Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-03-07
CHICAGO IS SAVED.

Tile Eagle Is glad that Congress l.
not going tn do any more for he Chi
cagO River.
II has done too much already.
II the howls of Chicago daily papers
for an appropriation for our alleged
river were needed. nll hopes Of per.
maient bridges would bc ut an end.
and the present nuisance would con.
time forever.
The fact ~ that the river II u con.
stant menace tu ChIcagO's prosperity
aud u nuisance and dra wback to her
people.
The shipping Interests should In sent
to the Calumet and to docks OH the lake
front.
The Calumet Is the real Chicago lar-
l.or.
The present creek In the midst of the
city must bc given pcrmn nent bridges.
In response to kilograms from the
chief engineer. Maj. W. l.. Marshall.
the army engineer In charge Of govern.
mcnt works IN the vicinity Of Chicago.
prepared q special report In regard Ia
the proposed extensive improvements
"f the Calumet River. In which he In.
dolses that work In the most eXtrava.
CANT terms. AMI goes out of his way
to say that the Chicago River cannot
he improved for modern ships except
ut an enormous expense, ana that Its
manifest destiny IL to decay. But he
finds In the Calumet all the elements
which will enable the government to
create the most magnificent harl'Or on
the lakes NJ u comparatively small OK.
pensc.
Maj. Marshall says that the port Of
Chicago. by which he means the gen
cvTl shipping district. AMI including
both the old and the Calumet lmrlOrs.
IL by far the most important on the
lakes. and II one Of the four greatest
ports on the earth. The commerce ri
Chicago. he says. must descend tn the
grade Of u thiri.class port or be- main
tanned In It's present position by prompt
and adequate appropriations and work
\ harbor ut Chicago Is evidently r.
quiIcd. which within three years GA,
accommodate vessels 400 feet long am
with n draft Of nineteen feet. His 20
sltion as between the old harlOr an,
Calumet he sums MP as follows:
In the Chicago River. by nm cnor
nous expenditure, these vessels c1'n b'
accommodated by improving or con
tinulng grieyous hindrance to nrhaI
intcr-commUnicati0n. Al the Calumcl
NJ II comparatively small expenditure,
they can he accommodated without an
noyance to the population of the cit!
ut its business centcrs."
Mai. Marshall goes on 10 make thing'
unpleasant To the delegation which hn'
u hearing only last week before TN
Rivers and iiarbOrs Committee In re-
gard to the proposed improvements II
the Chicago River. His views are SUI
iciently distinct to set the river mel
of Chicago by the ears, and to create
u decided boom along Calumet Greek
lie says;
AT the Calumet II appears eyidcn
must he met the demand at Chicago
for deep harbor. The Chicago Rive
Is 40 obstructed by bridges. the mar
rowing of the channel, and bends, am
from the demands of inter-urban com
mnnicatiOn across ana over II
branches land this will be much fur
Their obs,ructed by the current 10
drainage purp, : - that II app' AIRS n"nI
~ hopeless task to create or main
tain a practicable channel twenty Zee
deep In the stream that may acconiino
date vessels Of over 400 feet in length
forty-iive TO fifty feet beam. ana nine
teen feet or more draft. which are nov
building and which will navigate tii
new channels, twenty to twen'y-oi'
feet deep. between the great lakes
which will be constructed within tw'