The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1895-06-20
lsnotsnt Of ssnrtsry csuse snt 4 hsct, and
The eternal risilanoe Of the honse mother
10 the ismtlys ohiet safeguard


The probable effect Of the opouins 81
The Chicago drainage cau.l upou ihe water
level Of lAe great lskes hss been the subs
lacl of discussion ever since that Iremen
dous project took shape. A cry OF alarm
We raised several years ago ~hen It vas
announced that the division Of sAler from
/ Lake MIchissu 10 auythiug like the qush-
l'y required 10 OH the canal then bciue
constructed sofoss Illinois 10 the Mississ
ppi Valley would seriously interfere uitb
! the navigation OF The ST. Clair and Detroit
! rivers aud render It impossibIe for heavy
| drsught vessels 10 enter most OF the hsf
/ hors on the lower lskes The Cbiesgo eu
/ gneefs have done their beet work ever
sloce TO dispel that belief They h.ve
maintained that the taking from the lakes
OF all the water that ever will he required
Tor the canal will not lower the lake level
more than three inches, aud the Chicago
ae.spspers have all iuaorsed the opinions
expressed by the Chicago engineers as
matter Of course.
Prof q Frederick Wright, Of Obsrilu
College, who has perhaps made more
careful study of the Geology OF the lake
regions than soy other msu 10 the United
States does not agree with the Chicago ep
glneer. however. Prot Wright shows that
the quantity Of water required to be turn
cd iHto the drainage canal when II is first
opened will be equal 10 about per cent.
OF the quantity that now flows over Mag
ara When the population OF Chicago
reaches two millions the lsw under which
the canal was oonstruote provides that
the quantity OF water passing through II
shall be doubled That means Ut least 10
per cent. as much water as nov passes
over Niagara Will diverted from the lakes
to the Mississippi MAJOR Ruiiner. Of the
corps OF engineers OF the United States
Army, estimates at when the drainage
canal is first opened the result will be to
/ pwer the level OF Lake Michigan, Huron,
aud Erie aud the connecting rivers al
least nine inches. and that when the canal
is opersted TO its full capacity the fall ia |
the water level will be eighteen inches |
This, Prof Wright says, msy have but lit
tie effect 10 the rainy season, but during |
the late summer aud autumn he is certain |
that it will seriously Interfere with nsvIgs
tion. He declares that the vessel owners
and all who are Interested IN the commerce
OF the lakes should realize the danger aud
do all they can TO avert It, As u prevenl
tive measure be suggests that dam be
across the lower end OF Lake
Superior at the 800. which will raise
the level Of that lake two feet and store
enough water during the rainy season TO
supply the lower lakes during the late sum
mer aud fall.
Prof. Wright says that the level Of the
lakes ia such that il the continent were
10 dip fifty feet to the west all the water
" which now goes over Niagara would how
over Illinois and into the Mississippi and
/ the dip were 100 feet to tie north the
water of the lakes would go through Lake
Nipissing into the Ottawa River and the
Niagara would become dry.
Certainly his suggestions are worthy the
attention OF lake men and vessel owners,
md sn investigation should be started to
determine what til actual effect OF the op
ming of the Chicago Canal will be. Chic
.go ought not to be deprived OF this
means OF disposng OF It's sewage. but If |
here ia any way OF preventing such ser
ous interference with the navigation OF /
he lower lakes, AZ is threatened, action !
bould be taken at once TO avert H.