Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-08-03

sanitary Trustees have paid out $780,
OOO,OOO already on the drainage canal:
Notwithstanding the fact that the So
called drainage canal has been In op-
Grafton over u year and u half;
The city drinking water Is more I'M
fit for use to-day than IT has ever been.
The truth of the matter Is that the
drainage canal Is n great big job. put
UP to
Rob the taxpayers.
Zurich the contractors and furnish
soft berths for the relatives and friends
of the trustees.
one of the best civil engineers In
the West writes as follows on the aw-
ful failure of this expensive canal
from an engineering standpoint:
TO the Editor: Speaking of the So.
called drainage channel. NO Contami-
nation" IL the heading of an article In
the Inter Ocean of recent date. The
editorial lays great stress on report
of the Illinois state Board of Health
that the sewage of Chicago through the
drainage canal does not cOntaminnte
the lower Illinois river. One would I'M
againc. upon reading the editorial, that
great, II not wonderful, discovery
had been made. and result never he.
fore accomplished had been attained.
1t must be admitted by every fair.
minded person that. at the present
time, and also during the period pre-
ccd!ng the order Of the general govern
ment reducing the admitted flow from
100000 or 100000 to only 100000 cubic
feet per minute. only one.quarter Of
Chicago's sewage had entered or now
enters the mlsnamcd drainage canal,
and 1t Is well to bear In mind that the
great flow was ut 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 II has been diluted ut least 90 To
30 per cent.
Is there anything remarkable, under
the circumstances. In finding that this
onc-luarter 10 to &c per cent diluted
sewage, subjected. rs claimed ut pres
cnt, TO flow of 100000 cubic feet of
water per minute, previously much
greater. and travelling Il distance of 1G1
miles before reaching Peoria, ana
thence flowing on to the junction with
the Mississippi. In all about 322 miles,
has been so far diluted as to contain
nothing that IL communicating? Posi-
bly the great discovery CONSISTS In find.
ing that the nc'qunrtcr-probnbly
however, less than IL per cent-Of high
ly diluted Chicago sewage, added to
the sewage of Pckin and Peoria, with
their distilleries and factories, making
those cities equal to commercial cities
of 10000 or 100000 sewage.prOduc-
ing population, ana TO the sewage of
cities, towns, and villages below ana
above Peoria and Pckin. before reach
Ing the Mississippi. has not succeeded
in communicating the river below peO-
ra): and why should II, for II the one
quarter, or II per cent of 40 or 20 per
cent already diluted Chicago sewage Is
not still further diluted In Its flow OF
lgl miles 10 Peoria, then the cry Of d.
luton ny an excessive pouring Of water
Is a fake Of the worst kind, and posi-
bly, IL is-for with the further addition
of the remaining Chicago sewage and
full flow of lake water allowed by law,
may IL not result In making the Illinois
river the yilest kind of an open sewer,
and especially so, as the Illinois river
below Ottawa ana much oi the distance
above Is an exceedingly poor agency
for the publication Of sewage polluted
water,
Chicago Is the great sinner, ami Is
bound 10 come To grief ana this at no
distant day. II seems as II the con.
clusion OF the editorial, based upon the
report referred 10 therein, was begging
the question TO be solved which Is how
much water will have To be carried
through the drainage canal in order Ia
dilute ana free the water from con.
Elimination. VIII II not need about all
the contents Of Lake Michigan when
the other three-quarters. or ~ pei
cent Of Chicago sewage Is admitted Il
the river!
Six hundred thousand cubic feet pei
minute viii be n mere bagatelle, ant
viii cut so small n figure for Chicago
of 3OU0,DOO as sewage producing actua
population G,O0O0OO or 100000, an,
uf which the remaining sewage, Il
some extent AT least, Is barely 10 PEI
cent diluted, that when the full Chi
cago sewage is added to the sewage o
The towns Of the Illinois River valley
the present cry OF no contamination
will be found 10 have been prematurely
raised