, 1881-11-06

To the Editor a The Chlcugo 171oH!t
CrIcAao. Nov. :5.-To solve the union de-
pot and bridge question, build 4 permanent
roadway 100 feet wide and two or more
miles long, commencing, say; 1T Twenty
fourth street, and running straight into the
lake in a direct line toward the crib, This
can be built by cribbins. ard filling in with
s:t,,,e I. strip thirty feet wide OH each side OF
the 100 feet Between these two strips Of
crlhbing there would remain forty feet,
which could be filled up with sal,d, stone,
etc, which wcul.l make 4 roadway that
would last forever. Gen. G. Fitzsinlnons i'll
for1ns me that such Il roadway could be built
for So Der Inca: foot. OF 0. 900 per mile,
with Il good profit. commencing At any point
that wou!A give the City OF Chicaeo large
:,ud c:.lacjous llarbor II might be. found
Unnecessary to commence at IilftE-fourtl'
street, but for convenience to illustrate how
easily this great question of grand union
depot and the bridge question can he solved,
will commence 1T Twenty-fourtl1 street
Tie railroad companies are willing to give
one million dollars for 4 p;lrt Of tie Lake
Front park for 4 union depot Now, i'll
stead ot building OIL the lake-troEt, let them
sperl the million dollars in building the
above roadway, and the City Of Chicago
EHt.iIA we'll l1iIitsHIt
more 10 This, which would give US two miles
Of roadway into the lake, and tnen give the
railroad companies the privilege Of using
just rs much Of the lake as they should dcsirt
to build Il grand union depot on ut the col1l-
1ntncslnent of this roadway into the lake.
and the balance of this two miles Of roadway
could be utilized tor freight .lepots the first
uii.. and m.cIline-sors, round-houses, etc,
the second mile.
Now. what would be the result of all this
expenditure of money? Why, just this:
the Two miles Of solid stone roadway into the
lake would be 4 neyer-failing protection for
the finest harbor in the world, and slips
could be built one-llalf 4 mile long and lt;4
feet wide, not only along the lake shore, but
all along the above roadway which would
give i salid dockaSe of forty miles, where
all Of our lumber, coal, and merchandise
could he landed and handled with great ease.
The land for tlese slips, 0f COURSE, the City
Of Chicago would owli, and could dispose OF
to pr.yitie parties Tor at least one or more
million dollars, and these private parties
wOaii buil,l the docks. elevators store
houses. etc, the rentals of which would well
renay them for tie money expended
In talking this subject up with Mayer l1ar-
ilson, who. by the way, says such Il plan
must bc a<lopfed in I. ven" few years, his
Honor threw out a valuable and practical
hint thar had not thought of i'll regard 10
cleansing this Ianrbor. lie said there should
he left Il space near the Union Depot 50 ar
ranged that the water RuulA flow over this
'3v,a1way into the ItarbOr under the railfOau-
tracks so as to create 4 seml-cnrrent to the
water ON the harbOr, and thereby wash ont
the filth that would naturally accumulate
tr''m SO much shipping. This is a valuable
sanitary hint
have no doubt if this scheme should be
carried out the General Government would
he perfectly Wiling to donate 1.C0o, 900 or
s.. .0o0,00 10 complete such i grand under
taking. thereby relieving tile City OF Chicago
at any great expenditure OF money: i'll fact,
1t would prove Il n,oley-lnaklnL project for
the city, and the river need only DC used for
cAnnl-boats and sewerage purposes, thereby
civin. us the bridges for permanent viii
ducts. and without these permanent yilducts
the business OF Chicago cannot be trans
acted in ten years from now with a million
Of people III the city. .
From, the Union Depot at Twenty-fourih
street All elevated railroad should be built
along. the lake shore where The Michigan
Central and Illinois Central Railroads now
run. to take passengers up to the centre Of
the city rs lar as Lake street, with stopping
places say at Twelfth, Van Buren,, Madison,
and Lake streets / would Sell the valuable
lalids owned by the Illinois Central and Mich
1.an Central Railroads from Twenty-fourtll
street 10 the river, the proceeds Of which
would about build the Union Depot and the
above improvements along the roadway into
Tie lake
am well aware that the Illinois Central
and Michigan Central Railroads and the eIe-
.ylior interests along the river will fight this
scheme, for it must necessarily injure their
financial Interests, more or less, but no great
public improvement can be made without
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