Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-08-10

a.
The Tweed crowd in their palmiest
days were not in it with the canal as
spender.
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 a 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 bcrths 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
'EN AhNNi WYNN VI iVNNhN uu'Ns hV
editorial lays great stress on report
of the Illinois state Board OF Health
that the sewage of Chicago through the
drainage canal does not contamlnate
the lower Illinois river One would I'M
againe. upon reading the editorial, that
q great. II not Il wonderful. discovery
had been made. and result never be.
fore accomplished had been attained.
1t must be admitted by every fair
minded person that, mt 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's sewage had entered or now
enters the misnamcd 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 60 to
20 per cent.
Is there anything remarkable, under
the circumstances, In finding that this
One-quarter 10 to 90 per cent diluted
sewage, subjected, rs claimed Mt pres
ent, to a flow of 100000 cubic feet of
water per minute, previously much
greater and travelling distance OF 1Gl
miles before reaching Peoria. and
thence flowing on to the junction with
the Mississippi. In all about 322 miles,
has been so far diluted as to contain
nothing that Is communicating? Posi-
bly, the great discovery consists in find
ing that the ne-quarter-probably
however, less than Is per cent-Of high
" diluted Chicago sewage, added to
the sewage OF Pekin and Peoria, with
their dlstilleries 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 communicating the river below Qeo-
RIA: and why should 1t, for If the one
quarter, or II per cent of 60 or 20 per
cent already diluted Chicago sewage Is
not still further diluted In its flow Of
1Gl miles to Peoria, then the cry of d.
luton by an excessive pouring of water
IL a fake of the worst kind. and posi-
bly, II 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 yllcst kind of an open sewer,
ana especially so, as the Illinois river
below Ottawa and much o. the distance
above Is an exceedingly poor agency
for the publication of sewage polluted
water.
Chicago Is the great sinner, ana l.
bound TO come to grief, and this ut nc
distant day. 1t seems as if the con
cluslon Of the editorial, based upon the
report referred to therein, was begging
the question to be solved; which Is how
much water will have TO be carried
through the drainage canal in order to
dilute and free the water from con
taminatiOn. VIII 1t not need about al
the contents Of Lake Michigan when
the other three-quarters. or So pei
cent OF Chicago sewage Is admitted Il
the riverl
Six hundred thousand cubic feet pei
minute will be Il mere bagatelle. ant
will cut so small figure for Chlcag 20
of 100000 as sewage producing actual
population 100000 or 100000, an6
Of 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 OF
the towns Of the Illinois River valley
the present cry Of no contamination
will be found to have been prematurely
raised.
II Is possible, but not correct ano
truthful, TO deduce a calculation tina
because the present One.quarter, 90 Z