Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-07-06


Sanitary Trustees have paid out $780,
100000 already on the drainage canal;
Notwithstanding the fact that the So
called drainage canal has been in op-
Grafton over a year and half;
The city drinking water Is more UNI
fit for use to-day than it has ever been.
The truth of the matter Is that the
drainage canal Is a 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.
againc. upon reading the editorial, that
a great. II not a wonderful. discovery
had been made. and a result never be.
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 100000 cubic
feet per minute. only one-quarter Of
Chicago sewage had entered or now
enters the misnamed drainage canal.
and IL Is well to bear In mind that the
great flow was at the time Of and dur
ing the most of the investigation re-
ferred to I'm the editorial. II 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 ut pres.
ent. TO flow OF 100000 cubic feet of
water per minute, previously much
greater. and travelling u distance of 1Gl
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-
bly, the great discovery consists In find
ing that the one-quarter-probably
however, less than - per cent--of high
ly diluted Chicago sewage, added to
the sewage of Pekin and Peoria, with
their distilleries and factories, making
those cities equal to commercial cities
Of 100000 or 100000 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 concentrating TIC river below (Peo'
rlali and why should IT, for If the one
quarter, or IL per cent of 80 or 10 pei
cent already diluted Chicago sewage Is
not still further diluted in its flow OF
161 miles 10 Peoria, then the cry of d.
luton by an excessive pouring Of water
Is fake of the worst kind, and posi-
bly, " 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 of the distance
above Is an exceedingly poor agency
for the publication Of sewage polluted
water.
Chicago Is the great sinner, and Il
bound 10 come 10 grief, and this AT N
distant day, II seems as If the con
clusIon Of the editorial, based upon th'
report referred 10 therein, was bcggin!
the question to be solved; which is how
much water win have to be carried
through the drainage canal In order Il
dilute and free the water from con
taminatlon. VIII II not need about al
the contents of Lake Michigan whcl
the other three'quartcrs, or 50 pc
cent OF Chicago sewage Is admitted L
the river:
Six hundred thousand cubic feet pc
minute viii be a mere bagatelle, am
viii cut so small figure for Chlcag
Of 100000 as sewage producing actua
population G,OOO,OO0 or 100000, an
Of which the remaining sewage, I
some extent ar least, Is barely 10 pc
cent diluted, that when the full Oh
cag0 sewage is added TO the sewage o
the towns Of the Illinois River valley
the present cry Of no contamlnatio
will be- found 10 have been prematurel
! raised.