Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-19
President Mckinley Made Hosts Of
Friends on Visit There.
GOOD EFFECT OF His SPEECHES
Prospect That Drainage Canal May
Be Completed Soon.
WORK ON THE POST OFFICE
Correspondence of The Evening Stnr.

The recent visit to Chicago of President
Mckinley and his cabinet has had Won
derful effect in adding to the numbers of
his personal admirers in the middle west
in tanning the fires of patriotism, which,
notwithstanding our cosmopolitan popula-
ton, burn more fiercely anywhere, and
in promoting the fortunes of the republican
party. The personal magnetism of the man,
his thoughtfulnes for Others from the little
boy who followed the carriage along Michi-
gan avenue to the governor of the state
the mayor of the city, the comrades of 81
and the bankers and kings Of industry, the
quiet dignity, the punctiliousness in keeping
all engagements and mis- evident sincerity
and appreciation Of all that was done for
himself, his wife and his official family,
were some of the things that won the
hearts of political opponents and trans
formed lukewarm Indifferent friends into
active and ardent admirers. The words of
the President and of those who spoke with
and for him, on the policy with regard to
our new possessions have convinced many
doubling ones and strengthened the hands
of those who We're committed to the plans
of the administration merely because they
were those Of the party, and who felt that
the President must be upheld, right
wrong. The echoes of those speeches are
being heard, and they ring out clear
and with no uncertain meaning.
To Complete the Drainage Canal.
Strenuous efforts are being made to COM
pJete the work on what is generally known
the Chicago drainage canal but what is
really an embryo ship canal in advanced
stages Of development, that water may
be turned into it by next December The
contractors have been promised extra
money, aggregating hundreds of thousands
Of dollars, if they will have their work done
by the time fixed for the opening cere-
monies. There have been many vexatious
delays in this stupendous work, which has
thus far cost the state of Illinois more than
thirty millions, Mechanical and engineer
ing skill, diplomacy, business ability and
legal lore, all of the highest grade. have
been tested to the utmost in this work. The
canal was begun in 1892, with the idea of
simply providing an outlet for Chicago's
sewage, which is now carried into the lake
and communicates the water supply taken
from points four miles from the shore the
contamination being so great that the city
health authorities publish daily bulletins
warning the citizens not to drink the water
without first boiling it. The work involved
building a channel thirty-one miles in
length with a depth of thirty-eight feet,
III many places cut through solid forma-
ton of limestone rock, and at the points
where no natural rock waHs were found,
laying on a rubble foundation, stone walls
OF almost equal stability, set at an angle of
about forty-five degrees. The depth of the
water when admitted to the fun capacity,
will be twenty-five feet. and in many places
the channel Is more than 200 feet wide
The minimum flow of water in the channel
will be 100000 cubic feet minute and the
maximum flow will be double this, all of
which will come from Lake Michigan
through the Chicago river, thus purifying
the latter that fish may live in it, and
thus one of the ''vlest streams in America
be removed. Whether this outflow from the
great lake will appreciably lower its level
is point upon which the doctors disagree
and laymen can only await results. But
even If 1t should disturb the water line, the
advantages Of this canal to Chicago and
It's tributary states, and, in fact to the
whole country when ships can go through
from the lakes to the Mississippi. will more
than offset the loss occasioned by shallower
harbors, which, after all, can be cured by
deepening If need be- Even now Chicago
is one of the most important ports of entry
and clearance In the world, and when its
ship canal, which is sure to develop from
the drainage canal is built, 1t will be with
cut peer in this respect
Slow Work on Post ONCE.
Some day Chicago is to have new post
office building. lot of fifty-foot piles have
been driven and over these have been erect
ed and bound together numerous iron col
umns and girders significantly painted, in
order that rust may not ravage them dur
ing the weary years to come before they
will he covered. AS a rule, things are rush
ed in Chicago, but this Is a government
job, and the rush rule don't apply. The
Stars daily bulletins on the progress of
the work. or the lack of progress, on the
Washington post office. could have been
aptly applied to the conditions with our
post office here. The plans show mag
nificent building, but whoever selected the
site for ii committed Il crime. Imagine
placing beautiful piece of statuary in
the bottom OF q we'll, and you will have
fair idea of the situation. The square to
be occupied by the post Office building is
bounded by Clarke street, which is seven
ty-five feet wide; Adams street, about sixty
feet wide; Dearborn, sixty feet wide, and
Jackson boulevard about sixty feet. North
of the site is the Marquette building. sew
enteen stories high, east the Great North
ern Hotel, with it's twelve stories besides
towers south the Monadnock building, six
teen stories, and on the west the Grand
Pacific Hotel and new bank building,
which Marshall Field is putting up to a
height OF fourteen stories. In the wall OF
buildings surrounding the site there is
hardly one that is less than seven stories
high. There is not a single street approach
from which full view Of the building can
be had when 1t Is built 1t will be in a
VeritabeS well of architecture, with poor
side lights where Quincy street intersects
| the site, so that the only way to get
view of the building viii be from a nearby
housetop and even this will be obstructed
| by the ever present clouds of smoke,
1t Is to be hoped that the next yacht
race will be arranged for Lake Michigan
waters in course between the lower Crib
| and Crosse Point, where the winds never
| day Brother Upton would think that the
channel was mill pond by comparison
Progress of the Richards Case.
Minister Hunter has informed the State
Department that the government of Guate-