Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-05-04

The success Of the grafters on the
present Drainage Canal has set the
gang wild.
1t now wants 10 build capals every
where. EEf -
The North Branch IL to he widened.
The South Branch Is to be widenetl.
A canal is to be built to Evanston.
A canal Is to be built to Wilmette.
A canal Is to be built to the Calumet.
The Calumet Is to be widened.
The gang expect to realize fully
SjOO,OOO.OOO before they are through.
or course. this may bankrupt the
citizens, but what Of Il?
Opposition to making Evanston and
the north shore towns a part Of the
sanitary district IL finding many nd.
herents among the substantial property
owners Of the north shore. The claim
Is made that the engineering difficulties
to be overcome In such an undertaking
are such that the sanitary district could
not afford TO do the work and that the
purpose Of making the north shore
towns n part Of the district IL TO In
crease the revenue Of the district In
order to complete the work already
started. Such n plan, say the irate
property owners. would tax the new
part of the district without giving any
local returns.
1T Is u grating scheme" said Col.
Henry NJ. Kidder OF North Evanston.
"Why do they 60 ahead and take meas.
ures 10 get Us into the sanitary dis
trict before there Is any detailed prop.
osi,ion made In regard to what kind Of
n drainage system Is to he provided
for us? We want to know what we are
10 have before we begin paying taxes
for II. feel sure TINT II such scheme
Is ever put through 1t will be long AZ.
ter the Calumet river district Is con-
nected with the sanitary district, and
when there IL real need In Evanston
for such drainage.
"The dreamers speak of this matter
as II II We're no more Of an undertake
ing than TO run u tile ditch across n 40
acre Held, but am one Of the many
who believe that the cost Of such a
branch would be nearly equal 20 the
cost Of the main channel"
Col. Kidder continued:
1T Is proposed to run canal four.
teen miles long along the west line OF
Evanston. starting from the lake ut n
point in Wilmette, where pumping
works are to be situated, to lift the
water from the lake 10 the sewer. The
blur ut this point has an average
height of thirty feet above the lake
level ana is battered BY the stOrmiest
waves Of Lake Michigan. In addition
10 the constant wearing away Of the
shore which would make the mainte-
nance OF pumping station there very
costly, the bay IL frequently filed with
anchor ice that would render the Op.
Grafton OF the works impossible. A
greater dlaiculty would have to be
overcome because Of the fact that all
Of Evanston and the greater part Of
Wilmette are lower than the sewer
would I've unless cuts averaging nearly
thirty feet In depth were made"
1t Is further objected by the oppO.
nents Of the plan that the north branch
Of the Chicago River OverfOws with its
present drainage at certain seasons,
and that 1t would have to be deepened
and widened very materially to accom-
modate the drainage from the north
shore district.
The idea Of lake.level channel is
said TO be impractlcable, as It
would necessitate cut of over thirty
feet for the first two miles and Of about
twenty feet for the following six miles
10 bring 1t to its junction with the river
near BOwmanville. At that point the
bed of the river Is twelve feet above
the lake level, and It would be neces.
sary to have pumping works there TO
lift this sewage into the river.
From the talk at the Monroe, how
ever. all the improvements" will be
carried out whether the people kick or
not.