, 1880-06-20

| eFnl comfort, neallQ, anu ccOuOIHJ VI LAo
community as whole, and the Council need
not fear that it will do anybody an Injustice
in compelling the abatement OF the nuisance.
THE CONDITION OF THE RIVER.
If any person llaye any doubt as to the
criminal negligence which has permitted
| nearly ninety days OF the season to pass
away without the slightest effort on the part
Of the Mayor to relieve the river Of Its foul
ness and spare the citizens another year Of
| widespread disease, it is only necessary to
visit the river Mt Twelfth street to under
stand the terrible condition OF the water.
The water is Of inky blackness, and of a
| stencil that is pe5ti1ential.
| In 1870 the canal was dcepened so as to car
| ~ off the water Of the river to an extent to
keep the same comparatively clear. Since
that time the water in the lake has fallen
| several feet, and for several years past the
| outflow from the river into the canal has not
/ been sufficient for the purposes Of naytga-
tion, much less to keep the river clean. The
result Is that the water that now escapes by
| the canal is so nearly solid mass Of fetid
| matter, undiluted by any mixture OF fresh
| water from the lake, that the inhabitants
| along the line Of the canal and Of the Illinois
| River, as far south as Peoria, have
! protested against its condition and
| have patiently forborne resort to iu-
| dicial measures to- compel the city to
!! remedy the nuisance, or to cut the
nuisance off altogether. The State Board Of
Health, no longer able to withstand the conl-
plants, formally presented the subject to
the City Council last March, and pointed out
the immediate necessity of having the deliy-'
cry OF water from the river into the canal SO
enlarged as to purify the river and render
the discharge by the canal inoffensive. In
support OF this, the Canal Commissioners
heartily added the results OF their expert
! ence, and the engineers and experts all COM
biRcd In urging the scheme. That scheme
was to put u gate at the present entrance OF
tile canal, and at some point below erect
pump;ng~house with engine and pump;
and by this means take from the
river sufficient water to increase the
depth In the canal several feet, and thus
run off enough water every day to keep the
river from the lake TO the canal pure and
cleanat alttimes. The whole cost Of this work
was put down atS100, 600, the time requireafor
putting the work in operation ninety days,
and the annual expense Of operating $4,000.
The Mayor from the first did not take kindly
to the measure, but such was the popular de-
1nand that he and the Council did not dare to
refuse to make the appropriation.
But there the matter has been left. Not
one step has been taken, and, from all ap-
pearances, the Mayor proposes to defeat the
measure by refusing to take any action.
The Mayors latest objection is that tho ten
years during which the lake generally falls
have very nearly expired, and that the re-
turn or rise Of the water to the old level will
probably soon begin, so that by 1899, or per-
haps sooner, the water In the river will rise
to the level 1t had in 1870, and then the
pumps will not be needed. In the meantime
the city is to endure the pestilencc.
The Mayors talk Of any rise in the lake is
absolute nonsense. Up to this time there i
has been an unusual fall of rain this season |
in and around Chicago, and the prevailing
wind has been from the north and east, keep !
ing more water In the river than usual. But |
there has been no hot weather and 10 south |
west wind. One week Of the hot parching |
wind from the southwest will demonstrate |
the falsity Of the supposed rise in the level Of !
the lake, will leave the canal almost empty, |
and the exEalations from the river will pro-
claim the obstinacy and willful disregard by !
the Mayor of public health and convenience. !
Other objections, trifllne in their nature, have
been disposed Of by a statement made by
Canal Commissioner Glover to a reporter Of |
this paper. In answer to the question Of
what the trouble was, he said:
IT met the Mayor about two weeks ago, and
be sntd TO me: How much water can you take /
care off, said; 'Pr9habiy 5000 cubic feet
from you.' Said /: of course you haven't
heard anything from us. Yo'l have mover asked
ansper an " s orasers uatii ~ W tney are made rhere
bas neyor been any official communication ro-
ceiycd By the Board in rcintion to the matter,
with the single exception of the one inviting us
to meet the city authorities.
us the Bonrd willing 70 take care OF the "ater
pumped out OF the river?"
impression II not more than $500 cubic feet
minute IS tnroxn ;'' into the canal We can take
"Would tho Beard he willing to give the city
the strip Of land where the old works were on
which to erect the new oncs?'
THE Board hasn't tho power to give It, but it
has the power to loasc the land, and power to
make the rental low for such purposes Il the
pups n cut at ts Of s
conal. On that ground no rent ut all would be
charged. That w''uld be tho result"
do anvthinXY'
IL really can't account for 1t, unless be Is re-
luctunt tn part with the money. The Bonrl can
take action until VIC receive an official COM
munication On the subiectY'
This places the whole responsibility for
the failure to carry out this sanitary measure
upon the Mayor, and in less than sixty days
the condition Of the river will prove how
great that responsibility Is.
PROPOSED TURKISH REFORMS.
A writer in the Nineteenth Century, Mr.
Edwin Parks, has contributed a paper sat-