The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-29
FOES OF CHICAG0'S CANAL
TheVari0us Interests That Have Or
posed the Drainage Project.
A Contest in Which Hygiene md Pol
itics Played Parts-Thc Apprebcn-
siOns of the City of st. Louisa
Fear of the Windy City's Sewage
Slow Current in the Big Ditch.

CHICAGO, Jan. 2s.-Residents OF tn
cities and towns in the fertile Valley o
the Illinois are anxiously scanning the Chi
cago drainage channel and the river t
learn what effect the sewage of over tw'
million people is going to have upon them
and hoping that the verdict will be favor.
able.
At the rate the water is flowing past tn,
controlling works at Lockport, IL is esti-
mated that the sewage will not reach St
Louis inside of sixteen or eighteen day:
from the time the beartrap dam was frs
lowered. st. Louis. however, is not await.
ing the arrival of Chicago's sewage.
She has sent her health agents up the
river as far as Peoria, and is even now
taking samples for the purpose of attempt
ing TO confound the residents of the sani-
tary district. For this reason the members
of the drainage board are exceedingly anx-
| ious to obtain the full flow as soon as pos
sible, but as yet have not dared to do Sc
on account of the unfinished condition OF
| the bridges and the leaks in the tail race al
Joliet. They realize that the first tests
made by st. Louis are bound to show bad
/
| but there is no way TO avoid il.
| In all fairness, it must be said that st.
Louis is the only city or town which Is at
| the present time openly hostile TO the
| drainage project. Even in st. Louis there
is said to be large majority of the citi-
zens in favor Of the channel, who believe
that they will get pure water instead of
that which is bacteria laden. In explana-
ton 1t is said that the movement in st.
Louis against the channel is purely polit-
ical, and originates in the effort of the va
rious parties to make local political capital
by a show of zeal in taking care of the
public health.
There is also in St Louis a powerful
syndicate which has been trying for some
time TO obtain concessions to pipe spring
water TO the city for drinking purposes.
The members Of this syndicate see in the
drainage channel the death of their hopes
and the loss OF millions in expected p.of
its If the channel is permitted TO operate.
Then there are citizens who are genuinely
frightened over the prospect OF having
all OF Chicago's sewage flow past their city
and mingle with their drinking water,
which is zone too sweet at the present
time.
A Possible Opposition.
This may be considered as a fair state
IL can be shown that the Chicago sewage
is in reality dangerous to the city's health,
the purpose of the politicians and the
water syndicate will have been served
and the citizens will be a unit in their
opposition. The drainage channel proper
is but twenty-nine miles long, and upon
its banks are no cities OF considerable
size.
Lockport, the terminus of the channel,
is the largest and does not contain over
5000 Inhabitants. Then there are Le-
mont, Romeo. Willow Springs. and Sum-
nit, which are small TOWING. Lockport has
been afflicted for years with the major
portion of Chicago's sewage, which has
been pumped into the old Illinois and
Michigan Canal at Bridgeport in an I'M
diluted state, and by means OF this chan
mel into the Illinois River.
The stencil in summer time has been
something terrible to bear. and a constant
menace to the health of residents along
the old canal. Up TO the Lockport point, |
therefore, people have hailed with delight |
the advent Of the new channel realizing |
that sewage diluted twenty times will |
be vastly preferable TO sewage undiluted.
The only opposition that has ever come |
between here and Lockport has originated |
from the mill owners, who have been /
using water power produced by the Illinois |
and Michigan Canal. This opposition was
backed by the Illinois and Michigan Canal |
Commissioners, who realized that the new
channel meant the loss of water power as /
well as the loss of business on the old
canal. The opposition. however, was re-
moved by the trustees agreeing to pump
sufficient water for navigation into the old
canal.
The building of the chanroI has. in ad-
hun do ~ Of
dollars 10 the towns between Chicago and
Lockport for a period Of over nine years. |
Ii Is therefore correct to say that so far
as the course Of the main channel is con-
ceTned, there never has been any serious
opposition to the enterprise.
Diluted Sewage Preferred.
In perhaps less degree the same con-
lition OF affairs exists along the Illinois
River. 1t must be remembered that all of
the towns clear to st. Louis and beyond
have been getting the majo. portion of
Chicago's sewage for years and in an
undiluted condition. To friends of the
drainage channel this fact would make st.
Louis opposition appear laughable were
Il not such serious matter. In the main,
towns like Ia Sale. Peoria. Ottawa and
Pekin have been praying for relief for
years, and the people of these towns are
hoping. If they are not convinced. that
he drainage channel will solve the prob
em.
1t cannot be said. therefore, that there
g any serious opposition to the channel
Enterprise outside of St. Louis, along the
ALLEY, speaking from a sanitary point of
Jew. Such men as. Col. Isaac Taylor, of
'eoria; Albert Schoch, of Ottawa, and
ohm Lambert, of Joliet, have been potent
actors in educating the valley people TO
he possibilities of the drainage channel.
Their work has gone long way toward
preventing opposition based upon an by
,othesis that Chcago's sewage is going
o be dangerous TO public health.
Upon other phases OF the enterprise,
however, the residents of the valley towns
re by no means unit. Nearly all Of
hem, however, are in favor of deep
from the lakes 10 the gulf. and
hey do not care whether 1t comes by way
4 the drainage channel or by some other
cute. There has been organized in the |
alley the Illinois Valley Deep Waterway
association. for the purpose of furthering |
he interests of a ship canal
The fact that the valley people believe
hat the drainage channel makes the ship
anal a possibility has done much 10 stife
pposition TO the drainage channel which ,
night have arisen owing to other phases .
( the question. The valley people want a
eep waterway. Its possibilities for the
evelopment Of their country. one of the
lost fertile regions in the world. are be-
ond estimation. The service it would
erform in the way of cheapening freight
ates would save the farmers vast SUNG
money yearly. l
Even the old Illinois and Michigan Canal, ,
pom which transportation has almost been :
bandoned, and the Illinois River, whose :
1annel is choled and upon which only one
two small river boats ply have acted :
) Jewelers. and moderators OF freight rates.
/ the winter seasons the roads in the val /,
-. ,bair ra,ac f,ii,- oua- .l,ird 49,,