The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-25
THE CHICAGO CANAL
Will Be Thirty Miles Long, and
Cost Thirty Millions.
TO THOROUGHLY DRAIN THE CITY
Fear That I. VIII Lower fhe Great
J4akes-It Will Ultimately BE a
Ship Canal.


the city an outlet from the Ghfcago 70
the Nigasssipul river, is causing trouble
IN various ways. IL now promises TO De-
come an International matter, the aues-
ton having been raised Ia tho CANADIAN
parliament as 10 how much the fo~ OF
sss.G0o cubic feet OF water per minute
through the canal viii affect the Canadian
lakes
The Dominion government has begun 70
Investigate the matter. Engineer Ran
dolph must also be prepared 10 meet the
engineers OF the United States army
Gen. Poe. Maj. Ruffner and Capt Mar
shail--whO have been ordered 10 ascer-
tain 10 what extent the American cities
on the Great Lakes viii suffer by the opc-
ration OF the canal. The principal cities
making complaint are Buffalo. Cleveland,
Toledo. Detroit and Milwaukee.
Engineer Randolph gays the only lake
N ne affected viii be Lake Michigan. the
only one OF the bodies OF fresh water that
IS truly and disfinctively American. and
even In this instance he thinks the fears
entertained by the citizens Of Milwaukee
and other towns that the lake viii be
drained are without foundation. re SAYS
Tho canal will make no agreeable differ
snce to the lakes. but hopes the question
Will be thoroughly agitated.
The Chicago drainage canal when COM
rieted viii be thirty miles IN length. and
the dea II to thoroughly drain the city.
As 10 known. the city lies perfectly nat.
and Therefore has no natural drainage.
The se~ase noW lies fostering IN the river
or spreads out into the lake. poliuflng the
drinking water Of the Inhabitants and In
wiling disease n j. true that by means
of pumps some OF The sewage IA the rive
f. lifted into the Illinois and Michigan ca
nal and sent down Into the Illinois river.
but the relief H. small and amounts
- IA .
canal not being SUFFICIENT 20 make cur
rent.
According - the present rate OF pro-
Eress the drainage canal will be c0mplet-
81 by November T. fsss provided the
money j. forthcoming. and viii constitute
a channel Or free waterway. naTiEabie for
any craft drawing less than twenty-five
feet 81 water. The cutting made constl-
tuies nearly iwo-thirds Of the entire cost
~ creating a channel from Chicago 10 the
mississippi river. which would be naviEa-
bic for the largest boats which viii be
able % piy between -. Louis and New
Orleans after the present plans for the
Improvement % the Mississippi river shall
have been completed
The maximum capacity OF the canal Is
90 be eo.eo cubic feet per minute. or TO-
eo feet per second. but IL will be possibly
ten years after the canal " opened before
the capacity OF the channel Is taxed.
However. when the American and Cana
dian cities on the Great Lakes make their
complaints they quote the maximum ca
pacity. which H. proper enough. as SOON
or or later this viii be attained. Natural
~ enough neighbOring cities are excited.
for a difference of three or four feet. adj
hitting that the drainage canal might
affect the lakes 10 this extent. would
make some OF the lake harbors inaccess-
ihle 10 the larger lake craft that now
ind entrance TO them.
IS IL Is now. the wind has a most seri-
Gus effect upon lake levels. sometimes
10 the extent OF four or five feet, and IL
the drainage canal should come forward
with n further depressing effect the con-
sequences would certainly be serious. Up
10 the present time. however, but one city.
Cleveland. has entered formal protest.
and the national government has already
taken steps to look into the subject
thoroughly and extensively.
IL has been estimated by the engineers
that the drainage canal. when in working
order and with cocoa cubic feet of water
running through its channel. will lower
the level of the lakes and OF Niagara
about four inches. but II is not felt that
this diminuton will be appreciate in
the face OF the fact that the wind and
other causes, including rainfall. are con-
stantly producing "A variation of five feet
or so in the lake levels. The flow of
water I'm the main channel Will be three
times that OF the Ohio river at its mouth
and one-third the volume Of the Mlssis-
sippi above the mouth of the Missouri.
At low water the depth of the water in
the channel viii he twenty-five feet, at
high water twenty-six feet, with mean
stage OF water OF twenty-four feet. In
case the great drain. however. should af-
feet the lake levels. D scheme OF build
ing dam across the mouth OF l.ake Su-
perior has been preached. thus convert
ing that great body Of water cato ressr-
voir for governing ana oquaiizing tho
depth OF the other lakes.
Apart from the complaints that have
come from the cities along the lakes. tho
towns which are 20 receive the sewage
from chicaeo through the canal lave
hecn raising strong objections. although
these have heen practically overcome 70
has been pretty clearly demonstrated that
the volume of water poured through tho
channel will SO dilute the sewage az 20
make u both inoffensive and harmless
BY "A process OF natural aeration tho
dangerous germs and gases viii be tlimi-
mated. and the country traversed by the
canal will hc free from stencil. or course.
practically speaking. this drainage canal
Is nothing more nor less than great
open sewer IN which the sewage Is 50
diluted as tn he harmless.
Tn 20 date the total expenditures on the
canal have been about SIS e0o 90 which in
ciudes g S9S. rs for right Of way. s. - 90
for construction. and the remainder for
cost 81 administration. payment or bonds
and interest About Sl0e0 0,0 more is 20
he expended for construction. and nearly
s. Da on for right Of way. tho total being
IN the neiehborhood ~ 81. o0esl so far.
ne tsint 81 scandal has touched the en-
ternrisc. the people have respect and con
fdeuce in the men AZ SIS head. and politics
Na< as set not crept into operation.
Tire trustees are allowed 20 levy tax
~ cne-half ~ ! per cent. and % issue
bonds % the value % rer cent 90 tho
taxable property IN the district has thls
Issue, must rot exceed SIS an eea There is
no danger % this. as the assessed value %
the property IN the district IS hut see Nel
90. 50 that bat 81 90. M Of bonds can Ne
issued The legislature win make sor,e
other provision for rsislnS the remainder
needed or the trustees will not BE- able 30
complete the canal AZ all hut no one
doubts that she legislature will DO what
ever the trustees ask. seeing that the
drainage district feots an the bills. Al
ready s. AsN 90 cf these ncr cent bonds
have heeu ISSUED According 70 law one
twentieth must - paid on and retired
each wear. ANA - FAR SssAl ea have been
retired
Work upou the canal was heG74n on Ser
tenaner 5 F>se. after nearly three wears
had been wasted IN auarreln< and wFang-
ifng
of this eiEautic ditcn. which Joins the
chicago river at Sohcv street. ~ the
southwestern part 81 IRE citv. and ends
a. I.cckporr. a short distance above Joliet.
ten miles have been cWt through son!
rock. very often 10 a depth or thirty-Six
feet ten miles more Through bet rock un-
DERIVING tough howlder clay. amt the re-