The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-24

CHICAGO Especial. D.-At o'clock Tuesday
morning water was turned into the $685.
000, ,00) drainage canal and began to flow
toward ,Lookport, where it will full into
the Desplaines River and thence flow into
the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The
collateral channel has been tor some time
completed from the Chicago River to
within fifteen feet of the main channel,
and the Afteen foot wall of earth, with two
sluice gates behind 1t, has been oil that
has kept the Chicago River and Lake
Michigan out OF the canal.
Probably no public work ever has been
undertaken by any other State or mu nicl+
pality which was designed to do go much
for the naTigable and commercial interests
of the country as this canal. The require
Inent Of the law, which compelled the con-
struction of the rock sections to meet the
demands OF the next generation, was wise,
tor It has laid the foundation OF mammoth
ship canal connecting the Great Lakes with
the Mississippi River and the Gulf, and saw
ing the sanitary district lof Chicago and
the Federal Government the great expense
that would be necessary in rock excavation
and blasting under the flowing water. The
canal, II confined to the single require.
ment OF disposing Of sewage, could have
been constructed for s120OO,OO So the
sanitary district has expended $21 900, 900
In the direction OF the great navigable
waterway.
As an engineering triumph tho great In
terest In the canal lies In the fact that 1t
disposes of the sewage OF this city In
manner contrary to the laws Of nature and
gravity. The canal, properly speaking, be-
gins at the south branch OF the ChtcaRo
River at Robey street, and continues
southwark as an entirely artificial channel
until 1t reaches the controlling WORKS ut
Lockport, distance of ftwenty-elght miles.
At Lockport the channel wldens to about
500 feet, into basin, in which the large
lake vessels can be turned and maneuvred.
The fall from the mouth OF the Chicago
river to the Lockport works-and belt re-
membered that henceforth the Chicago
River will flow upstream, as commonly
understood - Is only seven feet, so
that the fowtof water in rapidity and vol
ume through the Chicago River to tha
canal Is controlled by the bear trap dam
and controlling works at the Lockport
terminus, the fall south Of the controlling
works being abrupt, and about forty feet
In the next four miles.
It is by means Of these controlling works
:hat tho water was turned down to the
Salley by the simple opening OF the gates
or valves, and 1t also Is by means of tho
controlling works that the waters down
The valley can be turned of as suddenly In
Ease Of emergencies.
Thepopulur belief that the waters OF the
canal having been once turned down the
valley, the aow must be unceastng and De-
yond human control Is erroneous, for the
flow Of this great volume OF 100000 cubic
feet minute can be stopped almost as cas-
lily as the simple turning Of faucet IN the
5pigot OF n barrol.
The first work in this great enterprise
wos begun on "Shovel Day." September 3,
1892, on the rock cut below Lemont, on the
line between Cook and Will Counties, so
that little over seven years have been
consumed In the entire work, involving an
outlay OF about s38,OOO,OoO. Over eighty
per cent. Of the entire work was done dur
Ing the so-caled panic period. and owing
to this fact the entire cost Of construction
was reduced about SO, 100000. Indeed, the
Board OF Trustees and its engineers are
unanimous in the belief that the work
could not be duplicated under existing
prices for both labor and material for less
than $40 900 900.