Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-05-11

No wonder the drainage gang want
to widen the river.
The expenditure of S2O.OOO.OOo under |
this proposition would mean the en-
ployment of 600 men by the gang. most |
of whom would be engaged in the next !
five years in carrying primaries for the |
combine and drawing big salaries.
The push who have been behind the
measure have already set aside $1,000 |
oOO-in their minds-for the dredging |
end of 1t. most of which has been cut |
up into large individual slices in their
day dreams
The river does not need widening mt |
the hands of the drainage ring.
II the river Is to be improved. the City |
of Chicago and its efficient ana honest |
officials can do the work properly, !
economically and well.
The Eagles exchanges In the Illinois
Valley are in arms against the Drain.
age Ring.
The Ottawa Free Trader has the fol.
lowing to say on the subject:
$50 far from Chicago being ut the
end of her troubles over getting rid of
her sewage by the supposed completion
of her big drainage ditch. the biggest
end of her troubles has apparently just
begun. According to the original plan
of the enterprise ii was to cost $500.
900. of which some $l5,OOO,O0O were to
ne raised by an issue of bonds and the
rest by direct taxation. As the work
progressed. however. new troubles kept
constantly arising. and when finally the
ditch was pronounced completed and
the waters Of Chicago river were turned
In. the cost had reached some S2s,OOO,-
900 to sa2OOo,OOo.
But that was not the worst Of 1t. The
promise of the designers of the ditch,
ana Its obvious purpose, was to rid Chi
cago Of ALL her sewage by sending 1t
down the Illinois valley instead Of pass
ing out into and polluting the waters Of
the lake. As matter Of fact, however,
the drainage canal. as now ''cOmplet-
ed" makes no pretension beyond dis
posing OF the sewage which enters d.
rect into the north and south branches
of the Chicago River, mainly the south
branch In fact. leaving out OF consider
alton the territory from which the
sewage now. as formerly. emptles Into
the lake. being fully two-thlrds IL not
more OF the entire sewage of the city.
Hence this leaves only One.third of the
entire sewage pretended to be disposed
of by the so-called drainage canal.
ITO carry of this limited amount the
pretense was made that the full 100000
cubic feet of water required by law had
been turned into the ditch, and
thereupon Il dismal howl was sent up
when an order came from Secretary
Root directing that, for the safety OF
shipping in the river, the flow must be
reduced to 100000 cubic feet per
minute. But the occasion for this
alarm Is exploded by Engineer Ran
lolph, who steps forward with the as
Surance that. as in reality but third
of the city sewage passes into the
drainage ditch, 100000 cubic feet of
water per minute Is abundant for It's
dllutOn. and that really no more had
thus far ut any time passed the gates
ut Iockport.
But what about the other two-thlrds
y! tNlcdgO sewage WHICH ~ sum pnSs'
Ing into and polluting the waters OF
the lake? If 1t takes 100000 cubic
feet per minute to carry away and dl
lutte Ouc-thlrd, it will take 100000 cubic
feet per minute to carry off ana dilute
the whole, Where Is all this water tC
come from; Springfield dispatches
Inform Us that Il delegation of the sanl
tary board has been in that city lobby
ing with the members of the leglsla
ture for the passage Of bill for the
issue of SJDOO,OOO more bonds and the
levy of an additional tax on the sanl
tary district, which is greatly to be en-
largcd, thus 10 raise ten or fifteen mil
lions of dollars more to enlarge Chi
cagO river as 10 admit of the additional
fOw of water needed, as well as to con
struct such a system Of sewage as vii
carry all the Nth of the city into thu
river and down the drainage canal
~SA
Meantime what Is at present the eN
act situation of the great Chicago
Drainage canal? Providing at presen
confcssedIy for d!sposlng of but thir'
hu