The Van Buren press., 1900-01-06
IH[ FILTH TURNED loose.
Chicago's Sewage Started on 1t
Journey Of Pollution Towards
the Mississippi.
OpENING OF THE BIG DRAINAGE CANAL.
Less than Dozen Persons outsi"e
.r Euuinrer, and officials Wit
messed the Cutting Away OF tue
Inst BarrIcr-The Water IL beihs
Let In Gradually.

of EuEincefs ""u
messed the Cutting Away OF the
Inst Barrier-The Water Is Being
Let In Gradually.
Chicago, Jan. 3.--The $35,ooo'oo'
canal. at present used fof sewage DIS
posal. but ultimately to be snip
canal also, is in use to-day, after seven
wears of hard work by the trustees ot
the Sanitary District, which is the
name of a corporation including the
larger part of the city of Chicago ana
many of its suburbs. At least me
Chicago end of it is in use, but the
water has not yet reached the other
end at Lockport, ILL.,, and will not
reach it for several days.
Absolute Lack of Ceremony
Probably never before has the COM
pletion OF public work OF such mag
nitude been marked with such absolute
lack of ceremony. There were no
sneeches. no exercises and no cheering.
About s a. IN. the Sanitary District
trustees and engineer gathered at the
scene. Besides few workmen there
were not a dozen spectators present.
There was no grand rush OF water, to
bc followed by the cheers OF specta-
tors. Indeed, the opening of the canal
resembed more the tiny stream OF wa
ter that flowed over the Holland dyke
and grew larger and larger until it
swept 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 it ROBBED the opening OF
all impressiveness.
The Collateral Channel.
What is called the collateral channel
had been completed for some time
from a branch of the Chicago river in
the southwestern part of the city, to
within Is feet of the channel. Mon
day 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 yesterday morning. Shortly
before 0 a. M. a small stream of water
was flowing through the hole in the
ia-foot wall. 1t backed up against u
sluice gate, and at nine o'clock the
gate was opened. Then small stream
of dirty water flowed half way to the
canal and stopped. by this time the
1redge had cu, way some more earth
and more water came over the dam.
This, with what had gone before, trick
led out on the ice-covered bed of the
main channel, and the great canal had
been opened.
Dynamite Failed.
The men at work on the earth dam
tried charge of dynamite to remove
an ice jam that was interfering with
the flow of water, but the opening was
not enlarged.
Water Began 10 Flow.
AZ last the dredge worked itself up
,lose 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 contin-
ued for hours to cut away the l5-foot
wall of earth. Finally the cut IN the
dam was discharging 10000 cubic feet
of water minute and the flow was
strong down The channel. The dredgc
continued at work all day so as to
make the discharge 10000 cubic feet or
more minute,
rhe Flow Restricted.
The canal has been built TO carry
100000 cubic feet a minute, but only
5000 cubic feet a minute will be adj
mittcd until the channel is full II the
Chicago river had been turned into
the empty canal at the rate of 100000
feet a minute the engineers would have
feared for the safety Of the numerous
bridge piers in the canal cEannel and
for the controlling works ot Lockport
and the city Of Joliet, 40 miles away,
There would have been also great dam
ger in the Chicago river from a sud-
den fall Of water and a consequent in
rushing from Lake Michigan, These
are the reasons the water Is being nd-
mttcd gradually,
Lake Michigan ana the Gulf.
About noon to-day the water is cx-
pected to reach Lockport, and about
four days from the time the flow be-
gan, according to the estimate OF the
chief engineer, the canal will be full
md the wnter will begin 10 run over
the sils Of the controlling gates, at
Lockport. ~ mles from Chicago, There
IL win fall into the Desplaines river
una t,tn into the Illinois and Missis-
sippi rivers, and 40 finally Lake Mich
ignn will shake hands with the Gulf OF
Mexico.
The Effect IN Chicago River.
Chicago people are already eagerly
watching the effect on the Chicago rv.
er of the opcuing of the canal. This
stream, which IL so Objectionable in It's
present condition, Is expected TO be
comparatively pure and certainly to
lose all It's features Objectionable from
n sanitary point Of view when the
present stugnation gives way 10 full,
strong current from Lake Michigan.
wheat nt Minneapolis.