The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-26

7
the Cleveland Leader. A cry of alarm
was raised several years ago when it
was announced that the diversion OF
water from Lake Michigan'in anything
like the quantity required to fill the
canal then being constructed across
Illinois TO the Mississippi valley would
seriously interfere With the navigation
of the st. Clair aad Detroit rivers and
render it impossible for heavy-draught
vessels to enter most of the harbors on
the lower lakes The Chicago engin-
GERS have done their best ever since to
dispel that belief. They have main
tanned that the taking from the lakes
of all the water that viii ever be re-
quSned for the canal will not lower the
lake level more than three inches, and
the Chicago newspapers have all in
dorsed the opinions expressed by the
Chicago engineers, as a matter OF
course.
Prof. G. Frederick Wright. of Oberlin
college, who has perhaps made more
careful study OF the geology and geOg-
rephy Of the lake region than any
other man in the United States, does
not agree with the Chicago engineers,
however. Prof Wright shows that the
quantity of water required to be turned
into the drainage canal when it is first
opened will be equal to about five per
cent. of the quantity that now flows
over Niagara. When the population Of
Chicago reaches two millions, the law
under which the. canal was constructed
provides that the quantity of water
passing through it shall be doubled.
That means that at least ten per cent.
as much water as now passes over
Niagara will be diverted from the
lakes to the Mississippi. Maj Ruffner,
of the corps of engineers of the United
States army, estimates that when the
drainage canal is first opened the re-
suit viii be to lower the level of Lakes
Michigan, Huron and Erie and the con-
Meeting rivers at least nine inches, and
that when the canal is operated to its
full capacity the fall in the water level
will be eighteen inches. This, Prot
Wright says. may have but little effect
in the rainy season, bat during the late
summer and autumn he is certain that
it will seriously interfere with naviga-
ton. He declares that the vessel own
ers and all who are interested in the
commerce of the lakes should realize
the danger and do all they can to,avert
it. As Il preventive measure he sug-
gests that dam be constructed across
the lower end of Lake Superior at the
$500" which will raise the level OF
that lake two feet and store enough
water during the rainy season TO sup
ply the lower lakes during the late
summer and fall.
Prof. Wright says that the level of
the lakes is such that if the continent
were to dip fifty feet to the west all the
water which now goes over Niagara
would flow over Illinois and into the
Mississippi, and if the dip were one
hundred feet to the north the water of
the lakes ;vaGld go through Lake
NlpissinS into the Ottawa river, ana
the Niagara would become dry.
Certainly his suggestions are worthy
the attention of lake men and vessel
owners, and an investigat ton should be
started to determine what the actual
effect of the opening Of the Chicago
canal will be. Chicago ought not to be
deprived of this means of disposing of
its sewage, but if there is any way of
preventing such serious interference
with the navigation of the lower lakes,
as is threatened, action should be
taken at once to avert it.