davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily sentinel., 1899-10-14

Dairy Lunch Parler, cleanest, best ar
ranged, homelike eating house in the
city. Best meals IN the city.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

tiers. 1t consists of two hinged metal
leaves which present an inclined face
100 feet in width to the waters. The
the dam, can be raised by hydraulic
power, the turning Of valves allowing
water from upstream to flow into cham
bers under the dam and easily raise its
million pounds of weight. 1t has a total
oscillation of seventeen feet-that Is,
1t can be raised that much from it's
lowest point If necessary. To lower it
other valves are turned and the water
from the chambers under the dam are
released to flow out into the tail race
and the great metal barrier settles
slowly down to the required level. Over
the top of the dam the trees, sticks,
barrels and Ice floating on the surface
VIII be allowed to pass which would
never get through the sluice gates for
der the gates, leaving the surface al
most placid and immovable, holding all
floating objects. and In the course Of
time the windage basin at the end Of
the channel would be filled with float
ing debris from the twenty-eight miles
of canal all hurried down against the
end wall. These things will easily pass
over the dam.
The great intercepting sewer system
which Chicago has inaugurated is, Of
course, part of the plan for keeping the
lake free from sewage and directing
the flow of the sewers toward the river
and thence to the drainage canal and
away from the lake, in:o which they
have heretofore emptied. All Of the
city sewers are part of the system TO
deposit contents in the drainage canal,
to be carried away to the Mississippi.
So thoroughly will the sewage be di-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26
C,e4ss,b $s Il, seG@j } ssS= |

main channel ends at Lockport abrupt
ly In a wall six feet thick. made of
stone, and backed up by thousands of
tons Of stone dumped in from the ''spoil
banks" There the channel widens
from 100 feet-the regulation width OF
the QUITO ''windage basin" 900 feet
wide, in which the largest ships can be
turned around. This basin, OF course.
Is locked on three sides by stone walls
extending II feet above the surface of
the water when the channel Is filed.
On the north wall stands the controli-
ing works. Where the river waters en-
counter the stone walls. they pass
through the sluice gates and over the
dam. The small gates can be lowered,
cutting Off the flow of the water, and
the dam can be raised, cutting of some
more, when 1t Is necessary. The gates
can be shut down altogether, present
ing an impenetrable front, and the rear
drop dam can be raised until 1t is as
high as the level of Lake Michigan.
Then the water will stand still. 1t can
not flow uphill.
Each gate weighs 20 tons, but so
nicely are they counterbalanced that
but few men are required to work the
machinery to raise or lower them. They
are built In solid masonry, which sug-
gests the frowning front of fort, but
this is necessary, as the pressure
against them is tremendous The heavy
granite and brick wall contains seven
other spaces for additional sluice gates,
which are now bricked in solidly, await
ing the time when Chicagos population
has so greatly increased that the ca
pacity Of the channel can be doubled.
Then these gates will be put in to per-
NIT an increased now into the Des-
PLANES. But the gates, while massive
pieces Of engineering work, are not
enough without the bear-trap dam. 1t
is called bear trap because its shape
suggests the old deadfall bear traps
which were once in use by early set
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

the river or channel, no great discolor-
alton Of the water will take place.
The inhabitants Of the Valley Of the
Illinois, those Of Joliet, will not suffer
l.l effect from the waters Of the chan
mel The old picture which was drawn
of Joliet overcome by fumes from the
stream of the channel Is a false one.
The water will be entirely pure when
it passes through Joliet and enters the
Illinois River. In fact, it Is believed
that 1t will be purer than the water
now in the Illinois.
An element of the construction Of the
canal was the effort systematized to
control the large number Of workmen
employed, and maintain peace and or
der throughout the sanitary district.
A force of sanitary police was enlist
ed, a uniformed, organized body, which
did excellent work in preserving the
peace and enforcing the laws. 1t will
be readily understood that this great
body of workmen, not of the highest
order Of intelligence at best and sur
rounded at the start with a hundred
and one low dives and saloons which
sprang up in the canal towns and set
Elements, were a bit hard Of manage
ment. But there never was any seri-
Gus trouble on the channel, not a strike
of any consequence or a riot. Pay days
brought the usual grist of drunkenness
and slight ARRAYS, but no trouble as
serious as was anticipated by the city
police ever occurred.
The $33,OOO,0O0 expended on the
drainage channel is a large sum; 1t is
fully two-thirds of the cost Of cutting
a ship canal to connect the great lakes
with the Mississippi, navigable to all
steamers plying between New Orleans
and st. Louis, when plans for changes
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

luted by the time 1t reaches the great
river 1t will make the Illinois far clean
er in appearance than the Mississippi
is now, and so far as the fears of resi-
dents of st. Louis and towns in Cen
trail Illinois that the drainage channel
will bring disease and death to them
are concerned, eminent scientists have
declared that fish will live in the drain
age canal throughout its entire length.
With the lake pouring into the Chicago
river channel at a speed of one and one
fourth miles per hour fishermen may
cast their lines from any of the docks
along the river. which will be filed
with pure, clean lake water.
The channel offers a pleasure way
for light water craft from the lake to
L0ckport that can be equaled nowhere
so far as safety Is concerned. The
journey down the stream through the
beautiful Valley of the Desplaines is
extremely picturesque. With water
practically odoriess, none of the foul
features OF the old State canal are pres
ent. Engineers claim that for the first
time In nearly forty years fish can live
In the Chicago River. Some people do
not know that fish cannot live in the
river at present. This Is true. The
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

cOmpliShed-and the labor done shows
that 1t Is possible to construct the Mic
aragua Canal 80 per cent. cheaper than
was anticipated. 1t was little some
thing for the engineers to dig a ditch
through sand for the construction OF
the Suez Canal. 1t was heroic for the
workers TO face fever and miasma at
Panama, the Erie Canal was quite a
bit of work, but in cost, in magnitude.
I'm difficulties,to overcome, the drainage
channel of Chicago is not rivaled by
these.
The channel is divided into two great
classes of work--the earth secretions.
where all the excavations have been
made i'm the dirt. and the rock sections.
In constructing the watercOurse 1t was
found necessary to literally take up n
river, move 1t to one side, give it a new
course, and run the channel through
the old course. When the final route
Of the channel was determined it was
found by the engineers that 1t would
be necessary TO divert the Desplaines
River from its then course-the same
channel through which 1t was coursing
when La Sale. Hennepin and Joliet
came and thought it so great n body
of water that they could not indicate
ON their maps where its western banks
were. In summer the stream is at
points a mere brook. but in the spring
time, when the freshets come. II Is one
of the most powerful bodies Of water in
the State. Taking into account, then,
that portion of the channel is now
in what was once the bed Of the Des-
PLANES. its entire route is: Mouth of
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

In order to arrange for river diver
sion." andscontroi the stream at all
times, so that 1t could not overflow and
back up the Chicago River into the
lake again, channel was cut, chang
ing the course of the Desplaines, at
Lockport Thirteen miles of channel
200 feet wide was dug parallel to the
main drainage channel, and a levee
nineteen miles long was constructed to
keep the Desplaines from flowing into
the main drainage channel in flood
tides" At the head of the diversion
spillway was also built, which is aptly
termed safety valve. 1t consists of
a great dam of concrete and stone, 397
feet long, and having a crest sixteen
feet above the surface of Lake Michi-
gan.
Many contractors underestimated, to
their cost, the work necessary In exca-
walton. Finally the bulked effort. was
to accomplish the maximum of work
with a minimum of men, and the great
cantilever crane, steam shovels and
other devices were a result. Incline
railway carrying cars were used, vast
steel pans employed. A half-ton blast
of dynamite on the rock sections was
but an ordinary charge, fired several
times day. Millions of pounds Of
giant powder were used. The boring
was done by pneumatic power drills.
When signal whistle announced the
firing of the holes, the men scurried to
shelter sheds. Tremendous explosions
followed. At one time eight tons of
dynamite were used in n single day.
The controlling works at Lockport
constitute the most important part Of
the drainage system. These provide
against the water ever diverting the
current. They consist OF seven Inn
mense sluice gates, through which wa
tiers can proceed to the tail race" and
thence to the Desplaines and a tail
trap dam" This dam is in itself a
wonder. and has been studied and adj
mired by engineers from all over the
world.
Not only are the sluice gates and the
| big dam effective In case of floods In
he Desplalnes, but are necessary al
III times, for the sanitary district must
by law control absolutely the amount
of water flowing through the channel
and must not let 1t exceed 100000 Gu.
bic feet minute.
This dam and these gates can be 81
manipulated that only pint of water
or no water at all. can be allowed to
flow into the Desplaines. and agar
they can be so arranged that the capac
ity of.the channel can be doubled. Tn,
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26
Pooling a Spider in His Parlor.

A most amusing and interesting ex-
pertinent is in the reach of everyone
who has a tuning fork. Take II to a
spiders web. set the fork vibrating
and touch the edge Of the web lightly.
Mr.. Spider has the buzzing sound con-
veyed to him by the threads of his
web He will run to the center of the
web quickly and feel all around until
he touches the thread against which
the fork is sounding; then. taking an
other thread along, just as n man
would take an extra piece of rope, he
will run out to the fork and spring
upon 1t, imagining that fly has been
enmeshed, for the sounding Of the fork
against the web exactly Stimulates the
buzzing Of fiy.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

Chicago River through it's south
branch to the town Of Summit; by
earth excavation to Willow Springs;
through the old bed of the Desplaines
to Lemont, partly by solid rock; cut
ting to Lockport by the same process;
through the controlling works, past
Romeo, to Joliet; to Lake Joliet; thence
to the Illinois River, and through that
to the mighty Mississippi. The entire
length of the channel, including that
portion of the Chicago River used is
about forty miles. formed at cost per
mile of about $S25,000.
II Chicago did not stand at the sum-
NIT Of the watershed between the
basins of the Mississippi and the st.
Lawrence Rivers, the drainage channel
might not have been constructed, and
filtered or boiled water might have
been good enough for the millions. But,
standing on the crest, an engineer could
readily see that If the water supply of
the city lay on the st. Lawrence side of
the slope, il was absolutely necessary
that The sewage should not be deposit
ed there. This being decided, the re-
manning question was how to cross the
divide and start the sewage west and
south. Hence the drainage channel,
and that is all there is to the problem
taken up in 1889. In its natural state
the water of Lake Michigan is unpol-
luted and healthful. The carrying away
of the sewage means the doing away
with costly aqueducts and great artl-
fetal storage basins. New York goes
fifty miles for its water supply, and
the aqueducts which convey 1t have
cost over S30,000,000. Boston journeys
twenty miles, and has paid $4,000. 900
for brick conduit and storage basins.
Philadelphia is spending $20,000,000 in
an effort to find pure water. Chicago
by paying $50, 100000 for the drainage
canal has pure water at its lake front,
free of cost, save pumping through the
mains. The supply comes from a nat
ural basin $40 feet deep. with an area
Of 10000 square milcs-320 miles long
and 80 miles broad.
The channel of the canal is SO feet
deep, has capacity for thirty-five feet
of water. and current speed Of one
mile and one-fifth per hour. Either
100000 or 10000 cubic feet of water
can be carried through 1t per minute.
II the water covering this forty miles
could he taken out and land-locked, II
would make larger lake than any In
Illinois, and fully the equal of Mime
tonka or White Bear In Minnesota.
IL an effort could be made to drink II
ND mt one gulp, 1t would take consider
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

out of II, of which over 10000 900 Gu
bic yards is rock. More than 100000
men have been employed in its con-
struction, the largest number of men
at work at one time being 5000. The
possibility exists Of developing along
the channel a water power equal to
81 900 horse power. Public sentiment
at present Is against utilization for
mechanical purposes, but the power
which can be developed would be suffi-
cient to illuminate every street and al
ley in Chicago with electric light Less
than two score of lives have been lost
in the construction work, and no wages
have been paid of less than $1.50 per
day for labor. Between $6,O00,O00 and
81 ,0OO, 900 worth Of land was purchased
by condemnation or otherwise for the
right of way.
The history of the construction Of the
canal Is interesting. After years of
preliminary surveys and figuring, prec-
edent necessarily to such a gigantic
undertaking, earth was first broken in
the great waterway on Sept. 3, 1892,
on the Lemont rock cut, and the day
has since been celebrated as school
day" on each succeeding anniversary.
Since then the contractors have cut
through twenty-eight miles Of solid
earth and rock, making a canal approx
imately 100 feet wide. If; the earth,
loose stone, top soil c'glacial drift') ex.
cavated were dumped into Lake Michi-
tvx@n zrfxv Co. 90 f4.. D II
make an island a mile square, rising
eight feet above the surface of the
water.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26
FATAL AGE OF THIRTY.sEvEN.
Many of the Worlds Great Men Have
IIccIl m, he'd When ONLY n af A

Many of the Worlds Great Men Have
uccum bed When Only That Age.
The age Of 81 Is particularly fatal
age. An examination of the records Of
the United States government shows
that more people die at that age than
any other after attaining their major
ity. 1t Is also ascertained that more
misfortunes overtake persons at that
age than at any other time in their lives
and that few fortunate events befall
them.
An examination Of history develops
the same thing. At the age of 81 a
great sorrow befell Aristotle, the death
of Plato, his friend and teacher, with
whom he had studied for nearly twenty
years. This sorrow plainly showed its
effects upon his future life and to 1t
may be attributed the sad tone Of his
later writings.
1t was at the age Of 81 that Lord
Byron died of fever at Greece. AS
Lord Beaconsfield says he was greater
as a man than as a writer and his loss
to the world was great blow to it."
Raphael, the glory Of Italian art, died
at 81. He fell sick a week before his
birthday Of cold and fever and died on
that day, Good Friday. In him the
world lost one of It's greatest artists.
In music, like art and poetry, En-
gland lost her greatest composer at
the age of 81. Purcell, the most dis
tinguished musician Britain produced,
died within few days after attaining
his thirty-seventh year. The regard in
which he was held in England placed
him on par with Milton in epic poetry
with Shakespeare on the stage. Locke
in metaphysics, and Sir Isaac Newton
in philosophy and mathematics.
1t was at the age of 81, too, that En-
gland lost a military genius that she
regarded as of the highest rank and
promise. Prince Henry of Battenburg
died of fever in Ashantee in that year
of his life.
PASCAL, too, died at 81, but why seek
more Illustrations? These are sufficient
to illustrate the fatality of the age
among geniuses. Where death failed
misfortune often befel.
So the age Of 81 may be regarded as
the fatal age Of all those after a man
passes his majority.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

river ID 80 nasty. SO filed with sewage
poison that even the toughest o. nsh
win not approach IT,
Some. however, say also that IL will
be possible to see the bottom OF the
Chicago River. something the present
generation OF citizens has been de-
prived Of From the Illinois Centrars
bridge mt the mouth of the river to the
end OF either branch no glimpse Of the
rivers bottom Is now possible. Within
the coming year 1t Is believed all of
the secrets of the depths will be reveal
ed.l Instead of having n bottom of
mud. the river will replace that with
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

Was Granted In 164s by the 0enerl
Court of Massac h nae tts.

Was Granted In 1646 by the General
Court Of Massachusetts.
To the general court of Massachu-
sets belongs the honor of granting the
first American patent; this was In 164S
and was then designated as monopoly.
1t was confined to the region controlled
by Massachusetts and the one issue APP
parently included all the Invention OF
the inventor connected with engines
that depended upon water for their mo-
tive power. The limit of the monopoly
was fourteen years and the court not
only retained power to forbid exporta-
ton, but to prevent exorbitant charges
upon the public for their use.
The patent was issued In this form:
"Jenkes Monopolye.--At general
Courte at Boston the 9th Of the 9th Mo
164S. The cor't considinge We neces-
sity Of raising such manufactures OF
engins of mills to go by water for
speedy dispatch of much worke with
few hands, and being sufficiently In
formed of We ability of We petition to
p forme such workes grant his petition
(yet no Othr D sen shall set up or use
any such new invention, or trade for
fourteen yeares without ye licence of
him the said Joseph Jenkes) so farr DIS
concernes any such new invention, IL
so 1t shall be always in We powr of this
cote to restrain We expectation of such
manufacturers & We prizes Of them to
moderation II occasion so require"
This inventor, Joseph Jenkes, or
jerks, as it would now be spelled,
came from Hammersmith. England,
settled down in Lyan In 1913 and died
In 16S2-83, aged 81. He was black
smith and machinist, made the dies for
the coming for the "pine-tree" money
and built the first engine in this coun-
try; altogether man of great inven-
tive genius and the ancestor of large
number of descendants. One of his
sons removed to Rhode Island, where
he built several mills.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26
Nicarnan.,. people.

The present population of Nicaragua
is estimated at about 100000. or only
about eight to the square mile. OF each
hundred inhabitants there are fifty
Indians, one negro, forty-five of mixed
blood, and four whites. They are sharp
ly divided into classes, the Caballeros,
or gentlemen" and the poems, or la
borers, who can b. distinguished by
their costume as far as they can be
seen. This classification Is punctil,ous-
ly observed on all occasions, and is par
ticularly noticeable.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

ably more than 10000, 900. 600, 900 peo-
pie to consume it. 1t It were spread
fiat over the surface of the earth to the
depth of one inch. IT. would cover ILL
nois, Minnesota. Wisconsin, Iowa,
Missouri sndssa good portion of Ne
braska. y Could II be attenuated to a
depth OF three and a half feet, row
boat could travel over 1t for more than
800 miles, II, fire engine. throwing
1900 gallons OF water per minute, We're
to attempt to pump the channel dry.
it would be occupied over 800 days In
doing so. In continuous depth 1t Is
the largest channel In the world con-
structed by man. over 100000 cubic
yards Of material having been taken
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

in the Mississippi are carried out. Still,
the investment will show amply for the
pains and labor involved, for the drain
age channel will be navigable by all
vessels of draught not more than TWEEN
ty-three feet and 1t will enable the
next move with facility-the improve
ment of the Desplaines and the ILL
nois Rivers q far as Utica.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26
A Button Code.

When Major Putnam Bradlee Stronc
went out to the Philippines he spok,
Spanish to a slight extent, but was
utterly ignorant of the rudiments of
that polygot language known as the
Tagal dialect. He has picked up more
or less of IL by now. When he first got
there he acquired servant, or rather,
the servant acquired him. Somehow
or other, the servant, who was bright
eyed Filipino, attached himself to the
major and couldn't be shaken off. He
didn't speak work of English or
Spanish, and his Tagal talk was unin-
telligible. Therefore. he was no help,
and could only surmise what was
wanted. The major dressed him up In
an improvised livery. The coat of this
livery was garnished with a half
dozen glittering brass buttons. While
studying this impressive array of but
tons an idea came into the majors
head, and he Immediately put 1t into
effect. He took the boy solemnly aside
and tied to the topmost button Of his
coat cigarette. To the next button
he attached cigar. To another he tied
a small cup out of which coffee was
drunk. To another he tied n glass
which was used to serve cooling drinks,
and so on. When he had the boy prop
erly decorated he stood back and sur
veyed him with satisfaction. Then. by
means of signs, he conveyed the idea
to his newly acquired servant that each
button meant specifically the article at
tached thereto. Then he removed the
articles and began experiments. 1t
didn't take the native long to realize
the system, and after that 1t was plain
sailing. 1t was a case of touch the
button and the native did the rest
New York Tribune.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

sand. The coagulated masses Of sew
age will disappear. Where there has
been no current there will be rapidly
running stream, sweet and pure.
The mass Of filth which has accu-
INFLATED at the stockyards will disap-
pear. The foul air which has infected
the district about the yards will be re-
placed by pure air. While the sewage
will be Immediately perceptible at the
mouths of the sewers where 1t enters
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

x70nITH the completion of the
WW great drainage canal, the tax
payers Of Chicago can reckon
up the enormous sum of $33,0O0.OOO
that they have put into this big ditch,
with a possible incidental expense OF
ten or fifteen millions farther along.
This work is a monument to the en-
deavors of the people to secure pure
water. and yet 1t Is estimated that out
of the 100000 people residing in Chd-
cago 100000 have never seen the
channel. of whom a large proportion
cannot tell where 1t starts or where 1t
ends. 1t almost passes understanding
the gigantic work that has been ac-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26

Every time a man gets punished for
wrongdoipg he complains that other
men do worse and are punished less.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-26
Pigeon Lays Two Eggs.

Before beginning to hatch a pigeon
lays two eggs. and they invariably pro-
duce a male and female. Expert
ments have demonstrated that the egg
first laid produces a male.