The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-01-06

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years have been consumed in the entrt
work, involving an outlay Of about S33,
100000. Over 80 per cent. of the entire
work was done during the socalled panic
period and owing to this fact the entire
cost of construction was reduced about
s., 900, 600. Indeed, the Board of Trus-
tees and its engineers are unanimous in
the belief that the work could not now
be duplicated under existing prices for
both labor and material Efor less than
S4O,OOO,OOO.
The canal, is confined by law TO the
single requirement of disposing of Chi.
cagos sewage, could, haye been con-
structed for from sl20OO,0OO TO $l4,-
O0O,OO0 so the sanitary district can
Justly claim to have expended at least
500, 600, 900 in the direction Of the great
navigable waterway.
The canal has been constructed in
strict conformity with the requirements
of the law under which the sanitary
district OF Chicago was organized, and
il is of sufficient size aud capacity TO
,e,,l,,ca N NJ ,,otnto,,, "a oil t;r,ag N ,nn-
tinuous flow OF at least 100000 cubic
feet Of water per minute, with a current
not exceeding one mile per hour. The
flow of water is OF the minimum depth
of 90 feet in the earth sections of the
canal and the same depth Throughout
the rock sections. The rock sections are
constructed of width Of 100 feet at the
bottom. All OF the rock sections and
five of the earth sect ious have now a ca
pacity of flow of 100000 cubic feet Of
water per minute, so that when the pop
ulatiou OF the City Of Chicago increases
to 100000 people these sections will
still be adequate for all demands; con-
sequently the only work then remaining
TO he done 10 iulill the requirements of
the law and the necessities OF the in
creasing population will be the mere
work Of shoveling and dredging to
deepen and widen eight miles OF the
earth sections 10 conform with the rock
sections.
While the Chicago river has been
deepened and widened in order to i'm
crease its flow and capacity, the canal
itself, property speaking, begins ut the
south branch of the Chicago river at
Robey street and continues southwark
as an entirely artificial channel until II
reaches the controlling works at Lock-
port, a distance of twenty.eight miles Of
entirely artificial construction.
At Lockport the channel widens to
about 500 feet into windage basin, in
which the large lake vessels can be cas-
lily turned and maneuyred. The fall
from the mouth of thee '"qgo river to
the Lockport works-ano 'tremem-
bered that heEceiorth the On. ago river
will flow up stream, as commonly un-
lerstood-is only seven feet, so that the
How Of water in rapidity and volume
through the Chicago river TO the canal
i entirely controlled by the beaer trap
lam and controlling works, situated at
he LOckport terminus, the falls south
II the controlling works being abrupt
md about forty feet in this next four
niles.
II is by means Of these controlling
'orks that the water will be turned
own the valley by the simple opening
I the great gates or valves, and il is
lso by means of the controlling works
hat the waters down the valley can be-
lddenly turned OFF in case emergencies
hight demand. The controlling works
ave involved the construction Of seven
uice gates of metal. with the necessary
ulkheads, and one trap dam. The
uce gates have vertical flow OF
vent feet, and an opening OF thirty