on. That this channel may be enlarged by the
State or national government to any requirement of navigation or water
supply for the whole river, creating incidentally a great water power
in the Desplaines valley." Following this report and that of a
Drainage and Water Supply Commission, a bill was introduced into
Congress supporting the recommendations that had been made, and
providing the financial machinery for carrying it into execution.
Since that date much discussion has taken place, and some little
action; meanwhile the sanitary requirements of the city are growing
more urgent, and the pressure created from this cause will enforce
some decision before long. Whether the new waterway is to be
practically an open sewer or a ship canal remains yet to be seen, but
it is tolerably certain that its dimensions and volume of water must
approximate to the latter, if the large populations of other towns are
to be satisfied. In fact the actual necessities are so great as
regards sectional area of canal and flow of water--at least 600,000
ft. a minute--that comparatively small extra outlay would be needed
to complete the ship canal.

[Illustration: FIG. 2]

The attention of engineers in Chicago, as well as of the United States
government, is consequently closely directed at the present time to
such a solution of the problem as shall secure to Chicago such a
waterway as will dispose of the sewage question for very many years to
come; that shall relieve the inhabitants on the line of the canal from
all nuisances arising from the sewage disposal, and shall provide a
navigable channel for vessels of deep draught. The maps, Figs. 1 and
2, give an idea of the most favored scheme--that of Mr. Cooley.

As will be seen, the canal commencing near the mouth of the Chicago
River passes through a cut in the low ridge forming the summit level;
then it runs to Lake Joliet, and through the valleys of the Desplaines
and Illinois Rivers, to the Mississippi at Grafton, a distance of 325
miles. The elevations and distances of the principal points are as
follows:

------------------------------+------------+-----------+-----------+
| | | |
| | Low Water | |
| Miles from |Level below| High Water|
| Lake | Chicago | above Low |
| Michigan