, 1880-03-14
WHAT THE NEW cANAL-PuMps CAN Do

| WHAT THE NEW CANAL-PUMPS CAN DO.
The City Council has wisely included in
| the annual appropriation ordinance the sum
| of 100000 for the new lock and pump al
| Bridgeport. The Canal Commissioners, and
| all others who have studied the problem,
| unite unreseTyedly in claiming that this
| measure will have the desired effects; that it
will supply the canal with the abundance Of
| water which it now lacks for navigation; tha:
! it will provide the means of emptying into
the canal from the river sc, 600 to G0,000 cubic
feetof water per minute, instead Of Il, 600 only,
as now that this body Of water Is more than is
needed now to keep the river clean; and that
the flow through the canal will be so diluted
with pure and clean water from the lake that
the country along the canal and Illinois River
will experience no possible unpleasantness
from the stream. This result is worth all
the money needed to accomplish it.
1t has been estimated by those familiar
! with the work that 1t will require ninety
days in which to build the new lock, provide
building, and put the machinery at work.
The necessity, therefore, for immediate ac-
ton is obvious; at the shortest time the
pumps cannot be put in operation before the
1St or the middle OF July.
The Canal Commissioners have through
out these whole proceedings given their best
aid to enable the city to extricate itself from
the calamity with which Chicago has been
threatened, and we suppose the Commits
sioners will cheerfully cooperate in ex-
pediting the relief which can only be ex-
pected from these new pumping works.
The experiment tried at the Fullerton av-
enue conduit may prove Of some value. The
sufficiency Of the pumps there to create a
current in the North Branch has been fully
established. Unfortunately, the peculiar
weather prevailing this winter has not been
entirely favorable to the success of the work.
There was no difficulty in producing good,
effective current through the North Branch
and the main river out into the lake. Ordi-
narily, this foul water upon leaving the river
would have gone off to the south and south
east; but the winds have been contrary since
last fall for most Of the time and have carried
the water of the North Branch to the north
east, directly to the Crib, thus polluting the
water-supply Of the city. The southwest
wind rarely prevails as it has duringt this
winter, and It has compelled the suspension
OF LuE Quuip1 Ill LAC LaQ1 III ASAAAANAA~ AAG CA
perience of these wheels may be Of some
value In providing new machinery for the
lift-whee1s at Bridgeport
The most effective and thorough cleans
ings to which the Chicago River can be
subjected are tho occasional freshets, gen.
orally in the spring, when the water pours in
from the prairies and various sources, and
with strong force rushes through the river
and its branches, carrying all the loose and
offensive matter out into the lake. These
freshets give the river what Is known as
thorough securing. It is the natural means
for accomplishing that important end.
The pumps at Fullerton avenue are Of the
reversible character,-that Is, they can be
used to force the water into or from the
river. There are frequent seasons and fre-
Quent occasions when the supply Of water
in the canal Is in excess of what is needed,
and when there is current towards the lake.
This is often the case during thaws In winter,
and at other times. If these new pumps
can be reversed, they can be employed dur
ing one Of these seasons Of high or excessive
water to pump the water from the canal
and precipttate it into the river, add
fng to the force Of the river cur
rent the additional weight Of water
in the thirty miles Of canal, thereby increas-
ing the securing process Of the freshet This
might be done at least twice, and perhaps
ottener, every year, doing much to perma-
nently remove the great depths Of slime and
other deposits which cover the bottoms of
the river and its branches One such thor
ough cleaning OF securing Of the river is
worth whole months Of surface-drainage.
The new pumps. therefore, may be so made