Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-22
INA SORRY PLIGHT
Chicago Is Cut OF From It's
Entire Mater Supply.
LEAVING The CITY IN PERIL
Ths cnss Fssz=n Up. Business Almost
pszslyzsd fcf Tinse-At tAs
si<ssy Of IAe Ei1m<A

cHYcAao. Jan st.-ror the arst time
II - kisssry the satire city Of ChieAgo
was to-day without drop OF water.
ths eatsre sysssa Of supply being par
Alyssd The ssass 81 tsis xlarniaz
eendltioa If Affairs Ma the fact thas
the three sources from wAish tas
esty ~ prsSsns receives It's sappiy
wsss Ga Wednesday slxhs frozen ap.
ssd net pias Of water reached the
vsrsoss punpIag stations throughout
shs sa.y Al efcsoek Ia the morning
Ths rssait Of this wzs that the depart
aeat 81 pubsie WORKS aad the city en-
gtassrs espartmsgs were both thrown
izss . condition OF panie and the most
alarming peasibIist.ss stared eitissns Ia
ths fses.
rAs City In Dssssr.
Business ali over the city WAS
suspended. several hres were in
progress without aay water for the Ore
department to use IN querching them.
snd a. . result the magnificent IRE
system Of Chicago was for the
first time aimee the great con-
nsgration In . state Of almost
utter heiplszsnesx In the height
OF the panic the suggestisn was raised
IN the engineers Office that boiler sx-
plosions might be looked for A. . result
OF the utter dcarth OF water, aud men
were sent cut - seuEry around with in
straetions 10 have boilers shut down all
over town until the water supply could
be got into proper working order.
The crib Frszsa Co.
II was Just o'clock when City En-
gineer Clarke was notified that the p
mile crib was frozen up solid. not q
single port-hole being epen- The =
mile crib Is the large structure which
lies al rights angles with the shore
juss northeast OF Chicago avenue, and
Is the one which in years past. and. In
fact. until recently. supplied all the
water used IN the city sad gave TO the
dihsren. pumping works the supply of
water which they forced through
pipes al over the city. It is the crib
that AZ present supplies all the district
comprised within the old city limits.
Engines Forced 10 Shat Dswn-
As q result the seven engines which
run the pumps a. the Chicago avenue
water WORKS and the six engines
on the West side had to be shut
down and the pumps had 20 lie
idle. Capt Mckee, who Is ia charge
OF the emile or main crib, stated
ia his notification of the city engineer
tina. the trouble this time was not an
ordinary pilinz mp Of ice blocks but .
solid freezing up, the entire structure
being surrounded with wall Of ice Of
great thickness
osher Sources shat or
Soon the news was telephoned in
that the Sixty-eighth street crib was in
the same condition that the North side
WAS in This crib sends in tho sup
ply for HYDE park, town OF
Lake and the stock yards dis
trict Hero the great packers
use enormous quantities OF water
daily. aillions of gallons being used
hourly. Then came the news that the
Lake View inlet which is the primitive
intake that runs out into the lake op-
posite Snlzer street and supplies Lake
View. was also frozen up ~ tight as a
drum. Thus tbs three primary sources
of Chicsgo's water supply we're closed
up.
To the Rescue.
Tugs and fr-bosts. loaded with men
and appliances for bre aking up the ice,
were blowing their ways through the
waters of the lake to the
various points of trouble.
shortly after noon the cheer
ing news was received al
headquarters the prospects OF clear.
ing away the ice were very good Al
y. m. there were just ss. 900, 900 gal.
Ions Of water being distributed through.