, 1880-02-22

I Tor EQe contest SHALL approach.
CLEANING THE RIVER.
The Citizens Association, with commenda-
bic earnestness, are holding meetings to con-
slider the best means of affordlng Immediate
relief to the people of this city, and of the
towns along the Illinois River, from the evil
of insufficient drainage furnished through
the canal. The facts are generally under
stood, and the injurious results are expe-
rienced by everybody. The Illinois & Michi-
gan Canal, the bottom Of which was above
the level of the Chicago River, was partially
supplied by water pumped from the river
into the canal. The City Of Chicago, how
ever, in order to provide permanent relief
to the city by continuous flow Of water
from the river into the canal, expended
nearly Sc, SOC, 600 to deepen the canal some
eight feet. This improvement went into
operation ten years ago, and for some years
worked we'll In the ten years, how
ever, the population and the sewage Of
the city have nearly doubled, and, owing
to periodic changes in the hight Of the lake,
the level Of water In the river has fallen d
couple of feet, and consequently the flow Of
water 1IUlu Ale ll* I'll His bO oCAAOuclJ A4AAAA
ished that it fails to sufficiently dilute the
sewage, which is carried down to the Illinois
River, to the great offense Of the good people
of that region. The grievance is aggravated
by the failure to carry off the sewage In suf-
ficient quantity to afford the relief needed to
render the Chicago River; decently endura-
BILE.
An immediate remedy Is needed for city
sanitary reasons, and to avoid legal and sani-
tary proceedings on the part OF the people Of
the Illinois River towns.
The necessity for immediate action is con-
ceded, because to neglect it longer will be
criminal What, then, Is the simplest and
easiest remedy? The trouble in the case
arises from an insuffciency Of water in the
canal. The remedy naturally suggesting
itself is to increase the volume OF water
passing through the canal, thereby increas-
ing its velocity, and carrying off with 1t
greater amount Of sewage, the whole
SO diluted with pure Iake-water as to be sub
stantially inoffensive. To still further
deepen and enlarge the bed Of the canal will
be work Of years, costing many millions of
dollars. To dig lateral sewers along the
river side to catch the sewage and bear it off
to some place in the rural districts, there to
be pumped up and disposed Of as liquid
manure to fnrn1ers, is preposterous, at once
wholly i1npracticable and impossible. The
farmers would not permit such a liquid
deluge to be spread over their wet, heavy
clay, undrained land, for ne believe there is
scarcely an acre Of tile-drained farmland Ill
Cook County. So this wild scheme mny be
dismissed from further consideration.
To restore the pumps, and to rebuild the
lock connecting the river and the canal, Is
admitted BY everybody as attording the
speediest and, for years to come, the most
efficient of all speedy and practicable reme-
dies. To put in these wheel pumps, and to
set the improvement in actual operation, will
require but few months Of TIME and an eX-
penditure variousIy estimated at the lnslg-
nifcant sum of SIS, 600 to S100,00o All the
engineers, all the experts, all those engaged
In the navigation and other use Of the CANAL,
unite in commencing this as the best and
most feasible scheme. Persons doing busi-
ness on the canal state that the flow Of water
from the river into the canal now averages
from 1900 to 10000 cubic feet minute by
erecting the pumps, with only lift of five
feet, this flow can be increased to 5000 cubic
feet minute. Mr. Notion, practically ac-
quainted with the whole operation OF tho
pumps before the deepening of the canal and
with the present performance Of the canal
stated the situation very clearly. He said:
AZ to the. scheme Of pumping works at at
bridgeport, he had no doubt about rs
being Practicable. It was the only means by
which YARlj j0f rotten.
thought Sl00 900 was liberal estimate FOR Or M the
cost The Old works we're put up tor $4S,UV,
and had capacity Of 10000 cubic feet per
minute. An engine Of 601-horse power would
be necessary to raise the water nVe 1get
It would cost $A q day for, fuel !he
other running expenses could not exceed $5J
The only question was whether It vas prac-
the year round? Dy that means a current co1ld
be created in the river sufficient ocleanse II
thought raising the water four feet would oe
suinclent- Last summer Ii, ,000 cu0lc 1eet pAsstu
through. with the water eight feet. deep at
Bridgeport. In October the water tnefe VAS
only si1 and a half feet, which was about tne
lowest it had ever been. The Canal Commission,
have It in operation 65 April on the upper ievei.
when the sediment would be removed: But this
to any ne e1tent teafe from 'ne cesso - Is to tie
rise and fall Of the lake. statistics
showed that it run from twelve to six and half
feet at Bridgeport Since the Canal Commls-
sioners had their conference With; the CITY
and he had been told that III. Jenney would re-
port favorably. He tJenney) estimated TINT
60,00o feet pumped into the canal at Brld9ep9Tt