The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-02-14
ASKS DATA ON
LOWERING LAKE
University of Illinois De-
bator Asks City Engineer
About Local Situation.
TELLS OF LOSS HERE
Smith Describes Damage Done
to Harbor Piles Through
Lake Being Lowered.

Robert Smith, city engineer, has
been asked to contribute data TO be
used in a debate between the teams of
the Universities of Wisconsin and
Illinois. on the question: Resolved:
that the city of Chicago should be
granted sufficient water supply to in
sure adequate sanitation to the entire
district of that city.
The request for the information
came from an unexpected source. Leo
M. Gardner, member of the Illinois
team, in a letter to Mr.. Smith, explain
ed that he was scheduled for the de-
bate and that he would appreciate it
if the city engineer could find time
to tell him what the effect of the Chi
cago drainage system had had upon
Kenosha.
In reply the city engineer told him
that during the past II years levels
"shot" on the surface of the lake
showed that it had been lowered be-
tween five and six inches. In addition
to making it more dangerous for ships
to navigate the harbor, it had exposed
the tops of the wooden piles upon
which the concrete piers rest and that
this means that eventually they will
all have to be replaced.
Piles Will Rot Out.
Mr. Smith pointed out that when the
cement piers were constructed, the
niles were sunk below the level of the
lake so that they would be constantly
submerged in water where they would
last indefinitely. AS the level of the
lake lowered, through the use by Chi
cago of 10,Oe0 cubic feet per second
to flush the drainage canal, the tops
of these piles became exposed The
action of the alternate wetting and
drying of the piles, it was pointed out
is to cause them to rot away.
Investigation has shown that already
there are several places in the har-
Dor where the piles are in need OF re
pair.
Mr.. Smith added that he realized
that 100000 persons had rights which
must be considered, and that because
their leaders Numbered 20 years ago
when the drainage canal was first
MANNED, these folks could not be left
without protection. However, he stat
ed. it was time that something be done
to remedy the situation which has be-
come so acute that it has given rise
to sharp international complications
Canada Gets Mad.
Discovery that the level of the lakes
are being reduced, and that their har-
bors are being forced to suffer as
result has at last aroused the wrath OF
the Canadian government. They ask
why one city, for their own personal
benefit, should be allowed to damage
the property of many millions Of per-
sons living around the shores of the
Great Lakes, making it impossible for
them to use their docks and warehouses
and get their boats in. They have
taken the matter up with the govern
ment at Washington.
In reviewing the history of the
drainage canal Mr.. Smith said that in
1889 Chicago decided to adopt sew
age system whereby the flow of the
Chicago river was reversed, and the
sewage carried westward to the Des-
PLANES and Illinois rivers, instead of
being discharged into Lake Michigan
A drainage canal was constructed
which extended a distance OF 50 miles
to Lockport. 1t was planned for a
capacity Of 10000 cubic feet per sec
ond but was constructed for $4,000
cubic feet capacity. In 1899 Chicago
was granted permission to divert 5000
cubic feet per second, but since that
time an average of over 10000 feet
has been taken, and the eject is now
being felt all over the Great Lakes.