The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-03

CHICAGO, jan 2-The $SS 100000 canal
at present used for sewage, but ultimate
ly to be a ship canal, Is in use today,
after seven years of hard work by the
trustees Of the sanitary district. which is
the name Of a corporation including the
larger part Of the city Of Chicago and
many of its suburbs. At least the Chi
cago end Of it is in use, but the water has
not yet reached the other end at Lock-
port. H.. and will not reach 1t for several
days.
Probably never before has the compile
tion OF a public work Of such magnitude
been marred with such absolute lack OF
ceremony. There were no speeches. no
exercises, no cheering.
Tiny Stream starts Through.
About a. m. the sanitary district
trustees and engineers gathered at the
scene. Besides the few workmen,s there
were not dozen spectators. There was
no grand rush of water to be followed by
the cheers Of spectators. Indeed, the
opening of the canal resembled more the
tiny stream of water that flowed over
the Holland dixie and grew larger and
larger until it swept a great hole in the
wall Of the earth. This Is the way the
great canal was opened. This method
was used to avoid the danger OF sud-
den rush of water, but it robbed the OPEN
ing Of all impressiveness.
big Dredger Opens Last Section.
What Is called the collateral channel
has been completed for some time from
a branch Of the Chicago river In the
southwestern part OF the city to within
fifteen feet OF the canal. Monday night
big steam dredge began to cut away
this wall OF earth, but the work had not
been finished when the sanitary district
trustees arrived on the scene this MORN
ing. Shortly before Q a. m. small
stream of water was flowing through the
hole in the fifteen-foot wall 1t backed
Up against a sluice gate and at 9 o'clock
the gate was opened. Then small stream
OF dirty water flowed halfway to the ca
nal and stopped. BY this time the dredge
had cut away some more earth and more
water came over the dam. This. with
what has gone before. trickled out on the
ice-covered bed of the main channel and
the great canal had been opened. The
men at work on the earth dam tried
charge of dynamite to remove an ice jam
that was interfering with the flow Of wa
ter, but the opening was not enlarged.
At last the dredge worked itself close up
e. the dam of earth. and with a few
.u..ns of ite arm cut a hir hole in the
san, cute stream of water came
.s-n,,rh h,,. tho dradge continued for
,o,,rs :, c,,t away the fifteep-foot wall
s.,, U4u.,,,, tha cu, n the dar, was
s,L,, on ooo o,h;o foot ~ vater n
,,,nuta and the flow was strong down
the canal. The dredge continued at work
all day so as to make the discharge $4,000
cubic feet or more a minute.
xy,,, n. EuI, In Eour Dax..
80, h,,,,t - oarr,, aoo nm
tne eana. .as ,,,', 80. so ooo
ouo.o .... III, =, .a,.,,,.oa ,,,,t,,
ouo'e - e,m to ~ rh,cago r,var
.he .n"e. - - 49, ,,rst,, 80, ~
80 ooo ooo fa., r,,n,,te tha .r-
ginaers feared for the safety Of the nu-
n,erons bridge piers in the canal channel
.ra for the controlllng works at I.ockport
and the citv of Joliet. forty miles away.
There would have been also great danger
I, ,ha chica go river from a sudden fall of
water and a CONSEQUENT inrushing from
Lake Michigan. About Wednesday at noon
tho water Is exnected TO reach Iockport 4
| and about four DAYS from the time the
eow began. according to the estimate nf
the chief engineer. the canal will be full