The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-18
CHICAGO AND ST. Louis
At War Over the Opening of Chi"
cago's Drainage Canal.
APPLICATION FOB INJUNCTION

To Restraia the Trustees of Chicn-
go's Sanitary District Frog Turn
ine the city. Sewage Into the Des-
PLANES River.
Lockport, Ills. Jan. 1S.-The bear
trap dam separating the drainage canal
from the Desplaines river was lowered
by the sanitary district trustees with
the consent Of the canal commissioners
and Governor Tanner yesterday, and
zoo, 1000 cubic feet of water per min
ute rushed with roar into the
Desplaines river on Its way to the Gulf
of Mexico. The opening of the drain
age canal was the elimination Of an all
night vigil by the board of trustees
and canal commissioners at Joliet,
which ended in their securing the
necessary permission from Governor
Tanner at 1890 o'clock yesterday
morning.
Before the dam was opened Presi-
dent Boldenwick, of the board of trus-
tees, in short speech introduced Colo
mel Isaac L. Taylor, president of the
canal commissioners. who said in part:
This Is the completion Of one OF the
greatest engineering feats Of modern
times. l take this occasion to state
that this is but the commencement Of
greater work which will connect the
shipping of the great lakes of the
north with the Mississippi river and
the Gulf of Mexico. Under permission
granted by Governor Tanner, Of the
state of Illinois, I hereby authorize
you to lower the DAM"
Amid cheering the massive machin-
cry that operates the dam was set in
motion. and sheet of green water
shot down the incline to the Desplaines
river, Immediately. below. Gradually
the dam was lowered and the sheet Of
water increased in depth. Three feet
below the surface of the water the dam
was stopped. The footbridge at the
bottom of the dam was swept away,
but no further damage was done. The
water was of a perfect green color,
and bore but the faintest trace of odor.
It will probably take day or two to
repair the damage, and then the gates
will be opened and the dam raised, al
lowing the water to run unobstructed
through the gates to the Desplaines.
Attorneys representing the city OF
St. Louis yesterday made application
before Judge Kohlsaat, of the United
States district court, in Chicago for an
injunction to restrain the board OF
trustees Of the sanitary district from
turning the sewage of the Chicago
river into Desplaines river. Judge
Kohlsaat set Saturday next as the date
for hearing arguments on the question,
when it is probable lively legal battle
will take place.
The bill for the injunction is signed
by Mayor Zeigenheim, of st. Louis.
The bill claims that the waters of the
Mississippi will be poisoned by the
sewage of the Chicago river, and that
the water works system of st. Louis,
contracted at cost of $2O,0O0,O0O, will
be rendered valueless The bill is ac-
c9rnpanied by an affidavit from DR..
W. p. Teichmann, city chemist of st.
Louis, combating the theory of dilu-
ton of sewage in water, as intended
to be applied to the Chicago drainage
canal, and claiming the sewage will
pollute the Mississippi river to a point
where its waters will be unfit to drink.
General Black, representing the
drainage trustees, gave notice that the
trustees will resist the application for
restraining order.