The Washington times., 1902-07-22
Col. Ernst Reports on
What Has Been Done
During Year.
MANY IMPROVEMENTS MADE
Inclosed Portion of Lake Michigan for
Purpose of Increasing Harbor Facili-
ties-Large Number of Steam YES
sells to and From the Windy City.

| The annual report of Lieut.. Col. o. H.
Ernst, in charge of improvements OF
Chicago harbor and Chicago River, has
been received by General Gillespie. chief
OF engineers. He explains that the i'm
provements under way are to form an
outer basin by inclosing a portion OF
Lake Michigan for the purpose OF in
creasing the harbor facilities Of Chicago.
anG to give relief to the overcrowded
river; also to construct an exterior
brcakwater north Of the entrance to
Chicago River to shelter the entrance
and the outer harbor from northerly
storms and to form a harbor of refuge
at the scuthen end of Lake Michigan
Regarding the piers and breakwaters.
Col. Ernst says they are generally in
good condition, though some Of them
have suffered injury during the year.
The superstructure Of the north pier
has suffered from fire and collisions, but
Is still seviceable. He observes. how
ever, that the time is not far distant
when it should be rebuilt. He says 1t is
proposed to use the funds now available
and those for the fiscal year of 1908. In
dredging the outer basin and maintain
ing existing work.
Balance on Hand.
The balance unezpended and on hand.
that s475.s65 will be required to complete
the present project, of which $21O. GOO can
be prohtably expended during the COM
ing year.
10 show the necessity for pushing this
work, the report records the fact that
$3.50 steam vessels arrived IL Chicago
River in the past fiscal year, and during
the same time total of c,sTS cleared
from that place. The amount of revenue
collected was S3.325. 722.46.
Moro lumber than anything else was
shipped into Chicago by water in that
period. 1t being shown that ,326.016 tons
were received. Chicagos receipts by the
Lake reached total of 4.23S 1924 tons,
while the shipments were only 1.s45,31S.
The total shipping during 1901 was 6, 49,
242. an increase over 1900, bot more than
] 100000 tons lower than 1t was in 1897.
1898, 1898, 1894, and 1895.
Chicago Drainage Canal.
Col. Ernst calls attention to re drain
age canal Of Chicago. saying: Tho Chi
cago river is the main sewer Of Chicago.
and as such is subject to deteriorating in
nuences as q navigable channel. from
which there is no escape. The city ordi-
nances against dumping solid matter
into it are ample, and. l think, generally
we'll observed. But a very large amount
Of solid matter must Of necessity go into
Il with a perfectly legitimate use of 1t as
A sewer. Periodical dredging will be
to maintain 1t as a navigabls
and eventually to maintain 1t
even as a sewer. That work would seem
10 be as much the duty Of the city as the
Of any other part Of its sew
er system.
so far as the South branch Is con-
,erned. the problem has been solved by
he necessities of a drainage canal. al
eady mentioned. but the sanitary district
has not accepted responsibility for main
aiming the other branches. Whatever
hat organization, or some other. repre-
,enting the people Of Chicago. should do.
he work is for them to decide, but It
eems to me clear that the United States
Ihould not be called upon to do It."