The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-11
international Commission
Reports Against Diver
sion of More Water.
FAVORS CESSPOOL PLAN
Would Cost more Than Ditch, But
Could Be Built by
Installments.

The plans for a Calumet auxiliary
to the drainage canal for the purpose
of including all of the territory south
of 18th street in Illinois and Indiana
in the sanitary district, have been dealt
a body blow by the international COM
mission which recommends In an In
direct manner the building of filtration
beds to provide for the disposition of
sewage even though it will cost
larger sum that the canal If there is
no appeal from this commission and
certain Chicagoans have their way.
Hammond will become a cesspool. The
following excerpts from the report of
the commissioners manner of arriving
at their conclusions:
"A careful consideration of all cir
cumstances leads us to the conclusion
that the diversion of IL, 900 cubic feet
per second through the Chicago river
will, with the proper treatment of sew
age from areas now sparsely occupied.
provide for all the population which
will ever be tributary to that river,
and that the amount named will there
fore suffice for the sanitary purposes
Of the city fer all time Incidentally
it will provide for the largest navig-
able waterway from Lake Michigan to
the Mississippi river which has been
considered by congress.
we therefore recommend that the
government of the United Statss pro-
hibit the diversion of more than 10, 900
cubic feet per second for the Chicago
drainage canal
The International waterways com
mission consisted Of Brig Sen. o. II
Ernst, chairman, and George Clinton
and E. E. Haskell. members of the
American section; George C. Gibbons,
chairman, and w. F. King and Louis
Coste, members of the Canadian sec
ton.
Chicago obtains its water supply
from Lake Michigan, and to avoid pol
luting 1t 1t must either dispose of it's
sewage otherwise than in the lake or
place it's intakes for water at a great
distance from the city. The topography
of the county favors the discharge of
sewage into the Desplaines river a
tributary of the Mississippi. through
two depressions in the divide which
separates that river from Lake Mich
igan.
East to Divert Calumet River.
The slope on the lake side of the
divide is drained by two streams, the
Chicago river and the Calumet river.
into which the sewers of the city
empty. By a cut through the north
erly depression the flow Of the Chi
cago river has been reversed and di-
verted into the Desplaines river in
stead of into Lake Michigan, and by a
cut through the southerly depression
the same process can be applied to the
Calumet river.
ITO make this reversal effective. the
channels must be large enough to take
all the water which falls upon the re-
spective drainage areas during the
most violent rain storms. This amount
second for the Chicago river and 15,7oO
cubic feet per second for the Calumet
river.
1T is now proposed to apply to the
Calumet river treatment similar to that
applied to the Chicago river, viz: To
reverse its flow so that instead OF dis
charging into Lake Michigan IT shall
discharge into the Desplaines, but for
part of the new route it must follow
the drainage canal already excavated
for the Chicago river.
Although the Chicago drainage ca
nal was designed to carry 10000
cubic feet per second, it is found tc
have, in its completed rock portion. ar
actual capacity of $4,000 cubic feet
This additional capacity fixes the
amount which 1t is proposed to di.
vert from the Calumet at 1000 cubic
feet per second. Any greater amount
from the Calumet will overtax the
drainage canal at the expense OF the
richest part of Chicago and for the
benefit of the suburban part.
The diversion of 10000 cubic fee
per second will lower the levels OF
Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake st
Clair. Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the
St Lawrence river. besides the import
ant connecting channels, the Detroi
and st. Clair rivers, by amounts vary.
ing from AZ to ~ inches for different
waters. and the diversion of 14.0oC
cubic feet will lower them from t.
S51 inches. The diversion of 10000
cubic feet will lower Lake Michigan
and Lake Huron about 1S inches ant
Lake Erie about II inches.
| The cost of restoring the depth IL
the harbors of the great lakes and th'
channels between the lakes is estim
ated at $1o.0Oo.Oo0 and of restoring i
in the Welland and St. Lawrence ca
nails at s2.5oO.oeo
The extension TO the Calumet region
of the method of sewage disposal al
ready applied to the Chicago river fl
not necessary to preserve the healti
of Chicago, there being other and bet
tr methods available for the Calume
rArfon The Anal cost of fhaza mail