Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-06-22

Sanitary Trustees have paid out S3J.-
10000 already on the drainage canal:
Notwithstanding the fact that the So
called drainage canal has been in op.
Grafton over a year and Il half:
The city drinking water is more un-
tit for use to-day than 1t has ever been
The truth of the matter Is that the
drainage canal Is Il great big job. put
up TO
Rob the taxpayers.
Enrich the contractors and furnish
soft berths for the relatives and friends
OF the trustees.
One of the best civil engineers In
the West writes rs follows on the aw-
full failure of this expensive canal
from an engineering standpoint:
To the Editor: Speaking of the so.
called drainage channel. NO Contains.
nation" Is the heading of an article In
the Inter Ocean of recent date. The
editorial lays great stress on n report
Of the Illinois State Board of Health
that the sewage of Chicago through the
drainage canal does not contaminate
the lower Illinois river. One would i'm.
againe. upon reading the editorial. that
a great. II not a wonderful. discovery
had been made. and result never he.
fore accomplished had been attained.
Ii must be admitted by every fair
minded person that. at the present
time. and also during the period pre-
ced!ng the order of the general govern
ment reducing the admitted flow from
100000 or 100000 to only 2OO,OOO cubic
feet per minute. only one-quarter of
Chlcago's sewage had entered or now
enters the mlsnamed drainage canal.
and IL Is well to bear In mind that the
great flow was mt the time of and dur
ing the most of the investigation re-
ferred to in the editorial. 1t must also
be conceded that before this small pro-
portion of sewage reaches the Chicago
river IL has been diluted ut least 90 TO
20 per cent.
Is there anything remarkable, under
the circumstances, In finding that this
one-quarter 10 to 20 per cent diluted
sewage. subjected, rs claimed mt pres
ent. to flow of 100000 cubic feet OF
water per minute, previously much
greater. and travelling distance of 16l
miles before reaching Peoria. and
thence flowing on to the junction with
the Mississippi, In all about 322 miles,
has been SO far diluted as to contain
nothing that Is communicating? Posi-.
bly, the great discovery consists In find
ing that the one-quarter-prObably
however, less than Is per cent-of high
the sewage of Pekin and Peoria, with
their dlstilleries and factories making
those cities equal 10 commercial cities
OF 30O,0OO or 10000 sewageproduc.
ing population, and to the sewage Of
cities, towns, and villages below and
above Peoria and Pekln, before reach
ing the Mississippi, has not succeeded
In communicating the river below U'eo
riaj; and why should IL, for II the one
quarter, or II per cent OF 90 or 10 pei
cent already diluted Chicago sewage II
not still further diluted in It's flow OF
lGl miles 10 Peoria, then the cry Of dl
luton by an excessive pouring OF wate
il IA fake of the worst kind, and posi-
bly, IL is-for with the further addition
OF the remaining Chicago sewage an,
full flow of lake water allowed by law
may IL not result In making the llllnoi
river the yilest kind of an open sewer
and especially so, as the Illinois rive
below Ottawa and much of the distance
above Is an exceedingly poor agenc.
for the publication Of sewage pollute,
water.
Chicago Is the great sinner, and i
bound TO come 10 grief, and this at N
distant day. II seems as II the con
cluslon Of the editorial based upon tn
report referred 10 therein, was begglnl
the question to be solved; which Is how
much water will have To be carrie,
through the drainage canal In order Il
dilute and free the water from con
tamlnation. VIII II not need about al
the contents Of Lake Michigan wheI
the other three-quarters, or 81 PEE
cent OF Chicago sewage Ii admitted I,
the river:
Six hundred thousand cubic feet pei
minute viii be- mere bagateIle. an(
will cut 50 small figure for Chicago
Of 3Doo,OOO as sewage producing actua
population G,OOO,O0O or 7,GO,O0O. an(
Of which the remaining sewage, Il
some extent AZ least, Is barely 10 pei
cent diluted, thar when the full Chi
cago sewage is added 10 the sewage OF
the towns Of the Illinois River valley
the present cry OF no contamination