One of the worst places on the north branch is the sharp bend forming an S-curve at the crossing of the M. & St. Paul Railroad bridge, south of Clybourn Place, sketch "A-11", Fig. 399, and nothing but the most radical alterations can make this part of the river, or that above, accessible to vessels of the type here represented, and it is therefore thought unnecessary to occupy more time and space in describing the obstructions found above this place, which are generally equally bad, and some perhaps even worse, and I will only mention one more to show the condition on the so-called North Branch Canal, east of Goose Island, where similar conditions exist, as shown on sketch "A-12," Fig. 400. It can hardly be denied that the obstructions now described will have a tendency to discourage an attempt at making the river what it ought to be, to properly accommodate such an extensive and important navigation as should be provided for here, and still they are not the worst places found. These are described under the next or second heading. The chief reason for the deplorable condition of the river, as regards its many obstructions, I consider to be the total absence of any well defined system of improvement, by way of legally established dock, or channel lines. Accordingly, the owners of water front along the river seem to have built their docks with the sole consideration for their own individual advantage, in such manner as to make as much land as possible, out of what should properly be the channel, apparently in utter disregard of the demands of navigation. Dock lines have been established, to be sure, in detached places, but, as far as I have been able to discover, not in conformity to any general system. In June, 1869, or twentynine years ago, there were established, by an ordinance passed on the 11th of that month, certain dock lines along a portion of the south branch. Provisions were made in this ordinance for necessary assessments to pay for the condemnation and purchase of land, required to comply with the terms of this document, but nothing further has been done in the matter, and numerous docks have since that time been constructed without the least regard to the dock lines so established, judging by the conditions now existing. I would like to have it understood that I do not pretend to criticise or blame any individual for this condition of things. I only state the facts as I have found them, or as they have appeared to me; and no one person could well be considered as responsible, when there never has been any specific system or plan of improvement to carry out, and when the controlling powers change every two years, in which short period it is hardly possible for the incumbent to become familiar with a greater portion, much less with all of the multifarious needs of a city of the size of ours. 2. CHICAGO RIVER AS IT WILL BE. By an act of congress of June 3, 1895, making an appropriation of $50,000 for improving the Chicago river "from its mouth to the stock yards on the south branch and to Belmont avenue on the north branch as far as may be permitted by existing docks and wharves," the work of improving this river by the United States government was inaugurated. The only work that could be done, however, in compliance with the wording of the bill, was that which has hereinbefore been termed the vertical improvement, or dredging. Bids were advertised for and received, and contracts let for the execution of this work, which commenced in November, 1896. The project approved by the Secretary of War contemplates the deepening of the channel to seventeen feet below the city datum, the bill providing for dredging "to admit passage by vessels drawing sixteen feet of water." The existence of the tunnels would make a greater depth useless. The work of dredging has been done from the mouth to the stock yards in the south branch, and a part thereof has been redredged, viz: From the south limits back to Twelfth street, and this work is now nearing completion towards the harbor. In the north branch the work has been done from the junction to Fullerton avenue, and when the northerly limit is reached, the whole of that branch will also be re-dredged. Up to May 1, of this year there have been removed from the main and south branches, in round numbers, 540,000 cubic yards and from the north branch 658,000 cubic yards, or a total of 1,198,000 cubic yards. The sum of $113,000 was appropriated in a later act of congress, for the completion of this part of the river improvement, and authority was by this later act also granted for entering into contracts for work in the line of the horizontal improvement, such work to be limited by the sum provided for that purpose, to-wit: $700,000, including the amount required for the dredging. This work is thus confined to the removal of only the most obstructive of the many protruding dock corners. The greatest obstructions to navigation are the tunnels and bridges, which are corporate property, and it is questionable whether the Government would ever consider the navigation in the river so necessary to the general commerce of the nation to condemn such valuable property, and either to compel the removal of the obstructions caused thereby, at the expense of the owners thereof, as can be done under existing laws, or to undertake the enormous expense of rebuilding or remodeling the structures at the expense of the public treasury. To decide upon a plan of improvement, which will furnish the greatest relief to navigation, authorized by the bill, and at the same time keep the cost within the prescribed limits, a study was made, on the maps, of the various corners and bends in the river to learn to what extent these would interfere with the passage of a vessel of the type described. The vessel was represented by a pasteboard model made to the same scale as the map. In this manner the most obstructive dock corners were selected and improvement of these places recommended, consisting in the removal of a sufficient amount of the protruding land to facilitate the passage of the largest vessel. The places so selected are as follows: In the south branch, going southward, the first place to receive attention is near Eighteenth street bridge, sketch "B-1", Fig. 401. The east draw of this cannot be used by the large vessel and, moreover, cannot be made passable, owing to the sharp bend in the east dock at this place. The west draw can and will be so made, by the removal of 4,750 square feet on the north side of the bridge and 11,366 square feet on the south, as indicated on the sketch, The latter cut is to be regretted, as it takes off a valuable portion of a coal yard, but it is the only way of relieving this place, without exchanging the bridge for a center channel bridge, which cannot be done by the government. The next place is at the so called "Collision Bend," some 700 feet east of Halsted street bridge,sketch "B-2", Fig. 402, where 15,965 square feet have already been removed by the sanitary district and 7,702 square feet are proposed to be removed by the government. The name of this place is a brief but fair intimation of the conditions here. From the dock at the foot of Fisk street, a tract containing 12,054 square feet is to be cut off. At Throop or Main street bridge, sketch "B-3', Fig. 403, a piece of land containing 10,268 square feet is to be removed from the Gas Co.'s property south of the river and 9,294 square feet from the land north of the river, both east of the bridge. This latter cut is to be extended west of the street by the sanitary district, which authority, I believe, also intend to substitute a new and larger bridge for the present one. At the junction of the south and west forks of the south branch, sketch "B-4", Fig. 4C4, an area of 9,144 square feet will be taken off to enable vessels to turn around and pass from one of the forks to the other. Through this west fork the river is to be connected with the Drainage Canal. Between Hickory and Fuller streets, on the south fork, are docks constructed far outside of the "established dock lines," which docks form a very bad obstruction to boats going through the west draw of Fuller street bridge, and make a passage through the east draw impossible, except by short tugs or row-boats. The proposed removal of 6,988 square feet will very much improve this place, but not less than 22,600 square feet are actually located on waterside of the said "established dock-line," between the streets just named. Sketch "B-5", Fig. 405, shows the Illinois Steel Company's property, the north part of which forms an obstruction to the passage of vessels through the west draw of Archer avenue bridge, and is to be removed. The river is furthermore very narrow all along this property and in all 18,790 square feet are to be taken |