, 1881-01-09

the exact outlay contemplated by the assess
.,nents to which the property4owners facility
agree by payment thereof. = y
-
WHO poLLUTES TIE, HL1N01B RIVER !
. The latest development Of the canal-seW-
age question Is the preparation OF plans and
estimates by which the waters OF the Des-
PLANES River are to be turned into the ILL
nois & Michigan Canal below the Summit,
the purpose being to supply that canal with
water to the exclusion OF any from Lake
Michigan through the Chicago River. OF
course this scheme is one of petty spite and
impotent revenge altogether unworthy the
State of Illinois or it's officers. The only sub
stantial cause pleaded as an apology FOR
even the suggestion Of such measure is the
alleged pollution OF the Illinois River and the
failure Of Chicago to take any effective steps
to remedy or mitigate this annoyance. The
facts IN this whole business are worthy Of
attenrlon not only In Chicago, but also by all
the people living along the Illinois. River.
And we will just remark In this ,connecton
that from August to March, seven months OF
each year, the Desplaines only carries 500
to 1890 cubic feet per minute, or less than
one-tenth as much water as the canal dis
charges at Lockport. 3
The original design OF the canal was to
connect by deep cut and broad canal the
waters Of thelakes with the Illinois River,
and thence with the naviEable waters Of the
Mississippi Valley. This plan was subse-
ouently changed to shallow ditch, which
/ is now but few feet below the level Of the
lake; the present discharge OF Wnter from
the lake into the canal is about 10000 cubic
feet per minute. With the lee frozen to the
depth of two feet, the discharge into the
canal probably does not exceed 10000 cubic
feet per minute, and this Is not equal to puri-
fying the water after Its passage tnrouEh the
Chicago River. This water, impregnated
with the sewage of the Chicago River, emp
ties into the Illinois River, and. with
its strong and. offensive odor, Is carried
down, passing all the cities and towns on the
way until it is lost in the Mississippi River.
Against this, the people Of these cities and
towns protest, and, owing to their. COM
plants, this scheme to disconneot the canal
with Lake Michigan is proposed.
On the Illinois River there are the follow
ing cities and towns: Lockport, Joliet. Nor
ris, Ottawa, La Sale, Peru, Lncon, Peoria,
Pekin, Lewiston, Havana, Beardstown, and
various other smaller places. Into the Ili-
nois River is emptfed the Kankakee, drain
ing VIII, Iroquois, and Kankakee Counties;
the Fox River drains Kane and Kendall
Counties, with the sewage OF all the cities
and towns, and the washlngs from the dairy
fnrms along the whole route; Joliet. large
| city with many manufacturing establish
ments, including the Penitentlary, with 800
| prisoners, pours all her slops and sewage into
the Illinois Rlver:. the Kankakee brings
down the sewage from Kankakee, Whining
| ton, and the mining towns; Morris runs all
| her swill. and sewage into the Illinois. as
| do Ottawa La Salle, Peru, and Lacon all
| this putridity, the washinRs Of eight or more
counties, and all the sewage Of the cities
| with their stock-yards, dalry-farms, disttl-
leries, tanneries, prisons, slaughter-houses,
and factories, are carried down to
Peoria At, Peoria the water Of, the
Illinois River lis heavily loaded with the
sewage Of that city Of nearly 10000 inhab-
| itants, and with the: offensive matter from
her glucose establishment, her numerous
| whisky distilleries, her cattle slop~pens, ,her
| factories, added to the stuff that comes from
above, she sends the sluggish stream thus
polluted down to Pekin, Havana, Boards
town, and all the places below.
The Illinois River from Lockport to
Bea1dstown is common sewer for: all the
cities and towns, and all the country drained
by the Desplaires,~ Fox, Kankakee, and Yer
milton Rivers, with all their tributaries; and
yet the people Of these towns with one voice
cry out that the impurity Of the river IS the
work Of Chicago alonel Joliet, Ottawa,
| and Morris call upon Peoria to denounce Chi
cago, and Peoria insists that Pekin IS pol
soned by Chicago leach suppresslng the
fact that these cities all use the river as thei1
only sewer, and polute it as much as they
can. .-',-,-...
The canal when it. Is open pours 1000 to
25, COO cubic feet OF lake water into the ILL
nols River every mfhute, furnishing 1t With
the most of the water in summer, fall, and
winter, above the junction Of the Kankakee
that 1t contains. During the summer and
fall months, when the canal Is supplied from
the lake, the water it discharges into the I'LL
nois River is comparatively Clean. Is In ver1
little worse condition than the water Of the
Fox. But little complaint In regard to odo1
is heard until the surface Of the. canal
frozen over in. the winter, and the water u
thus prevented from being oxydized and pnrl
fed by the air. It. Chicago uses the river .:
a sewer, she does no;more than all the cities
towns, and counties on the river and its tr'b
utaries now do, with the addition that sht
sends with 1t a volume OF pure water SUI
icient In considerable degree. when it Is per
mitted to run, to the deodorizingg and dlsin
/ Fon+tn,,- NJ tho Chfno uo+ anwap53 that D2SSe: