, 1877-04-22
TIE CANAL.

| In order to lind out how much the canal had
! been damaged by the recent flood, aud to get
I other information on the subject, reporter Of
| THE TR1BuHE called on Commissioner Brainard
! Yesterday, and had the subjoined interview with
him. .
"What damage WIS done to the canal by the
recent noodl''
"Well, you know the Dcsplaines River broke
into the ranaEin three places at Willow Springs,
washing away the bank and the tow-path!"
Yes, but how much will it cost to make the
rcpairs?'' =
"1n round figures, about s., 600 to e1cayatc
| the earth.
| "How much earth do .you.estimate was de-
posted in tho canal?"
~ should Judge about 5000 cubic yards"
'W!ll much time be required to remove it?"
q We have removed most Of It now,--cnough
sbcrme bank. We will cxcayatc tue other at
our leisure. The difficulty is this: The high
banks on either side uecessitate handling the
dirt three tfmcs.~ 1t is dredged out and put on
scow and then taken to point where We have
crane We cannot dredge out, and throw 1t
ashore with a crane. And this difficulty in
creaSes the cost. Of the work. -. -
"How much OF tue canal bank was destroy
cd!'
s'rbe main break was something like 100 feet
raised eight OF nine feet higher than ordinary,
aud five fcet higher than at Bridgeport and that
made current this way"
WHAT is THE PRESENT STATUS OF TUE CANAL
SO far lis the delivery Of water is concerncd?"
at is not taking any water from the South
Branch, and will not under sixty days, as the
supply now comes from tile Desplaines. If it were
not for the Ogden Ditch we could clean tho
South Branch every three days."
"Thrrc Is plenty Of water in the canal?"
nY,s,n
aVlat would he the effect on the South
Branch Of closing tho gates at the Summit, and
keeping them so except when locking q vessel
1T would have no cfr rcct: The locks at the
Summit art used simply to shut of the water
when we drain the canal between there and
Lockport. During frcshet the water shuts
the gates and then runs this way. Whenever
there Is unusually high water that will occur:
All the water that the canal cannot discharge
canes this way."
''How much is the canal taking in now at
Bridgeport"
about Il, 900 cubic feet minute"
"'rhat has no effect On the river."
'tNone at all. The water from the Desplaines
comes through. the Ogden Ditch and turns
around the corner into the canal. This t1ow
prevents the South Branch from moving-''
:. How much is discharged at Eockport?"
''About 5000 cubic 1eet minutc-''
"Supposc tllr Summit gates were now closed,
wouldn't there be enough water draining into
the canal south ol Summit to tax its power OF
delivery to its fullest degree, and would not the
rent in the South Branch out lntn the lale<"
s'As to thc first part Of tlle question cannot ]
say. As to the second. yes; Just as it was in
the last fres1ct, if there was more water in the
river than the canal could take iway; but that
doesn't often llaupcn." |
The reporter then called GU ]
CITY-ENGlNEER C1lEsEROUGH,
and iuterrogatea lin with tho following re-
suit: .-.s ]
- How much water is at present running into !
tho river from tic west fork OF the South |
Branch anu 0g,leu's 1itch!"
II an unable To tell. No measurements |
have been made. There Is nobocy to do It. |
But the quantity is variable. As tile stream
falls tie hcw uiminis!Its. It is undoubtedly !
very much less now than it was ten days ago,
aud will continue to grow less III tile absence of
rains.' - ''- =. :>-~ 80.
.sIIave you any idea rs to the effect Of the
late trcshet in tue bed Of the South BranclA:"
mo. / hare l1adno opportunity to look into !
the matter Some arc apprchellsivc that the
,1ocks and parts Of tho river will'he TILED with
mud deposit, hut there has been no examination
to learn the extent of the deposit"
sAWill all examination tc tuatle!" -
II have no doubt Of it, if titef property
ers find that vessels cannot get Id. hare heard
no complaints thus far"
.1What will be done toward daUalning the Og-
den ditch and preventing similar outbrcals!"
"The Desp1aines cannot aily more lie kept
out of the Chicago River than you can prevent
the wind from blowing, if :. fresbet comes. II
the ditch could he damned: up. the people OIL
the other side would not only demonstrate, but
would cut awny the dam, as they have done al
reauY. They cut away the small dam, but that
would have amounted to nothing in frcsi'et.
l. Understand Mr.. Ogden is to lie sued for put
ting a dyke mot dam) along the riycr.'
Can nothing be done about that tlitch!"
~ don't believe it. but am not lawyer
enough to give an opinion. Perhaps the State
might do something towards closing it UP by
the right OF eminent domain; but
the CtY Of Chicago has power lo stop the
,ra,,.r r,1nrlnp firOunn it. But if II ,ros rnt |