, 1879-01-12
THE CRIB.
Getting Supplies Out to That
Island Retreat.
The Ice Finally Cleared Away from
the Passages.
i Telephone Interview With The City Engineer
.-.Ai1 (rom Milwaukee.

Of two miles and then connect with the shaft at
the Crib--has, as was stated the other day, been
practically cut off since last Wednesday mid
night, aud the people haye been supplied main
~ by the conduit fixed up year and half ago
for tho purpose OF guarding against emergen-
cics, including just such q one as that which has
existed for the past few days. The passage
ways by which the water gains access to the
lake shaft aud the we'll itself were SO clogeed
and obstructed with the accumulations Of ian
Choir" or slush ice, as to almost entirely cut off
TIE flow Of water through the tunnels. The
conduit is a. wooden structure extending from
the shore shaft Of the tunnel to the watcr's
edge on tie beach, and passes across
the old Water-Works basin, which is about
200 or 300 feet from the main building OF the
North Side Watcr-Works. This means of sup
Dly was put into operation Immediately after it
became apparent that the accumulation OF ice
at the Crib was lilsely to diminish the supply
from the lake tunnels, and has proven adequate,
as shown by the gauges at the pu1nplng-worSs.
4 force OF mcn is kept constantly employed
scooping out the drift-ice as it passes through
the channel to the well Of the new or larger
tunnel. Bat for the precautions thus
taken it is very likely that the clti-
zcns OF Chicago would haye experienced ditll-
culties III obtaining water similar to those that
followed the great fire OF 1871, when the Water
Works were destroyed. City-Ensincer Ches-
brouch has kept studiously on tue watch to
guard against an emergency that might prove
VERY serious to the city in the event OF fire
like that of Saturday week, when the Post
Office was burned, to say nothing OF the great
strait that the people would be put to Tor tue
lack Of water supplied in the ordinary way.
The extreme cold weather had caused the ice
to form in the river and at the entrance to tue
harbor to a thickness of twcnty-one inches, and
the tug o. .. Green, that has been employed by
the city to keep 4 channel open to the CF1o
during the winter, and take out men anu sup
plies when necessity required, was frozen 1nstin
the main river opposite Illinois Central Elevator
4. so that all communication by water was cut
of for time.
THE ICE-BARRlER
thus presented extended down the river ana
ont into the lake for distance Of fully 2,ooo
feet from the point where the tug lay. 1t would
take too long to saw out channel,-all Of ten
dors. Mr. Chesprough thought.-and blasting
was rcsorted to as the quickest means to- ac-
comnlish the desired end. Operations were
commenced Tuesday last and continued until
obout i o'clock yesterday morning, when
channel was opened through the thick ice
for the whole d;tanse and ,ne rsSn pasSth sith
the CITY Engineer, Assistant Engineer Arttng-
stall. Capts. Church aod Hill, and the sub
marine divers. and twelve laborers, and supplies
for Mr.. Kalstroin, the Crib-kceper, and llis
family The blasting operual2gs u.:g Sere saEelea
On, Tllompson. Considerable damage was done to
rhe large four-story brick building occupied by
Rathbone & Co. and Fuller, Warren 6 Co. as
stove warehouse, and located on the north BANK
OF the river, opposite the point where the blast-
iar was first begun. Nearly all the windows
we're shaken out by the conclusions TINT follow
ed cach blast, and the stoves were ratified SO
hard that some Of them we're broken. Ihe
new lighthouse was damaged d. re- TO tde G1'fmi hner "
hrolcn, The ice was scattered in all directions
by lie blasts, and men and teams in the nnme-
dI,te vicinity had snmc hairbreadth escapes
But the tug reached the Cr1o all the sathc' auu
it vas
Thu astnte and skillfnl City Engineer took
other precautions, in case the Green failed to
re: through, to guard against an ice blockade
that would d-if it were not prevented ef ea+an IN
| through the lake tunnels. He te!egraphcd
to milwaukee, for tug Friday night. thinking
| that one might make the passage to the crlb
| from the north, where the sea was open. though
orcat fields OF ice could be seen stretching
alonr the lake for miles, and appearing as it
| they would prove an impenetrablc barrier 10
| onc Of the little harbor tugs. A boat came
| from The Cream City, in answer to the teic-
gram, ana she boro the appropriate name OF
Welcome.
new discoveries and besides taking III the above,
! which shows the emergency that arose ana the
| situation of affairs generally. obtained some
thing more that will interest the public, VINO arc
81, yfally concerned about the water supply
I +rh, r1n 1nnf1rl from HE Tribune
Office 10 the junction Of Rush and klnze Streets
| but when the explorer pointed his nose
! to the east and skipped down the latter
| street toward the lake, lie 1ound iocomotion
| 1ahorious anu unpleasant withoutss shoes.
| 1T the end OF twenty minutes tue North Pier
| was reached aud the smoke OF the tug Green
| was seen curling around anu almost chse,opt1s;
| the CRIB. The passage that hau been olasted
by dynamite through the th1ck 1ce III Lue tl'cr
! had closed up and frozen again apparently as
| solid as before the blasting began, put thc ICE
lust outside the piers was thin and Vulnerable
| II was learned from man engaged IN harvest
lug ice that the Green had oecn ou1 ana oaeE, .as
| North ricr, and returned TO tue Grio III,
ora1n with workmen on board. Ihc
Sexplorer took the back track aud tramped up tue
! snowy road to Pine street. into which ne turned
| and made bee line for the North Side pump
| inowor..s, knowing then that something
| was up,'' and All emergency han cT1oently
arisen. On arriving at the works the explorer
I discovered telephone that communicated Win
| the Crib, and it was Immediately put in onera-
| tion. Tie gentleman In charge OF the office,
aftcr calling up y the Crib by the phone, untl
| getting response from
| THE CITY ENGINEER,
| who was out there, informed him that In1D-
me rcportcr had arrived and wantcd to talk
| With hin. The reporter began the interview
! thus:
| tsHalloa!''
And .sHalloal'' came back from voice q
little faint and husky, which was quickly rccog5-
nized rs that OF Air. Chesbrough...
How is everything out thcrc?"
! swell therc Is great deal of ice here in
tho nassarcways and about the well, but hope
| to ret it out this afternoon.
HAuvthing seriousl"
..Thc Ice has obstruc.cd the water SO that II
| will have to be gotten out. l have fourteen men
out here including Mr.. Artingstall, aud Church
and Hill, the DIVERSE"
| g Have the divers been down?"
"Ycs, one Of theln-Capt. Hill, who just
- Did he get very cold While down2'
uNo; he put on extra clothing, aud stood it
we'll. Both divers will 60 down in their ar1noi
again soon. They are at dinner now. Capt. Hill
r.norted anchor-ice in the passaeeways, aud we
are at work ut it now"
ssHow is Mr.. kal5trom:"
| Il ~ ;e varv tired from hard work, and Is