, 1877-04-03
Grandest Deiuge Chicago Has
Known for Years.
Vast Lakes Of Water Extending as Ear
az Eye Can Reacl.
Tho Manufactures Closed aud the Docks
Buried Beneath tho Water.
The Desplaines Has Broken It's
Way into the Canal.


ntsplhtncs River uyett!oW!hX it, banks, recalls 10
old settlers tue times when tho low swamp md
prntrio land. then unlnhnbitcd, from tic Chicago
to the nesptatnes River waa converted into vast
,nkr. Huth an occurrence was not uncommon In
those times, nor was It limited 10 the snrng scn.
ron Int Il happened often atlef heavy min. storms
during tho early summer anA winter months.
uoubtsess any Of the early settlers OF Chicago now
Surviving can set wonlrous atorics Of voyagfnR on
horseback to Desplaincs. ths water being up to tho
stirrups the whole distance. The general lay Of
tho land on tho West Side. and, indecJ, on The
peculiarly tusceptiblu to inundat!on. A. tho cIly
built m, however, thu strceta wcro graded, md
often tho lower 1nnds were li1led up. Yet even Ia
this day the eect!on Of the West nlvlsion lying
snulh Of Madison street and west Of Ael,fand nv
emo Is frequently troubled with excess Of water
at the tins Of tho melting Of the hnow. This ycar
the Hood IL extraordinary, and, It nay be said IN.
preeedcnsed since the settlement Of the Wcit Side.
Some account was given In Mondays TninrSE Of
the cause Of the overflow aad its extent. Yesser.
day i reporter visited again the scet!on ,uos.
affected, nn1 In order 10 make thorough inTest.
cation. adopted the equestrian mode Of loeo,no-
t1on. A. had Ieen hnt!efratcl, It was found that
this was the only feasible way Of getting sbons,
for no vehicle could possibly be drawn through tic
dccp miro and pools OF winter that covered many Of
the Atrecta Walking was out ol The 1ncBtiull. a.
the sidewalks were either drowned nt The bo.iou,
Of nnfathoinab'e seas, or were floating around In
nh extremely careless and debonnalr manner.
TUE RtRsT VIEW OF THE WATEnr wAsTE
to one approaching direct from, downtown Ia ut.
tanned ut the corner OF Harrison street aud ogden
Hero m S Eoa T. nV
ths .itlewatK in rome placss. The County Ilospl-
tTsme ssstsTa Joanaary of tic wafer.s u oeisn
avenue and tho cross stfccta each way as far sonl
~ Twelfth. arc s Gnlts thekiy covered T!te dwell
i'eow Twelfth. tlcsc i large patch Of prAltlo
land on which stand no buildings oil any sire. This
Ia A. nll under M water.
called to thS appearance ut Tug north, md, sSuti
pcnlneuln. IL was long, black, .narroy l!no Of
earth running through tito rea. Hero and there
were houscs, looking forlosn cnoush even In tho
.unthine; Men could be seen occasionally ENGAGED
truubed themselves only with jet.a,n-the dotsatt,
wa: LETT to thetnrelsc.. ..... -.
wSete tall Of muday water whsi, rashcl @ ltos dow,
with IN tnpctaosity of mountain torrents. q
@ m sseepon e q oa5e
md that has a pavement only between the street
found north 6f Oslen aycnuc, although thu side.
wallis wcrc tnostly intact.
At THE CORNER or WESTERN AVENUE
were grouped tevcrnl fam, wagons, whoss owners
had gotten 10 far % thrir way omc. aud yerc tok.
IND iuug rcst preparatory Il. tha struggle with lid
Miles OF pMre inll that lny between them and their
honea. Thr!E cullrsu WA fortunately on tie rivtt
AMI out Of tic range Of the inun1ution for wticA
circumstance they were exchanging couRyptuIa.
tony when the reporter arrived. Turning down
Wcstetn avenue. The Investigator guo!l fuun,i
hin..cff ID what tha Variety comedian
woutd cal! a s"diGewcnlty.' The rnati
Eracd hies! above tho oud hut 1t was ali xtde.
ht1i the arex In the middle being too narrow for
even rngle Nurse to balance up0i,. ltcsItles, tho
stcp tie nninai woald eink lip 10 his knee IL ti.o
soft, blnck soil. Cunseauently, travelling wrs
neither easy not. pleasant. rid dItclss Oh either
hand were ottcn full. aud sometimes running oyer,
ahI fH both tlerr was ntrony current setttuI
auuthwuri.
lletwccu Western avenuo and the Great Eastern
Railroad track. which rim parallel, titc face Of tic
uarth wus Invisible. The trick WA tiiii aboyc
water, hnwever. d that point, Bnrlsr south il
WIS found that the truck wns overfowe.l, and i
train Of ftet:ht. cars On stae.t'aek was buried
eFn avenue has NJ houses, bnt uu tho other
siue theru Aru u few scattered along Ut
wide tntervnla, mostly prclpIeI bY pour
Gxrtnan laborrts. Thcir yards were In.,stGls.
and, could only bs snggeatcd by tte fences,
whilo the housss age1nrd to po.aSs4 no outlet io
tho street. they looked lko. lIta;Ifantir,i shf,t1
upo, tbe ocean, 9s,,i EHYc;tsi tales Ur shpwrcck.