Wilmette to the Gulf

In our previous article the passage through the north shore channel from Wilmette and along the six-mile stretch of the north branch as far as "the forks of the river," or Wolf point, was described. Casting off the hawser that was holding our launch for a brief time at Wolf point, as it was anciently known but in the present day more propertly described as the western abutment of Lake street bridge, our imaginary party of tourists continues on its voyage up the south branch of the Chicago river. Of course no members of our party are astonished at finding that the current of the stream is seen to be flowing towards the southwest, that is, towards its source, for we all know that the natural flow of the river towards the lake had been reversed by the opening of the great drainage canal which we are soon to enter. Just as in the previous stages of the voyage we were constantly passing under bridges, so now we find ourselves passing under many more, sailing close under the lofty sides of gigantic freighters, or sweeping by the many tall buildings of every kind along the banks of the river, until after a passage of four miles from the point of our departure at Lake street we arrive at the broad opening of the great canal itslef. After entering the canal we find that we have a depth of twenty-four feet of water under us, while the sloping sides are three hundred feet apart at the surface of the water, narrowing down to two hundred feet at the bottom.
It is now fifteen years since the completion of the great drainage canal, the entrance of which is at Robey street, and as it stretches away towards the southwest the great body of water in view is a most impressive spectacle. The bridges across the canal, several of which can be seen in the receding distance, are of a much greater size than those in any other part of the city, for Chicago is not only noted for the great number of its tunnels, but for its numerous bridges as well. One of these great structures carries eight separate lineso f railroad tracks, besides being so constructed that it can be swung open in order to permit of the passage of ships and steamers. Indeed, all the bridges over the canal are movable, so that it is at once available for its ultimate use as a navigable waterway in addition to its present use as a drainage canal.
In the neighborhood of the canal opening there once stood a farmhouse surrounded by a tract of cultivated land. In the days before the Fort Dearborn massacre occurred, in the year 1812, this farm produced a variety of crops which when harvested were sold to the garrison of the fort. Ther was also a herdof cows which furnished a supply of milk and butter to the people of the fort. The house was constructed of logs, as were the majority of dwellings of the time. The place had acquired the name of "Hardscrabble," and that name clung to it for generations thereafter. Two men were killed here by Indians in the spring before the massacre. A full account of this tragic episode is given in "The Story of Old Fort Dearborn," by the present writer. Along this river came Joliet and Marquette on their voyage of discovery in 1673, approaching the lake from the west in their canoes. It was some years later that La Salle passed over the same route in an opposite direction on his way to the Mississippi. Our route will take us over the same track practically as that of these early explorers.
Befpre entering the canal we note the site of the Joliet and Marquette cross at the foot of Robey street on the north bank of the river, which was destroyed by some unknown vandals in the summer of 1914. This cross was made of finely finished piecesof mahogany wood fixed on a concrete base, and bore a suitable inscription. Near the opening of the drainage canal may be seen the opening of ht eold Illinois and Michigan canal, now but little used. The routes fo teh two canals are nearly the same as far as the Desplaines river valley at Lockport. As we make progress along the calan we see the enormous Masses of spoil piled up on th ebank, appearing like a mountain chain. We proceed along the canal for thirteen miles through the earth cutting, and at length we witness a change in teh character of the material through which the great excavation is made. Now for fifteen miles throughout the remainder of the distance solid rock underlies the surface, and the sides of the canal become sheer precipices. Life lines are fastened to the walls near the level of the surface so that in case any person should be so careless or unfortunate as to fall into the canal he might be able to seize upon the lines for support until help could reach him. Animals frequently slip into the canal, but their chance of rescue is small. It would be worse for them than to be hemmed in by the walls of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, for man or animals could there find possibly some shelfing beach of sand to place foot upon, but here is no such chance except the life lines, and of course animals could make no use of them. Iron ladders have been placed at intervals of a quarter of a mile apart as an aid in rescuing persons in distress.
A line of tall masts to carry the wires from the power house at Lockport march in a continuous procession along the bank of the canal, each one sixty feet in height, and placed at intervals of 350 feet. A young growth of trees and bushes is beginning to make its appearance close to the foot of the spoil banks, and in time no doubt there will be a more attractive prospect for the passer-by than at present is the case. The canal crosses the city limits at Forty-eighth avenue, so that our journey thus far has been made through twenty-two miles of Chicago territory. The spoil banks here are seen to be mostly vast piles of broken rocks, which it is the expectation will in time be used for grading of streets and for building material of one kind and another. The town of Summit is, as the name suggests, the highest point in the divide between the lake and the river valley below.
At Summit, or "the Summit," as it is often called, there is amonument erected by the Chicago and Alton Railway company to the memory of Father Marquette, who accompanied JOliet on his world-famous voyage of discovery in 1673. It consists of a pile of boulders securely cemented together, surmounted by a large boulder upon which is riveted a bronze tablet, recording that here Marquette landed on his second voyage to the Illinois country in 1675. This monument cannot be seen by a boat party afloat on the canal, as it stands at some distance back from the border.
At length the banks on either hand betin to decline and glimpses of open country beyond them can be obtained, for we are now soon to emeerge from the canyon we have been passing through. On our voyage through the canal we have passed the towns of Summit, Willow Springs, Lemont and Romeo, though without seeing other evidencesof their existence than the bridges across teh canal high above our heads. The controlling works at Lockport are now in sight, where the great "bear trap dam" is situated which regulates the flow of water in the channel. Thus if it is desired to quicken the current the crest of the dam, which consists of great gates sliding up and down in grooves, is lowered; permitting of an increased flow, or if raised retarding the flow. The power house is located two miles beyond the controlling works, and here we reach the end of the canal after a voyage of thirty miles from its beginning at Robey street on the Chicago river. Here is te lock that will letour craft down to the level of the Desplaines river, forty feet below. The contrast between the vertical lifts in the two locks through which we have passed is striking enough, for the lock at Wilmette lifted us only two feet, and here we are let down forty feet.
A short passage on the river below of some four miles brings us to the entrance lock of ht eold Illinois and Michigan canal at Joliet. As we have traveled over about fifty miles since our start in the morning we find the day gradually fading into the evening, and here we had better find accomodations in one of the comfortable hotels in this interesting city. In the next article we shall give some description of Joliet and continue our voyage towards our destination at the Gulf of Mexico.