. and fill It With stonea ind YOU
avs + miniature OF the old style OF crib. It vas
othing but 4 squRra-built frame OF wood, 50
'es long and 80 vide. When it was set in po-
tiou, stones we're thrown into it until i. VA !
Ink. forming foundation The style of crib | .
use now IL tlmost equally as Eimpla, but il
,c1ed from sh1fting OF the sand bottom II
:ry ingenious manner. 1t tho end Of the I
orth Pier, Wa may 300 piers placed in couples,
I'd st intervals, 30 that there wall b three
'uples Of piers On each side iii distance Of 80 .
ct HEAVY cap lmbering is laid Along tho
ps OF these ficrs SO ~ to be in line with the
les al the pIe1, forming sort Of berth. Tho
IDS arc DULL id Tue augfe OF tue brA2k Wafer,
ID ara towed into position By the Government
s Gen. Belkuap. At the time tne reporter >,
ss standing on the end Of the pler ono uas be- :.
G put into place The huge wooden crate was ~
ch an unwaeldT coucoEn, aud Swung back 30 I r
stlpAtely. that it ~As bard to get it into posi- =
"a 10 as 70 push Il straight into the berth =, ~
kced for it, but the gallant little tug gripped it =,
d shook it into dociity. Getting firm hold | =.
it by means Of ropes and fastenlnRa, it hauled | =
sbout, shaessd 1t around into position, aud r
ally =
BErTED II INTO THE BERTH. | II
ov1ng it up 10 the end Of the pier. Then | m
. Workmen vent to work to cham | e
and hero comes in tbs pecpliA1lty [ Ir
its construction Chains ara fas- -,
asd about the cap timber, one between each ! IN
u Of plleA the other end being fastened to IL
, lowest course Of timber in the crib. The tb
b ls constructed 1ith three longitudinal CON- tn
rtmsnts, the middle one With clo.ed bottom. th
= II il syldent that when stone is thrown into r.
3 middle compartment, the CRIB will sink II
9n until the chuns aro drawn taut, and thu ar
b II thus suspended from the ples- When | N
. Il completed, stones are piled up in the two Il
er compartments, and, falling to the bottom, an
cad out under the crib forming stone foun- et
ion, relieving the chains from the weight of | m
crib. In this way the position OF The CRIB il th
de independent OF the shape OF the bottom I rie
the bottom should shift, the loose stones in I n
tho outer compartments will shift to accom- th
data themselves 70 the now contour OF the | vi
tom but the crb having an independent sup bo
t. ia not Affected III