page_title: Water cribs in Chicago
section_title: Two-Mile Crib
hierarchical_section_title: Water cribs in Chicago / Two-Mile Crib
caption_attribution_description: English: From the title page of "The Great Chicago Lake Tunnel" book, this diagram depicts a cross section of the in-progress construction of the lake tunnel (to connect a water intake crib to an onshore pumping station) in Chicago, IL, U.S.A. built in the 1860's to supply clean drinking water to the growing city.
context_page_description: The water cribs in Chicago are structures built to house and protect offshore water intakes used to supply the City of Chicago with drinking water from Lake Michigan. Water is collected and transported through tunnels located close to 200 feet beneath the lake, varying in shape from circular to oval, and ranging in diameter from 10 to 20 feet. The tunnels lead from the water cribs to Pumping Stations located onshore, then to water purification plants Jardine Water Purification Plant and the Sawyer Water Purification Plant, where the water is then treated before being pumped to all parts of the city as well as 118 suburbs.
  The city has had nine permanent cribs of which six are still standing and two are in active use.
context_section_description: The Two-Mile Crib was constructed as part of a scheme by Ellis S. Chesbrough in 1865, to help with the purification of the water because of damage caused by the city dumping sewage into the lake. Construction of the crib began in May 1864, miners and workers worked 24 hours a day and six days a week. The total completion of the project was in March 1867 and cost the city $380,784. Purified water was pumped to the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station which still stands to this day on North Michigan Avenue.
caption: Diagram depicting construction of the lake tunnel to connect the Two-Mile Crib to onshore water works.
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