The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-02-12
THE SEWERAGE NUISANCE.

Mr. T. SANFORD, of VI orrs, sends us a lon
communication, which he had Inserted in
Chicago paper, protesting against any plan L
amellorate the Chicago sewerage nuisance b.
a system of dilution or otherwise that shall
send drop of Chicago water this way. Ill
puts the case thss:
The Chicago papers have asserted that III
4 water at times has been polluted for from fuu
to six miles along the shore, and from two |,
two and One.half miles out into the lake. |
I anyone will stop and figure the amount Of wa
ter in that limit, and the volume of water a
one time IN a section OF the canal The same dis
lance from Chicago, or even the entire anOsn
of water in the canal all the way from Johc
! to Chicago, he will soon see how futile it Is &c
talk OF dlutng all the sewage OF Chicago by
any amount OF water which can be forced
| through any such conduit, so Is to make 1t in
| noXiOus. i Is not for Us to suggest To CblCa
go how to take care Of her own sewage, but
we do have u right to protest that it shall moi
| be poured upon us. and We have Il legal rlghI
| to prevent It.
There Is one error under which we think
Mr. Sanford in common with nearly all per
sons who write and talk about this Chicago
sewage nuisance Is laborlng, The mistake IL
IN regard both to the quantity and quality Of
poisonous material 1t involves. OF the tons OF
oflal which the Chicago sewers carry into the
lake and river probably not ten pounds 10 the
ton are poisonous or calculated to pollute the
air or the water of river or lake. Take for H.
stance u wagon load Of manure. 1t contains "a
few pounds of ammonia and "a trife of other
deletcrous material. Spread it out in IA warm
sun and in few hours all has passed harm.
lcssly into the air so with the filth that Is
carried into the Chicago river. When the riv.
cr is open and the weather mud or warm, the
olcaginous substance that contains the pois
OnOus matter rises to the surface and the pOiB.
olis pass off in the form Of q harmless gas
But IN the winter, when the river IS covered
with ice, while this olcaglnOus matter rises
to the surface, there Is no outlet for the gases
and they mnglc with and poison the water.
A few inches of the surface water of Chicago
river passing into the canal, carries all this
poisonous matter with it, and it pOsOns the
canal and river rs far and rs long as it remains
Chokcd under the ice; and so passing oat INTO
the lake at Chicago, it posons the water just
50 far ont as the lake is covered with ice. At
prcsen, the ice extends out beyond the CRIB aud
the water that passes into the
crib Is poisoned. But let that ICE break up,
and let the ice IN the Chicago river aud the
canal melt or pass of, and instantly the waters
are purified and we hear no more of the Chi.
cago sewage nuisance until next winter
But while mistaken as to the quantity, quail.
ity and nature Of the poison, Mr. Sanford Is
night as to the remedy, He says:
II Is proved tkat by the Fullerton avenue
ronduIt the north branch can be cleaned IN
lwcntytour hours. by similar works the
south branch could also he clcaued-bolh
through the natural outlet of the Chicago riv.
'r into the lake.
That is all that is needed When the canal
rcczcs up close the gates at Bridgeport and
let no Chicago water come this way, bat send
It out to the lake. OF course, since the lake
rccZcs up out beyond the crib that will in.
'olve the necessity Of carrying the CRIB further
mt and that If all it involves The poison
rus oils and gusses of chicago sewage, driven
nto the lake, will hurt nobody while the lake
5 frozen over, and when tho ice in the lake
Freaks up, II day of sunshine will dlssipate
he gaSsCs. and the water and air once more
ire pure. No hurt to Chicago or anybody |
Use can come from tho adoption Of this plan,
{ Chicago viii only carry her crib out 50 far
hat III all seasons her water WORKS are sup
,licd from the open lake.