Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-07-27
It Does Not Remove the Sewage Az It
Was Intended to Have
Done.
It Merely Drains the Pockets Of the Taxpayers
and Feeds the Already Fat
Contractors,
And Also Furnishes Jobs for the Relatives and
Friends of the Sanitary
Trustees.

Notwithstanding the fact that the
Sanitary Trustees have paid out $780,
100000 already on the drainage canal;
Notwithstanding the fact that the SO.
called drainage canal has been In OPP
GRAFTON over year and half:
The city drinking water Is more I'M
fit for use to-day than 1t has ever been.
The truth of the matter Is that the
drainage canal is n 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 as follows on the aw-
full failure of this expensive canal
from an engineering standpoint
To the Editor: Speaking of the so.
called drainage channel, mo Contami-
nation" Is the heading of an article In
the Inter Ocean of recent date. The
editorial lays great stress on a 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
u great. II not n wonderful. discovery
had been made. and n result never be.
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-.
ced!ng the order Of the general govern
ment reducing the admitted flow from
100000 or 100000 TO only 20O,OOO cubic
feet per minute, only One-quarter OF
Chicago's sewage had entered or now
enters the misnamed 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
he conceded that before this small pro-
portion of sewage reaches the Chicago
river 1t has been diluted mt least 90 TO
20 per cent.
Is there anything remarkable, under
the circumstances, In finding that this
one-quarter 20 to 20 per cent diluted
sewage, subjected, rs claimed ut pres
ent, to a flow of 100000 cubic feet of
water per minute. previously much
greater, and travelling distance of l6l
miles before reaching Peoria, and
thence flowing on to the junction with
the Mississippi, In all about 3D. miles.
has been so far diluted as to contain
nothing that Is communicating? POSI-.
a q A lot
ing that the one-quarter-probably,
however, less than IL per cent-Of high.
ly diluted Chicago sewage, added 10
the sewage Of Pekln and Peoria, with
their distilleries and factories, making
those cities equal tn commercial cities
of 100000 or $4,000 sewage-prOduc-
ing population, and to the sewage OF
cities, towns, and villages below and
above Peoria and Pekin, before reach
ing the Mississippi, has not succeeded
In communicating the river below Peo-
rial: ana why should 1t, for II the one
quarter, or II per cent Of 60 or 10 per
cent already diluted Chicago sewage Is
not still further diluted in its flow of
1Gl miles to Peoria, then the cry of di-
luton by an excessive pouring OF water
l. fake of the worst kind, and posi-
bly, II ls-fOr with the further addition
OF the remaining Chicago sewage and
full flow of lake water allowed by law
may II not result in making the Illinois
river the vilest kind of an open sewer
and especially so, as the Illinois river
below Ottawa and much Oi the distance
above Is an exceedingly poor agency
for the publication of sewage polluted
water
Chicago Is the great sinner, and il
bound To come 10 grief, and this at NJ
distant day. II seems as If the con
clusiOn OF the editorial, based upon III,
report referred 10 therein, was heggln!
the question To be solved; which Is how
much water viii have 10 he carried
through the drainage canal in order Il
dilute and free the water from con
taminatlOn. VIII It not need about al
the contents Of Lake Michigan whei
the other three-quartcrs, or ~ pc
cent Of Chicago sewage Is admitted I,
the river?
Six hundred thousand cubic feet pc
minute win be n mere bagatcllc, an,
VIII cut so small figure for Chicag
Of 100000 as sewage producing actua
population G,OO0OOO or T,O0O,OOO, AM
Of which the remaining sewage, L
some extent at least, Is barely 10 pc
cent diluted, that when the fun Chi
cago sewage is added 10 the sewage o
the present cry of no contamination
will be found 10 have been prematurel
raised.