Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-04
CHICAGO'S DRAINAGE CANAL,
The Great Ditch Filled With Water Yes
terday Cost $50, 100000.

Chicago. Jan. 1.-The S33. 600, 900 canal, at
present used for sewage disposal but I'LL
timately TO be a ship canal also, is III Use
to-day after seven years of hard work by
the trustees Of the sanitary district
which is the name Of a corporation, in
Guiding the largest part Of the city of Chi
cage and many of its suburbs. At least
the Chicago end OF It Is in use but the
water has not yet reached the other eUd
at Lockport H. and will not reach it
for several days.
Probably never before has the compile
ton of a public work of such magnitude
been marked with SUCH absolute lack of
ceremony. There were no speeches. no ex
erciseS and no cheering. About a. IN.
the sanitary district trustees and engineer
gathered at the scene. Beside few work.
men there were not dozen SPECTATORS
present. There was no grand rush Ot wa
ter to be followed by the cheers Of spec
tators. lOdeed the opening of the canal
reSembled more the tiny stream Of water
that flowed over the Holland dyke and grew
larger and larger until it swept a great
hole in the wall of earth. That Is the
way the great canal was opened. This
method was used to avoid the danger of
a sudden rush of waters, but 1t robbed
the opening of all impressiveness.
what Is called the collateral channel
had been completed for some time from
branch to within 10 feet of the end. Mon
day night Il big steam dredge began to cut
away this wall Of earth but the work had
not been finished when the sanitary dis
trct trustees arrived on the scene THE
morning. Shortly before 9 o'clock this
morning a small stream of water was
lowing through the hole In the l55 foot
wall. II backed up against sluice gate
and a O'Clock the gate was opened. The
a small stream Of dirty water flowed half
way to the canal and stopped. By this
time the dredge had cut away some mole
Garth and more water came over the dam
What had gone before trickled out on the
ice covered bed of the main channel and
the great canal had been opened.
At last the dredge worked Itself close
up to the dam of earth and with a few
sweeps of its arm cut big hole in the
dam. quite stream of water came
through but the dredge continued for
hours 10 cut away the - foot wall Of
earth. Finally the cut in the dam was
disc hargirg 80 600 cubic feet of water Il
minute and the flow was strong down the
canal. The dredge continued at work al
day so as to make the discharge 10000 Gu
bic feet or more minute. The canal has
been built to carry 10000 cubic feet min
ute, but only about 5O,OOD feet a minute
will be admitted until the channel is full.
About Wednesday at noon the water is
epeCted to reach LoCiport and about four
DAYS from the time the flow began, accord
ing to the estimate of the chief engineer,
the canal will be fun and the water will
begin TO run over the silis of the control
ling gates at Lockport, 2S miles from Chi
cago There It will fall into the Des
PLANES River and then into the Illinois
and Mississippi Rivers and so finally Lake
Michigan will shake hands with the Gulf
OF Mexico.
Chicago people are already eagerly
watching the effect on the Chicago river
OF the opening of the canal. This stream
which is so Objectionable in its presen
condition is expected to be comparatiNe ely
, pure and certainly TO lose all its features
Objectionable from a sanitary point OF
view when the present stagnaton gives
way to FULL, strong current from Lake
Michigan.