Evening journal., 1900-01-27
A GREAT WATERWAY


INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CHI
CAGo's GREAT DRAINAGE CA
NAL.
The Chicago drainage canal ranks
among the greatest Of engineering fea-
lures during the nine .eonth century. AS
an artificial waterway its cross-sec ion
IS larger than the Suez canal The pro-
jected Panama canal will have but
.wo-thiIds the volume of water. The
Nicaragua channel will be no larger.
The North Sea channel, which pro-
vides a short route for the commerce of
Germany, alone of the modern water
ways constructed by man has a greater
capacity than that Of the drainage out
let of Chicago Dredged 10 the same
aepth as that of the German canal, 5ne
vOlu1ne of water passing through the
Illinois outlet would be much more.
! Constructed for the drainage of
lChicagos turgid and muddiest and
ialtniesr Of all streams-the open sew-r
Of the city-the channel was made
large enough to float the biggest OF
vesstl Is that sell or steam over tho
Great Lakes. It combines the furc
lions of a ship canai with a drainage
duct.
The problem which confronted the
city ever since the municipality pass
ed its half million in population was
the disposal of sewage. Chicago IS
built upon a ledge of the earth but ten
feet above the level of Lake Michigan.
The Chicago river and its two branches
were originally sluggish lagoons, wind
ing in and about sand dunes. They
were dredged and widened by early set
Tiers, md were extended as the city
grew to accommodate the growth of
the increasing commerce of the lakes.
After a heavy rain the current of the
river was outward; at other times
iuctuating with the rise and fall of the
axe. Chicago's water supply was and
Is drawn from the lake. AS the popu-
lation increased the flow of the sewage
into the river and its branches con-
tinued.
The law creating the district requires
hat for one part of sewage. six parts
Of lake water must be sent through the
anal. The minimum flow is fixed al
10000 cubic feet per minute. Tha
is upon the estimate that Chicago nov
ontains 100000 people. When this
q ~llre is exceeded by 100, 900, the flow
ust be increased 10000 cubic fee
every minute. When the system of in
f.ciccpting sewers and conduits, now il
progress. is finished, turning the sew
, age into the river, which now flows di
, rectly into the lake, the population
, draining into the channel will reach
/ iig not exceed, 800, 900 souls, which will
{ Increase the flow of water-that is /
{ he law is obeyed-about 10000 fee
I every sixty seconds. The dilution o
2 the sewage by the current that vii
Q flow in from Lake Michigan is expecte
: to make the water Of the Chicago rive
e as clear as that Of the Hudson at al
a bany, and to reduplicate on the wharf
Of the river the throngs Of anglers tina
crowd into all the open space on tn
G banks of the Seine near Paris.
: The sanitary district was incoI
Lorated in 1889; the first board of trus
S tees and directors was elected in De
E cember, and in the following mont
there was organization. The first spad
of dirt was turned at Joliet, Septembe
! 2, 1892. The right Of way has cost SO
:, 1636S5, and the construction to date
1922. 900 ,000 The other expenses, sue
. as interest, salaries losses, ETC., max
a grand total of S31 500 600. BY the tim
AL the WOlk Is ADht lllt tHllludltQ CUE
. Is S33,50O,0 600. OF the amount alread
, expended, S17 900 900 was secured b
II taxation, and S14.0OO,0OO from the sal
y of bonds.
" When the channel was original
4. planned a depth Of fourteen feet wa
| deemed sufficient. But the trustee
or looking forward TO ultimate connectio
with the Gulf of Mexico. decided I
r make the depth eight feet more, thu
securing twenty-five feet, and formin
Of the first link in the proposed outlet
lie III the seas 1t would cost the govern
" ment less than $4,000 900 to complet
he the enterprise. and thereby make a wa
for deep draught vessels from Live
he pool to Chicago.
l The immediate effect of the ship Ct
Ut nal is to extend the wharfage front
II this city fifty-siX miles, giving to Oh
II. cago FIVE times the mileage now pc
er sessed by New York city.-James
% Evans in Golfers Weekly.