The North Shore Channel

A school boy in one of Wilmette's public schools once wrote a composition on the Wilmette channel then about to be begun. This wise young philosopher ventured the prediction that "some day one could take a pleasure boat at Wilmette and ride it to New Orleans." The boy's prophecy was entirely correct, and the trip can be made just as predicted, now that the great work has been completed and its navigation made possible.
We will here give a brief history of the enterprise by means of which the waters of Lake Michigan are led across the lands intervening between the lake shore at Wilmette and the north branch of the Chicago River.

Authorized by Ordinance
The right of way for a channel through Wilmette and Evanston was authorized by an ordinance passed by the board of trustees of the Sanitary District of Chicago on November 8, 1903. The route chosen extended from the intersection of Lawrence avenue in Chicago with the north branch of Lake Michigan in Wilmette. The distance covered by this route is about eight and one-eighth miles. While it is often spoken of as the "Wilmette channel," its official designation is "The North Shore Channel of the Chicago Sanitary District." Work on the channel was not actually begun, however, until September [unclear].
As the lay of the land is not such as to permit of a "gravity flow," a barier was erected near the Wilmette end of the channel which provides a head of about two feet of water. Powerful pumps raise the water from the lake within the channel beyond the barrier. The water flows thence towards the south until it discharges into the north branch, eventually joining the current of the main drainage channel by way of the south branch of the Chicago river. A lock, 130 feet long by 32 feet in width, is built alongside of the barrier for the convenience of boat navigation. The channel is from 6 to 30 feet wide at the bottom and the depth of water is 13 1/2 feet. The estimated cost of the channel, according to the engineer's report of [unclear], was $3,767,000. This does not include the cost of making the necessary connections with Evanston's sewerage system. There are three railroad bridges crossing the channel, besides twenty-two highway bridges at different points along its course. These bridges are not movable structures such as those spanning the main drainage channel, but hae a clearance of sixteen feet, which allows of motor boat and barge navigation. The [unclear] for a distance of a mile and a half from the lake was deposited on the lake shore during the progress of the work forming a tract of made land of about thirty acres. It is hoped that this tract of made land and will eventually be used as a park when certain questions regarding the title are settled. This [unclear] throughout the remainder of the course of the channel is piled up on its banks, which in time will be used up in the manufacture of brick. The right of way is uniformly [unclear] feet in width through its course. As the [unclear] occupies on the surface about [unclear] feet, there is still a margin of over [unclear] feet, which it is often been sugested might be improved as a park, though no definite plan has as yet been made for doing so.

"Slides" Caused Trouble
The greatest difficulty met with in the construction of the channel was the occurrance of slides. "It has been the history in the construction of all canals of this kind," said president McCormick in his report for [illegible], "That slides have occurred where the channel has been dug through clay, in spite of every precaution that could be taken. It is impossible to forsee where these slides will occur, and it is impossible to tell the reason of the slides in some cases, even after they occur. The reason for thrse slides on the North Shore channel, [unclear] can be determined, is that there are several stretches of very soft clay, often twenty or thirty feet below the surface of the ground, which are not of sufficient consistency to sustain the material above it, and the material taken from the channel which is "spolied" [unclear] along the banks." It is gratifying to record that no accidents involving loss of life occurred during the progress of the work.
The power used by the pumps at the Wilmette cut of the channel is derived from the ppower plant of the district at Lockport, carried by cable [unclear] supported on lofty [unclear] a distance about fifty miles from the place where it is generated. The water [?] pumped into the channel will create a current of moderate velocity sufficient to dilute the sewage flowing into it and also to assist the sluggish current of the north branch on its way towards the main drainage channel. oF course, it must be understood that the Chicago river throughout its main branch and the south branch have been changed in th direction of flow in a directly opposite course from what it originally had in a state of nature. The current of the Chicago river is in consequence of the construction of the great drainage canal now entirely reversed and water flows into it from the lake instead of flowing out towards the lake as it did when in its natural condition. This does not apply to the north branch, however, which continues its flow according to its original course.

Junction at Lawrence Avenue
The north branch above the point of junction with the North Shore channel at Lawrence avenue is an insignificant stream, except during periods of high water. Although its channel is spanned at some distance west of [unclear] by a splendid viaduct, the stream itself in the present dry season is not more than two or three yards wide. At Lawrence avenue a conduit, built by the city of Chicago, but operated by the Sanitary district, opens into the north branch near the outflow of the North Shore channel. This conduit is sixteen feet in diameter and extends beneath the surface of the street a distance of two and a half miles from the lake to the river. Its current is maintained by a pumping works placed at its intersection with the right of way of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, now used by the Northwestern Elevated railway.

Mb>Overcame Stagnant Condition
In the construction of the NOrth Shore channel one important purpose was to furnish the means of carrying off the drainage of the region through which it [unclear]. The engineers say that the primary purpose was to overcome the stagnant condition existing in the north branch by supplying enough water to flush the stream. This is, in fact, the chief purpose of hte Lawrence avenue conduit above described, and we now witness the complete success of that part of the plan. But in [unclear] the purpose of the channel in serving as a drainage channel for the region contagious [contiguous?] to the banks [unclear], partially fulfilled, though four years have elapsed since its completion. Less than one quarter of the area lying in Evanston has as yet been made tributary to the channel. There are at the present time sewer outlets at Central street, Asbury avenue, Dewey avenue, Noyes street and Payne street. All these, except the last one mentioned, are old sewers diverted from heir former courses [unclear] Various plans are under consideration of a comprehensive character to change the direction of all the existing sewers so that they will flow towards the chanel, but in a large part of the area towards the east the sewers run so low that pumping works will have to be installed at some point not yet determined to carry their contents forward. What the ultimate expenditure will amount to [unclear] how much of it will be necessary for Evanston to provide is still unknown, thought it has been estimated that the cost will approach a million of dollars. Since 1901, when Evanston began paying its proportion of fSanitary district taxes, the city has paid $391, 905 [unclear], the amount of such taxes for [unclear] amounting to [illegible]. WHether Evanston's proportion of the Sanitary district taxes thus paid will entitle her to avoid suchc special outlays as will be necessary to connect her system with the drainage channel is now a matter the determination of which is in course of adjustment between the Sanitary district trustees and the city of Evanston.
Meantime the Sanitary district is enlarging the field of the North Shore channel's usefulness by building a branch conduit along the shore of hte lake, ultimately intended to reach the county line, the limits of the Sanitary district. This will be a covered conduit and will serve the north shore towns as far as the district has the authority to operate. When it is completed the waters of Lake Michigan along the north shore will be free from danger of sewer contamination a distance of about twenty four [illegible] from the mouth of the Chicago river.
In the next article we shall take the reader with us on the imaginary [illegible] down the north shore channel [illegible] referred to at the beginning of this article in which an atempt will be made to present a clear idea of [illegible] and flow of waters until they join the Mississiippi, toge3ether with references to the points of interest along the way.