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

years. Commerce and navigation will
follow the least distracted channel.
They will prosper aud flourish along
NE lines of least resistance. measured
by money. aud the business of ths
great port will he transacted at that
Que of It's liarhors where Il * most free
aud least ols,ructcd. The drift OF com
mcrcc plainly shows the tendency to
the dcondcucc of Chicago River aud 81
increase In the commercial
Of Chicago's southern liar
l,or NJ the Calumet
1T is my opinion that the process has
Just begun aud that the demand for Il
twcnty.foot capacious harbor ut this.
the greatest port OH the lakes. Is abso-
lutte. urgent. and just ahead. The
policy Of small appropriations under
which the construction of the Chicago
llarbor has extended over the period
from 1888 to 1880 will not meet the ne.
ccssities 1T the case where present
commerce of over 11.OOO.OOO tons per
annum Is seeking such accommodate
tions as are demanded by the condi-
lions which will operate In full force
within three yeats"
Mai. Marshall celebrates his views
by saying the Calumet country Is made
up of a series of bayous and lakes.
which afford facilities of almost I'M
limited extent for the construction of
basins and inner harbors. lie notes
the fact that the Calumet Is ut the cx-
trcmc southwestern corner of the lake,
and that In previous years 1t has been
subjected to the inroads Of enormous
masses Of sand carried along the shore
by the stiff northeast gales. lie says.
however. that the harbor improvements
at Chicago aud the system of rcclama.
ton of land now going OH will have u
tendency to stop this movement of
shore sand southwark and that within
u brief space of time an outer harbOr
can he made at the mouth of the Calu-
met without difficulty. At present. he
says. vessels are obliged to lie In the
harbor Of refuge In Chicago during 50.
we're weather. and only proceeded tn
the south end of the city during periods
Of comparative calm.
The work ON the Calumet began In
1871. and In ISIS u system Of improve.
mcnts was adopted to allow of the crc-
alton of channel 2OO fee, wide aud
~ feet deep. which has progressed ~!
far as 11Sth street. AZ an argument
for the Improvement Of the Calumet To
the exclusion of the OLD Chicago har.
hor. the engineer cites the fact that the
tonnage on the Calumet has increased
In 1896 iOO per cent. over the figures
for 1874. There II required at the Cal.
uinct tn make a magnificent haibor u
total expenditure of only S1.i:A.SW.
The scheme of Improvement en-.
bruccs-iiist, u system of breakwntrr-
such ~ would give shelter to eesscls;
secondly. an extension Of one or bo,l
piers: third. the dredging Of the dccl
har'l'Or entrance to u depth of ~ feet
and the securing of river channel :.
feet deep and NO feet wide for tive
miles from the mouth of the river.
Maj. Marshall makes an estimate al
cost. based on continuous and rapid
work. to construct the outer harbOr
An east and west brcnkwater of I.iM
llncnl feet would cost. he says, Si:I,
$40. The north and south brcak waite,
Of 1000 linenl feet II estimated at x::l',
400. The dredging Of the anchorage
timnted at 1.E'S.OOO cubic yards. woul,
require x.O7.' aa'. This would amount
to x!kc..i CO. or. allowing ~ per cent
for contingencies. a total expcn,litur,
for the hnrhOr work Of S!n.i. 1lO.
II It should le deemed advisable {,
postpone the construction Of tho mort
AMI south brcnkwatcr the total cstl
mate for the outer lnrl,Or NJ Calumet
would le reduced to $7a..IlO. I'll,
engineers estimates for the lnrl'Or en-
trance. II built. provide for an cXtrn
sion for 500 feet OF the south pier AT !,
cost of Sl0.OOO. with dredging and ,
trench to the piers at ~. IN'. while thu
dredging Of the channel twenty fee
deep IL figured at &.0.OoO. These Items
with ~ per cent. for contingencies
would make u total of $50. i:'O for III,
harlhor entrance.
| The estimates made for the improve
mcnt Of the river 80 rs To provide ,
channel twenty feet deep for two mile
from the mouth II only S5i.INW. Thes
vari0us Items max" NJ the aggregate
as estimated 10y Mai. Marshall to Onl.
x1.l34,S $40. which II n wholly insignia
cant sum as compared with the amOun
spent ON hn,hOr improvements 1T com
parativcly little importance In otl,c
sections Of the country.
This report of Mai. Marshall. While
was sent In to the House by Grl
craighill. II Endorsed In the wnrmrs
terms 10y Col. Henry NJ. Robert, OF Il,
Engineer Corps. who declares all q
Maj. Marshalls conclusions are ~
proved by him. AMI that the work u
the Calumet IN of such great inpor
anrc Ms to entitle 1t to the fullest coi
sidcration by Congress.