The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-05-04

w Nho 'htue prppi' WI iilnOlS; Dut I,
discharge into this waterway the sewag,
OF Chicago, the fetid excreta OF million
people, 10 make no other provision thar
this tor the future OF two millions or more
Is n high'handed piece Of folly, and IN,
bill as II stands Is deserving Of defeat
since II includes this method Of disposine
of the sewage, together with what Is other
wise most advantageous project. The
drainage Of the lands, the di charge of rain
fall, the overflow of streams by spring
Hoods can all De successfully provided foI
In waterway, as proposed, Tor they are
the natural conditions 10 which every
stream In the country Is subjected, and by
natural laws their publication takes place,
after receiving by such foods the decom.
posing vegetable matters which have been
swept into them from their surrounding
valleys But the condition Of affairs is
radically changed when there Is discharg
ed into such waters the focal matter and
nolsOme dregs Of great metropolis (eem.
ing with million or more Of inhabl-
tants) which are composed of the drained
liquids Of rOtting garbage, the pestilent
breeding discharges from manufactures,
distilleries, hospitals,-from the thousand
and one forms Of poisonous substance or
liquid which are created and Occasioned by
the artificial HE of great city. This sew.
age should NEVER be discharged into the
great waterway but should be entirely
separated and specially disposed OF through
a perfected system of sewerage of the city,
carried far away from 1t by great drain
pipes or tunnels and there disposed of as
modern science has already devised and
which, some of the great cities of the
world have already adopted Other cities
many times older than Chicago and not so
fortunately situated, are abandoning the
very system Chicago is proposing TO adopt,
and at the expense of many millions Of
dollars they are preparing to put in use the
system introduced and perfected through
scientific tests and to which their past un
fortunate experience prompts them TO turn
for relief.
In this connection memorial presented
to the senate committee on Wednesday
will be interesting. 1t is signed by large
number of intelligent citizens OF Chicago,
md is sign that few sensible men In
that city appreciate the extent of the out
rage about TO be perpetrsted on the valley
The memorial recltes the fact that the
Chicago city council is investigating the
ower-level method of drainage and sew
age disposal, which contemplates the dis
,harge of the sewage Of Chicago through
, tunnel into settling basins, and prays that
be made for such system if
ound desirable, by amending the bill by
.dding two sections as follows:
"Sec, 81. If any tunnel shall be con-
tructed under the provisions of this act, |
Trough which the sewage of such sanitary |
district shall be discharged into one or
more basins connected with any river or
tream, the sewage shall be allowed TO |
ettle in such basins so that the efiluent |
water shall be harmless to any such river |
IT stream; and the sewage in such basins |
nall be so treated by disinfeCtants, and |
UGH basins shall be cleaned of solids at |
UGH frequent intervals, that such basins |
hall not become nOXiOus or offensive to |
he inhabitants where the same shall be |
Dcated, and such solids and settings, after
eing taken from such basins, shall be so
reated, removed or destroyed, that the
anne shall not become noxious or offensive |
0 such inhabitants.
Sec %. The provisions contained in |
his act relating to the size and capacity of |
channel or outlet for the discharge of |
ewage into river or stream of water shall |
ot be construed to apply to tunnel for
he discharge of sewage into such basins
The bill itself will be taken up in the
enate next Wednesday.