The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-03
.CH|CAGOS GREAT
CANAL Is OPENED.
Continued from Page ono.

ton Of seventeen feet vertically. This
dam IL essentially two great metal leaves,
hinged together. and working between mas
cnry bulkheads. The down stream leaf II
securely hinged to a very heavy founda-
ton and the upstream leaf II 20 placed an
to present the barrier to the water. This
structure II operated by admitting water
through properly constructed conduits,
controlled by valves beneath the leaves
Just described. To raise the crest OF the
dam, water IL admitted from the upstream
side and the discharge shut on until the
desired height IL obtained and then the
valves are adjusted so that the volume Of
water beneath the leaves shall be con-
slant. To lower the crest the water boz
meath the leaves is drawn of until the de-
sired height is reached, when the valves
are again arranged 80 as to maintain con-
stant. volume OF water.
q When the work started. a
The first work in this great enterprise
was begun on shovel day." September, 5,
1892, on the rock cut below Lemont. on the
line between Cook and VIII counties. so
that little over seven years have been
consumed in the entire work involving an
outlay of about $3s,00OOo0. Over 80 per
cent. Of the entire work was done during
the so-called panic period, and, owing to
this fact, the entire cost OF construction
was reduced about 100000. Indeed, the
board Of trustees and its engineers are
unanimous in the belief that the work
could not now be duplicated under existing
prices for both labor and material for less
than $40.000,000
All Sewage Has Gone the same Way.
Up to the present time and, indeed, for
the past fifteen years the entire sewage OF
the city OF Chicago which smpties into the
Chicago river, has, as matter Of fact,
been flowing down the Desplaines valley
and into the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.
That the citizens of the Mississippi val
ley are ignorant OF this fact--as 80 per
cent. Of them are-makes It no less fact,
and meanwhile this sewage has been in a
highly offensive condition, for 1t has pass
ed down the Illinois and Michigan canal
into which 1t was dumped by the Bridge
port pumping works from the south fork
OF the south branch In volume of only
about 10000 cubic feet per minute. 1t is
this same flow Of actual sewage therefore,
and no more and no less, that Is to pass
down the Illinois valley. but diluted by a
tremendous flow OF water from Lake
Michigan amounting to 100000 cubic feet
per minute; or nearly eight times the past
flow; and by the rapid exadation that takes
place in surging and flowing water, this
sewage will be rendered innocuous and
harmless even before the city of Joliet is
reached If the contention of the most emil
nent chemists and psychologists Is cor
rect.
Further Sewage VIII Follow 1t.
Later on, say in six or seven months,
when the system of intercepting sewers
now in process of construction by the
city Of Chicago is completed, an approx
mate of 400 cubic feet per minute of sew
age. which is now flowing into Lake
Michigan, will be diverted into the Chi
cago river and the canal, so as to increase
by the addition of 5000 feet per minute
of sewage the amount now going down
the Illinois river. Consequently, 1t Is
said, It will be several months after the
opening of the canal before anyone can
complain of receiving single ounce of
Chicago sewage additional to that which
has for years been flowing down the val
ley, and, reduced to a plain statement Of
facts according to one of the trustees,
the only complaint which the valley
towns can now make against the open
ing of the canal is that 1t will immediate-
~ benefit their present conditions by a
water dilution of seven and one-half
times the volume OF sewage now diverted
down the valley.
Built According to Law.
The canal has been constructed in strict
conformity with the requirements of the
law under which the sanitary district of
Chicago was organized, and 1t is of suf-
f1cient size and capacity to produce and
maintain at all times continuous flow
of at least 100000 cubic feet of water per
minute. with current not exceeding one
mile per hour. The flow of water is
of the minimum depth of twenty-five
feet in the earth sections of the canal, and
the same depth throughout the rock Sec
ton. The rock sections are constructed
of a width of 100 feet at the bottom All
the rock sections and five of the earth
sections have now capacity for flow
of 100000 cubic feet of water per minute,
so that when the population of the city
of Chicago increases to 100000 people
these sections will be adequate for all
demands; consequently the only work
then remaining to be done to fulfill the
requirements of law and the necessities
of the increasing population will be the
mere work of shoveling and dredging to
deepen and widen eight miles of the earth
sections to conform to the rock sections.
The Plan n Development.
The plan Of the Chicago canal can hardly
be said to have been original with any
one man. 1t has been a growth, develop
ment, and many men can justly lay claim
to having played a prominent part in this
great public work. The Herring commits
definite recommendations for the disposal
of Chicago's sewage by this method. Later
on. joint commission was appointed by
the general assembly of Illinois to sit be-
tween sessions and formulate bill for
discussion by the thirty-first general as
sembly. This commission, In January, 1885,
presented to the general assembly at
Springfield a bill drawn under its direction
and suggestion by John p. Wilson, Of Chi
cago, which became the ground work for
the present sanitary district act The val
ley people offered amendment after amend
ment; the bill was considered in standing
committees In joint committees. in COM
mittees of the whole and In general detail
in the two houses of the general assembly
of that year. and finally enacted into a law
full Of compromises and concessions. The
sanitary district was organized, under the
requirements OF law, by an affirmative
vote Of the people within the district in
November, 1890, and 1t comprises within its
area 1ss square miles. The popu-
lar impression that In its area
q practtca1ly cO-eytensiye with All,