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

Mississippi river and the gulf and saving
the sanitary district of Chicago and the
Federal government the great expense
that would in the future be necessary In
rock excavations and blasting under the
flowing water. The canal, II confined by
law to the single requirement OF disposing
of Chicago's sewage, could have been con-
structed for from S1z. 200 to sl4 900. 80
the sanitary district can justly claim to
have expended at least $20O0O,O00 In the
direction Of the great navigable waterway.
The proceedings of congress will show
that in the last 100 years OF petitions ana
demands for congressional appropriations
for harbors and canals and public improve
ments no petitioning city or community
has contributed for purely commercial
purposes per cent. Of the amount which
this sanitary district has contributed
toward the commercial waterway to con-
meet the Great lakes with the gulf OF
Mexico.
Triumph of Eugineering.
AS an engineering triumph, the great
interest in the Chicago canal lies in the
fact that 1t disposes Of the sewage of
this city In a manner contrary to the
laws of nature and contrary to the laws
land from the days of the conquest. when
customs began to be nodded into laws,
down to the present time. and indeed the
laws and customs of the Latin races as
we'll, have recognized in the flowing
streams of the lands the natural outlet
OF the sewage OF all populous communi-
ties Were, the city of ChicaGo- situatad
upon the Illinois river. or were the entire
- -tk. cff al In hfa
natural watershed Of the Desplaines
river, there would be no significance In
the plans forever to turn the sewage of
the city down the valley Of the Desplaines
and Illinois rivers; but the uniqueness OF
the canal plan is that 1t restores topo-
graphical conditions existing in prehis-
toric times, when the overflow waters. II,
indeed, not all waters. of the Great lake
region flowed down the Mississippi val
ley by making cut through the glacial
drift and rock between Chicago and Lock-
port OF an average depth of about thirty
FIVE feet, in order to once more restore
the gravity flow from Lake Michigan
to the Desplaines and Illinois valleys.
Opposition to the scheme.
It Is not because canal has been con-
structed. but because a canal has been
constructed which diverts the sewage of
the city Of Chicago from its natural out
let through the Chicago river into the
lake to an artificial outlet from the Chi
cago river into the Desplaines and Illi-
nois rivers, that lies the contention of the
citizens Of Illinois and Mississippi val
leys against this artificial channel in con-
tradistinction of the inherent right of
communities to dispose of sewage by the
natural gravity, flow Of the country.
where the Canal Begins.
While the Chicago river has been deep
ened and widened in order to increase Its
flow and capacity, the canal itself, prop
erly speaking, begins at the south branch
of the Chicago river at Roby street. and
continues southwark as an entirely arti-
fetal channel until 1t reaches the con-
trolling works at Lockport. distance of
enty-eight miles of entirely artificial
construction.
Some Features of 1t.
At Lockport the channel widens to about
500 feet into a windage basin in which the
lake vessels can be easily turned and
maneuvered. The fall from the mouth
of the Chicago river to Lockport works
and be 1t remembered that henceforth
the Chicago river will flow up stream. as
is commonly understood-will be only
seven feet, as the flow of water in rapid
ity and volume through the Chicago river
to the canal is entirely controlled by the
Bear Trap dam and controlling work sit
uated at the Lockport works. the fall
south of the controlling works being
abrupt and about forty feet In the next
four miles. 1t is by means of these con-
trolling works that the water was turned
down the valley by the simple opening OF
the great gates or valves. and it is also
by means of the controlling works that
the waters down the valley can be as
suddenly turned off In case emergencies
might demand.
Flow Is Under Control.
Therefore, the popular belief that the
waters of the canal. having been once
turned down the valley, the flow must be
unceasing and beyond human control. is
erroneous for the flow of this great volume
of 100000 cubic feet per minute can be
stopped almost as easily as the simple
turning Of faucet In the spigot of bar
rel. The controlling works have involved
the construction of seven sluice gates OF
metal with the necessary bulkheads and
on Bear Trap dam. the sluice gates have
a vertical flow Of twenty feet and an open
ing Of thirty-two feet. The Bear Trap dam
Continued on Page Seven.