, 1875-03-04
THE , CANAL.
How 1t La Fou1ct1 by tho Water
front the Chicago River.
Widening anl Deepening from bridge.
port 10 tnckporl Proposed AZ
Remedy.

ltFFffnhHdfhff ~ Inc Lhfea1a 3FtaHHs.
orTAwA. ILL.,. March 2.-1:cccnsly mich COM
plalnt has bocll inado by tue people living along
tic lIus Of tho 1lllnois d Michigan Canal. bo-
tween Bridgeport aud Lockpost, at Joliet and
othdr points below, In consequence of lilo fear
ful stencil and founcss Ut tho wntor lowing
from tho Chicago 1ltycr through thcso cah,-
tols. Those wators taro boen tho BLACKLIST and
muslltost, and, wherever vent Ii given by air
holes, or tho leo is beokon by mill.dan,s tho
stouoh is 4 moat intolorable nnfsanee. 1t poi
Bous tho air, nnd affects tl,o health OF al xLo
nra compelled to breathe 1t.
These watcsn arc actually poisoned to such An
extent that tho tlah therein AFRO dying by tons,
and dead fish in tho mill-raccs along this canal
and river accumulate 80 m TO clog the wotor-
wheels, mud, dccay'ng In heaps along tho banks,
Ill tho air with stencil that Is uncomfortable.
Thero ib no dcnying tho oxstence Of tho evil.
nor that nonao maaus should bo speedily adopted
for It's AbntcMent.
THE CACHE.
There Ia no question az to tho cat.nc Of thia
ahosuinable nuisance. Tho deepening Of tlo
section OF tho canal botwoon Bridgeport and
I4ockport, az waB intended, turned tho waters OF
tho Chicago river back, and drew them Of into
tho canal u,akng It a seUcr, OF general sluco-
way, for tho filth Of Chicago. Tue intention
wns gool but lilo canal failed to accomplish tho
purposc designed. because 1t was mucl, too
small. Tho fifth Of grcat city needs largo
outlet and swift current,-much larger thau
tho present canal eau possibly afford. Tl.s oraa
Of Chicago ia carried In feeble currens
through this canal to the 1tlinoia River filling
tho channel with its fou!ncss, and charging tho
air with iss deadly odors.
QuAcN REMEDY.
There scems to bs GENERALLY idea
among tho dwcl1crB In tho region Affected BY
this turbia aud offensive water, that, by raising
the gatea iu tho canal at Lockrort, g,oatcr
stream and n moro rapid current would result,
wllorcby the o!Tal Of tho city would BE- mora rap
Idly and entirely removed. This is an erroneous
theory; tAa
TREE REMEDY
is to widen aud dsepcn tue canal from Bridge
port to Lockport.
After long aud careful measurements, It has
been clour1y demonstrated that, under tho n,oai
favorable circumstances, tlo head Of tho ca,,nl.
% noy constructed. is capable Of receiving from
2G,100 to $4,000 cubic feet OF water per nliuuto
aud at Lockport. discharsing, at tho san,a time.
from is0o9 to Go,voo cubic foot per mnntc.-
s"s s tns fIefS sress ssas Ese sasfse IL Il ss essa
between tho points named. TLo dissauco
through ullell this water flows 10 Lockpors III
% milea. Through 10 miles Of tlIiB epacc, tho
canal sH dug through very soft Garth. which. BY
reason ofita looso character, tllr co1nnotinn OF
tho water hv boats and tlle wind, mud action OF
frost IN spring. is constantly crumb'Ing in at
ill., ths 'aes .n.Ii9 1a isS .t Tho htso
Of Taler. 1'ctwecn bridgeport and Iochport
tllors was to have tocn fall Of D.10 feet
when tlo canal MAS docpenc.l; but st1cl, 10 not
The casc, actual measurement revealing tho
truth TO Do, That tho bottom is 30 shaped 10 to
ntssHt ttxxss ftsn nrkA H..
tho ca,Iai is now nearly feet in thickness, md.
a. n shown by measurement from tho bottom Of
tho lock ct TIM head Of The caua!,-.ho point Of
marking recognized by tue Goyotumcnt,-
to lake ~ tfro feet lower ts Heason than Usual.
The depth Of tho water iu the canal, as 1ncaaurcd
ir0m tlio bed Of tho lock, ht hgh-watcr usnrk, ID
feet inci1es ht present Is I feet / inclIos,
Deducting from this. wo have fcct low water
vi feet for ice foot for error on tho bottom Of
tue canal, Which loavca very snall c,,au1ol Of
mud and garbage, which flows part Of this
space, through lilo debris Of the bottom OF Ibis
ditch, resisted by mud and ice, diBtance Of ~
miles, at the ratio Of only from . to miloa por
to arain sha flIth of the great civ of chEcaso!
"Trae, ~ it approaches LocLport, 1t Is sums
What diluted BY fresh water froiu iu.Qowiug
channels. aud, BY the time. It reaches
spcs ,oush oaases Eo.tsns % Hana xSo f''bS
tho water shAs en.ors. or can enter, tho
cLanuol at Chicago. has FREQ aud unl,iuderei
flow through ttlu tail-raccs Of these mills and
docs not furnish half tho water tiloy nocd. Nor
Ton l. Co. haYo contract With tho stato Of ILL.,
noiH, and tho stnto Is bound to furnish thcm,
through tliis canal. water sufficient for GsGl runs
Of stone annually. whereas tile amotius,loT Aow-
ins t'o3o ,B la, oily sufficient for rims! alr.
Warren 1lytic, Of Joliet, mlll-owner tltslo, Ian
contract for supply Of II rims Of stouo al..
nually, mud gets from tho Slate only water SUM.
ctcnt to move 3 rnitHt
Tho Superintendent Of tho canal tried tito OK
pertinent oi hoisttug tito gates ut Loctport ,,,,-
der tho hast circumstances for creating moro
rrp!d cnrfcnt through tho canal. and n.atls caro-
fnl measurements frou. tho head at UrilCcport
I'll along to Lockport; but. beyond htn,piy ex-
lausttng hesn,all bahia at Loolport was unable
to produce any porceptib1s difference In tic ouat-
lty 81 water received or the general currout.
!ta plan is to widen tho canal GO feet from
bridgeport to Lockport. making it 100 feet in
width, aud deepening 1t feet, mixing 1t feot,
1his will give au ample outlet for lie oifal OF
Chicago in largo body Of water, create lheleiu
n coustaot]y-aowlng current, nnl, bosiduu
greatly improve tho navigation Of the canal,
u, a. T.