The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-01-03
chicago Canal Opened


Chlc8eo Gan Tha sS309o 0o0 cane
al, ae present used for sewerage but
ultimately 10 be a ship canal. is I'm use
today after seven years OF hard work
by the trustees Of the sanitary district
which is the name Of a corporation in
cluding the larger part Of the city of
Chicago. and many Of hts suburbs. At
least the Chicago end Of IT is in use
but the water has not yet reached the
other end at Lockport, Ills.
Probably never before has the COM
pletion Of a public work of such mag
ntude been marked with such abso-
lutte lack Of ceremony. There were no
speeches. no exercises. no cheering.
About a. M, the sanitary board Of
district trustees and engineer gatherei
at the scene. Besides few workmen
there was not a dozen spectators.
There was no grand rush OF wsters to
be followed by the cheers of the spec
tators Indeed. the opening Of the can
al resembled more the tiny stream OF
water that followed over the Holland
dixie and grew larger and larger until
II swept a great hole in the wall Of
al was opened. This method was used
to avoid the danger Of sudden rush
Of waters. burt it robber the opening
Of all impressiveness.
What is called the collateral channel
had been completed for some time
from a branch OF the Chicago river In
the southwestern pant OF the city 20
within fifteen feet Of the canal Mon
das night. q big steam dredge began
~ cut away this wall of earth bu, the
work had not been finished when the
sanitary district trustees arrived on the
scene this morning Shortly before 9
a. M a small stream of water ives
flowing through a hole in the 15-f)ot
wall. It backed up against a slulce
gate and at 9 O'Clock. the gate was op-
ened. Then a small stream Of dirty
water flowed half way to the canal and
stopped BY this time the dredge hal
cut away some earth and more water
came over the dam This. with what
had gone before, tickled out on the Ice
covered bed OF the main channel and
the great canal had been opened. The
men at work on the earth dam tried a
jam that was interfering with the flow
Of water At last the drodge worked
itself close up to the dam Of earth and
with a few sweeps Of it's arm, cut
big hole in the dam Quite a stream
of water came through, but the dredge
continued for hours to cut away the
15-foot wall of earth. Finally the cut
in the dam was discharging 10000 cubis
feet of water minute and the flow
was strong down the canal. The dredge
continued at work all day so as 70
make the discharge 80, 900 cubic feet or
more a minute. The canal has been
built to carry 100000 cubic feet min
ute but only $4,000 feet minute win
be admitted until the canal is full. II
the Chicago river had been turned into
the canal at the rate of 300 900 feet a
minute the engineers would have fear
ed for the safety of the numerous
bridge piers in the canal and for the
controlling works at Lockport, and the
city of Joliet, forty miles away. There
would have been also great danger in
the Chicago river from a sudden fail
Of water and a consequent inrushing
from Lake Michigan
About Wednesday, the water Is exc
pected 70 reach Lockport and about
four days from the time the flow bee
san, according TO the estimate of the
engineer the canal viii be full and the
water viii begin to run over the sills
of the controlNug gates az Iockport IS
miles from Chicago. There 1t Will fall
into the Desplaines river and then nto
the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and
SO finally Lake Michigan will shake
hands with the Gulf Of Mexico.