davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

which covers the clay to a considerable
depth. This is managed very effcacious-
ly by the use of hydraulic dredges that
send continuous stream OF water and
black muck flowing through a twenty.
inch pipe to any required distance within
5000 feet. Each of these dredges has a
capacity of $500 cubic yards in ten hours.
BY an ingenious use of revolving knives,
one contractor is also pulverizing the
harder material beneath the ooze. and is
pumping it out along with the water. This
river ooze, by the way, is proving n bo-
nanza to the owners of celery farms in
that region.
The apparatus used for excavating the
glacial drift varies on different sections,
according to the ingenuity of the various
contractors. But the most striking and
also the most successful device for rails
ing the spoil from the bed of the canal is
an enormous cantilever of bridge-like con-
struction. The earth is first loosened by
the use of gang plows or steam shovels,
and then is loaded into large iron buckets
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

diversion channelr' asked the skcptics.
I'VE will spill them into Lake Michigan
and send them down the st. Lawrence
instead Of down the Mississippi" said the
engineers. And they have done 1t. At
the head of the river diversion they have
built an enormous safety valve, In the
form Of "spillway," or dam, 397 feet
long and 1914 feet high, made of concrete.
capped with stone, and hanked with
wings of stone masonry. So, when the
Desplaines goes on a rampage. and the
water gauge above this spilIway indicates
over 100000 cubic feet of flow per min
ute. the surplus food waters are dumped
across this dam and sent down the Chi
cago river to Lake Michigan. The river
diversion is all finished. This Is 200 feet
wide ON the bottom, with sides sloping
out, giving the cross section the form of
prism. The pitch or grade Of the chan.
mel Is about one foot in a mile and half.
Thus the river is successfully out Of the
way.
The main drainage channel is now un.
der contract throughout its entire length,
from its confluence with the Chicago river
at Robey street to Lockport, VIII Coun-
ty, ILL.,, twenty-eight miles to the south
west of Chicago. The work has been sub
divided into sections averaging a mile in
length. Beginning Mt the Willow Springs
road, a midway point, the sections are
lettered toward Chicago from A to o,
section o being that which connects with
the Chicago river. From the Willow
Springs road southwcstward the sections
are numbered from / to 10. These in
clude the rock cut, and were the first to
be put under contract. Sections number
ed from / to IA were let in July, 1892;
section 10 was put under contract last
August.
The lettered sections running up to Chi
cago are, with some exceptions, cut
through glacial drift" Glacial drift
comprises the top soil, earth, muck, sand,
gravel, clay, hardpan, boulders-all the
loose debris deposited upon the bed rock
by the prehistoric glaciers that gouged
their trail along the Desplaines Valley.
The work on sections A, Il and portion
of G traverses the old bed of the Des-
PLANES river and has to deal with ooze,
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

lowered from the end of the cantilever
overhanging the channel. The cantilever,
which looks like an enormous iron bridge
with narrowed ends tipped up at an angle,
stands on the bank upon a track running
parallel with the canal 1t can be moved
along bodily by steam power as easily as
the bucket is carried up the incline to be
dumped automatically ut the further ex-
tremity. The apparatus works rapidly
and so successfully that there now eleven
of these cantilevers in constant operation
on four sections.
A still more imposing device spans the
canal near Willow Springs. 1t Is proba.
bly, the most unique piece of machinery on
the continent, and can be seen for many
miles. 1t is a piece of iron bridge work
in the shape of an enormous chair rocker,
nearly 700 feet long and over 100 feet
high. Ii spans the channel. with its horns
running up over each spoil bank, and is
moved on track as the work progresses.
Under IL runs an elaborate and expensive
belt to convey the excavated material
to the ends of the horns and dump II
over the spoil area. Nothing like this
machine was ever seen before on land or
sea. As II has failed, however, to work
as economically as the simple cantilever,
it is probable that it will not be dupli-
Gated.
One of the favorite pieces of apparatus
is the galloway. This consists of two
towers, over 100 feet high, one on each
bank of the canal. connected with a run.
ming cable at the top, by means of which
the buckets of spoil are rapidly conveyed
to the dumping place. The causeways
| FIRST con firm ctad xypra NOT worry auccaQe f1l
but experience has led to several radical
improvements, until now, by the adoption
of simple device. hit upon by III. G
Locher, one Of the contractors, they have
been brought to a state of efficiency which
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

new demand for n method of moving
heavy freight at lower rates than the rail.
roads can afford, even If at less speed,
although the primary use of this great
trench, which is known as the Chicago
drainage canal, will be to furnish an out
let for the sewage of Chicago, so that
It need no longer pollute Lake Michigan,
whence the city gets its water supply.
But the canal is being built with special
reference, also, to it's forming one link
In the chain of channels, artificial and
natural, that shall connect the great
lakes with the Gulf of Mexico, and be
deep and wide enough to enable large
vessels to reach Chicago and thence all
ports upon the shores of the fresh water
seas.
This chain of deep water channels will
be composed of the Chicago Drainage
canal, the Desplaines and Illinois rivers
and the Mississippi from Grafton, ILL.,,
south to the Gulf. The completion Of the
work will open to ocean-going boats the
most extensive system of inland naviga-
ton in the world, LOO miles of lake,
1000 miles of large river navigation and
800 miles of canal and improved rivers,
$3.50 altogether, or one-ffth more miles
than from New York to Southampton.
The Chicago Drainage canal proper will
be thirty miles long, reaching from Ash
land avenue, Chicago, to Lockport, ILL.,,
and crossing the divide that separates the
basin of the great lakes from the valley
of the Mississippi. Ten miles of it are
cut through solid rock, often bed rock.
underlying tough boulder clay, and the
remainder through river muck and gla-
cial drift, to a maximum depth of SO feet
The rock cut is 160 feet wide, with verti-
cal sides. The portion traversing hard
boulder clay is 30 feet wide on the bot
tom, with sides sloping out in prism shape.
These wide portions make up twenty of
the twenty-eight miles. The remaining
eight miles, which traverse soft earth
and can easily be dredged out to full
ship-canal width later, are but ITO feet
wide on the bottom, with sloping sides.
The minimum depth of the whole stream
will be % feet.
Work Proceeding Rapidly.
In two more years this great artificial
river will be draining Chicago into the
Mississippi and robbing Niagara of 30O,-
600 cubic feet of water per minute, for the
benefit of the Gulf of Mexico-and OF
those inhabitants of Chicago who drink
water. Yet it is but two years since the
first spadeful of earth was thrown. The
difficulties that have been overcome in
the work are far greater than would nat.
urally be expected in country without
so much as a hill or hummock to break its
level monotony. One of these difficulties
was q stretch of ten miles of solid lime
stoned bed rock. But by the use of steam
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

with blasted rock debris at the bottom of
the channel. Then these are hoisted high
in the air. and the whole tower is set re,
volving, like swing bridge, bringing the
loaded cages over the spoil bank, to be
dumped and throwing the opposite derrick
over the channel to receive it's load. This
machine works rapidly and economically
On these sections which are partly in
earth and partly in rock all the usual
methods of excavation are in vogue, and
several that are entirely new. On the
rock sections the sides are cut down verti-
cally by channeling machines, leaving
the sides of the canal, after the channel
has been blasted out, as smooth as if
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

"Mr. Smarte," said the head of the
firm, IL happened to overhear your
criticisms, this morning, of the manner
in which business is carried on here
You appear to be laboring under a
mistaken idea. AS matter of fact,
we are not running this house to make
money. Not Mt all. We carry on this
business simply as school for the
instruction of young men. But as you
seem to know SO much more about
business than we do. 1t would be only
wasting your time to keep you here.
The cashier will settle with you. What
is our loss is your gain."-Boston
Transcript.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14
Historical Difficulties.

What place, If any, does history hold
among the sciences? Is there anything
In the phenomena which she investi-
gates, or in the means of investigation
at her disposal, which should exclude
her from such a place altogether? Let
us begin by making some concessions.
The historical student labors under sew
eral serious difficulties and Is exposed
to some serious dangers. His first and
most obvious difficulty arises from a
lack Of information. The student of
modern history feels this comparatively
little; the mediaevalist feels it more;
the student of antiquity, except for a
few short periods in the history of
Greece and Rome, feels 1t most of all.
How little do we know Of ancient AS
syria and ancient Egypt! How little
the dark ages! how shadowy the per-
sonalities Of Pericles and Justinian,
Of Attila and Theodoric! How many
empires have persisted, like the Next
can, and left scarce wreck behind!
How small a portion Of the world Is
Illuminated at any one epoch by the
light of recorded fact! But such gaps
are not found In history alone. Even
astronomy has its dark spots. There
are shady spaces, to say the least, in
evolutionary biology. There survive
only tantalizing fragments OF the old
Etruscan tongue. Shall we ever know
what is on the other side Of the moon,
or bridge the gulf between organic or
inorganic matter?-The National Re-
view.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14
Use of the Senate.

Sir John Macdonald, the first prime
minister Of Canada, was fond of re-
lating this story to illustrate the need
Of an Upper House:
"Of what use Is the Senator" asked
Jefferson, as he stood before the fire
with cup of tea in his hand, pouring
the tea into the saucer.
"You have answered your own ques-
tion," replied Washington.
"What do you meany"
"Why did you pour that tea into the
saucerT
ITO cool It."
"Even So" said Washington, "the
Senate is the saucer into which we
pour legislation to COOL"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

for the men employed on the work. On
each section there are from 200 to 400
men employed. and the majority Of them
are so distant from any town that pro.
vision must be made for the men at the
work. For this purpose each section is
provided with camp consisting of rough
frame buildings, some of them equipped
with hunks for sleeping quarters and 9TH
ers with outfits for providing meals. Some
idea of the extent of this work can be
obtained from the fact that on one section
a bakery is established which turns out
from 400 to 500 loaves of bread each day.
Some of the contractors carry on this de-
partment under their own supervision,
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14
Length of the Day.

The division of the mean day into
"a hours OF GO minutes each origin
ated with the Egyptians, then passed
to Babylon and Greece. Why divided
into "a instead Of some other number
of hours 1t is impossible to say. The
Chinese and few other Oriental ma
tons, reckon but ~ hours to the day
and night-evidently making the
whole to correspond with the apparent
passage of the sun over one OF the
zodiacal signs.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

The theory Of evolution has revolu-
tionized botany. We look now upon a
flower, not as an independent creation,
but as form which began centuries
ago in a more primitive outline. and
has adapted its shape to the present.
We look upon the flower from the point
of view of structural botany, and then
from that of the philosophical botany,
or what we may call the Darwinian
point Of view.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

to this the cost Of administration until the
completion Of the canal, and the sum will
represent the total cost to the taxpayers
Of the district benefited. This total
President Wenter confidently asserts, win
may be unexpected difficulties that will
raise the cost to nearly $30000,000.
Caring for the Men.
One of the problems with which the
contractors have to deal Is that of caring
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14
Zinc Millions Already spent.

The biggest ditch in the world Is being
dug in Illinois, and from 5000 to 5000
men have been employed upon the work
almost constantly for over two years. This
Is the largest number of laborers employ
ed upon any single work of improvement
In the United States.
Tho big ditch now under way in ILL
nois is the forerunner of various similar
works to be undertaken in response TO a
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

through, so as to leave wall as smooth and
straight and white as so much sawed ice.
The greatest obstacle of all was the
Desplaines River. which numbered more
than dozen miles of the path and threat
ened with its periodic floods to sweep the
earth dikes of the new channel away at
every spring frcshet. But the engineers
looked over the ground and calmly said
1--WE will transplant the Desplaines river
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

$2,37O,030 for right of way and $6,0T0,-
260 for construction, making total of
IS, 449, 300. This amount, together with
the cost of administration, payment of
bonds, interest, etc., brings the total ex.
penditures of the enterprise to date mp to
over $100O0,00O. The total estimated
cost of the work under contract Is: For
construction. $1S,747,S46: for right OF
way, S2,6O6, 22S; total, $21 ,354,0 74. Add
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

II young fellow has three or four
girls. he gives the most expensive pres
ent to the newest one.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

Virtue, II not In action. is vice; and
when we move not forward we 60 back
ward.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

II you want to retain mans 70
speck don't read poetry to him
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14
HUMOR OF THE WEEK
STORIES TOLD BY FUNNY MEN
Yyfs OF the PRESS.

Odd, Curious and LapRhable Phases
Of Human Nature Graphically Por-
trayed by Eminent Word Artists of
Our Own Day-A Budget of Fun.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

1t costs as much to clothe the New
Woman as the ordinary kind.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14

And they have done it, building an entire
ly new river channel for more than thir-
teen miles. at cost of over $1.000,000.
"But what will you do with the flood
waters while you are building your river
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-14
CHICAGO'S BIG DITCH.
DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT
DRAINAGE CANAL.

How 1t Impressed Correspondent for
a New York Described as
the Most Extensive Piece of Engi-
neerinr Work Under Way I'm World.
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-18
THE MISSILES ABOUT HIM.
DAMAGING EVIDENCE AGAINST DURANT
Sweat on His Face and Dirt on His Hands That Friday Evening at the En-
 deavor Meeting,

San Francisco, Cal, April 17.-At the coroner's inquest today in the case or Minnie Williams whose murder Theodore D. Durant is charged with, A. E. Will Hams. father of the girl testified that she had been keeping company with Durant for some time He identified his daughters purse found in Durants over- coat pocket, stating that he had given it to her last Christmas.
 Miss Myriam Lord. Miss Lila Berry and Miss Stevens testified to finding the body of the murdered girl. Police Sergeant Bullock told of the search Tor the bloody clothing, the morning after the murder, at Durant's house, and Of the finding of Miss Williams purse in the accused mans overcoat pocket.
 Thomas A. Vogel. at whose house the meeting of the Christian Endeavor SO ciety was>held Friday night last, testified that when Durant reached the house he had precipitation on his. face and his hair was over his forehead. He washed his hands, as he said, they were dirty. He entered into the spirit of the festivities and seemed perfectly natural all the evening.
 statement of the witness to the police was read in which he. stated that. Durant had suggested to a Miss Lucille Turner, who had complained to him of an ail- ment, that he should make private ex- animation of her. Durant had said there was no danger of discovery as he knew or place in the church where it could be performed in secrecy. Miss Turner kept away from Durant thereafter She had told the witness that Miss Williams had expressed to her fear of Durant, as he had made some improper proposals to her.
 F. A. Wolfe testified that he left Dr. Vogefs house on Friday evening with Durant. Miss Lord was in their com pany He saw Miss Lord home and later saw man in the vicinity of the church, who looked like the prisoner. There were several other witnesses at today's pro- ceedings, but their testimony was unim- portant. After hearing them the coro- ner continued the hearing until Friday morning.
 The most startling feature introduced into the tragedy today was the finding or trail of blood by Patrolman Hervey on Twenty fourth street, near Bartlett, which led in the direction of Durant home. The discovery may get clue to the disposition of the bloody clothing. It may have been that the murderer carried away his bloody clothes and that they Were dripping. The condition of the closet makes 1t probable that the clothes of the murderer was covered with blood enough to cause them to drip If carried in a bundle. It is not known that the po- lice have made thorough search yet of Durant's premises. If the man and wo- man whom Hill saw enter the church Fri day night a few minutes after o'clock were Durant and Miss Williams the mur- derer would have had time to commit his crime, take his bloody clothing to the Durant residence and dispose of it and arrange his toilet as it was when he reached Dr. Vogefs.
 The funeral of Minnie Williams took place from the First Baptist church this afternoon. Fully 5000 people were pres ont
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-18
KNIGHTS OF HONOR.
List of Officers Elected and Installed-Meets
 Next in Selma.

Montgomery, April 7.-(Special.) .)-Be- fore adjourning the grand lodge, Knights of Honor, elected and installed the following officers for the ensuing two years:
 S. J. Beggs, Birmingham, past grand protector; o. E. Comstock, Sr., Sheffield, grand protector;W. R. Thompson, Brew ton, grand vice-protector; Mrs. L.. Wegelin, Birmingham, grand chaplain; E. l.. Cahall. Mobile, grand secretary; D.. D. Baker, Selma, grand treasurer; Mrs. A. Willacy Birmingham, grand guide; A. D. Bressler, Tuscumbia, grand guar dian; J. H. Tomlinson, Whistler grand sentinel.
 Grand trusteesAD. w McGaughey, Mobile; A w. Wise, Huntsville; s. Spiro, Birmingham.
 Committee on laws-Andrew Brown. Florence; H. H. Hayes, Union Springs: Mrs. J. F. Comstock, Sheffield.
 Committee on finance-W. B. Harris Selma; S. J. Beggs, Birmingham; G. w Handon, Sheffield.
 Supreme representatives-T. Gardner Foster, Montgomery, for the term of four years. Alternate supreme representative -S. J. Beggs, Birmingham, for the term of four years.
 The next meeting of the grand lodge will be in Selma on the third Tuesday in April 1897.
 The grand treasurer's report showed a fiourishing condition of the lodges in the i. state.
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-18
AND 50 THEY MARRIED" The Jackson-Cochran NuptialS
 Celebrated at Eufadla. THE CHURCH NICELY DRESSED
The Venerable Bishop Winner 0fficated at the
 Beautiful Service.
THE BRIDES ORNAMENTS WERE PEARLS.
ception at the Rectory by the Ladies' Guild-They Go to Jacksonville
 to Spend the Honeymoon.

Eufaula, April 17.-(special)-Rt. Rev. II. M. Jackson and Miss Carrie Toney Cochran were married at o'clock this evening in St James church, th.s city.
 The church was beautifully decorated in evergreens; white roses, ferns and green moss in the chancel; fir cedar in the reredos, and calla lilies and white draperies about the altar.
 Mrs. T. J. Simmons presided at the organ.
 The bridal procession entered the church in the following order:
 Miss Josephine Dubignon of Bruns- wick, Ga; Miss Annie McDougald of Columbus, Ga.; MT. Lugenbeil and Judge McClellan Miss Helena Spencer of Columbus, Ga.; Miss Bernice Fontaine. MT. Ross C.. Smith and MT. Wilson Brown Misses Leila Johnson, Annie Howard. Columbus: MT. J. R. Sayre and H. D. Clayton; Miss Sallie Nunnally of Memphis, Miss Etta Copeland, MT. F. w Toney and MT. w. F. Flournoy; Miss Gussie Holt, maid of honor; little Carrie Irby, flower girl.
 Following these was the bride on the arm of her uncle, MT Sterling B. Toney
 They were met at the chancel by the groom and best man, MT. Hillman Will son of Montgomery
 The bride wore rich chiffon, orna- mented with pearls veil and orange blos- soms and carried an exquisite bouquet The bridesmaids all wore white.
 The ushers were J. w. Tullis, Jr, Frank Field John Little of Columbus, and s. H Dent, Jr.
 The beautiful marriage service of the Episcopal ritual was then performed by the venerable Bishop Wilmer.
 Immediately after the ceremony the bridal party repaired to the rectory where reception was rendered by the Ladies' Guild. The apartments at the rectory were decorated with white roses and evergreens The guests were treated to sumptuous feast of tempting vianus.
 Bishop and Mrs. Jackson left on the 1Q:30 train tonig Int for Jacksonville, Fla. where they will spend their honeymoon
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-18
MAN CAR0MED ON MAN.
A Peculiar Elevator Accident at Pittsburg- One
 Dead and Two Seriously Injured.

Pittsburg, April 17.-William Dean was instantly killed and John Reef and Har- ry Goshen were seriously injured in pe- culiar elevator accident in the new Ar rott building this morning.
 George Ballman, the Pittsburg mana ger for the Crane Elevator company, was testing the elevator, and together with John Reef, who was running the carriage went up to the seventh floor. Dean, who was a plasterer, run board across the elevator opening to finish some of his work. He evidently knew nothing of the elevator being. over him. When the carriage started down scream was heard, "Stop! Stop"
 The next instant the elevator struck the board that Dean had been standing on finishing his work in the hatch. Dean was thrown into the cellar of the build ing, distance of some 60 feet. lis life less body struck Harry Goshen, who was working in the cellar, and it is feared Goshen also may be fatally injured. Reef, the elevator man, was injured py jumping out of the carriage. MT Bali man, manager of the Crane Elevator company, said the accident was due en- tirely to Deans carelessness. Dean neck was broken and his skull crushed m ha fall