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Document 50 –

Letter from R.M. Cochrane to Leon McDonald Concerning
Dumping Refuse on the Canal
 

February 20, 1911
 

Document 50
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Transcription

 

                                                     February 20, 1911.

Mr. Leon McDonald,,
           Gen’l Superintendent,
                 Canal Commissioners.

Dear Sir:-
 
                     Your communication addressed to
His Honor, Mayor Busse, relative to dumping
of refuse on property adjoining the Illinois
and Michigan Canal, west of the Western avenue
bridge, was referred by him to this Bureau for
attention.
 
                     The 18th and 19th Wards dumped on
this property for about two weeks. Dumping
was discontinued some time ago and as soon as
the weather permits the stuff that is on the
ice in the canal will be removed. The old
cans that were mixed with the refuse have been
removed.
 
                    You will please pardon not hearing
from me on this matter last week but we have
been moving into the new City Hall building and
have been considerably upset.
 
                         Yours very truly,
                                   RM. Cochrane
                              Superintendent of Streets.

Explanation

By the terms of the 1827 U.S. law which granted Illinois certain federal lands for canal purposes, "Said Canal when completed shall be and forever remain a public highway for the use of the Government of the United States, free from any toll, or other charge" (see document 1). A November 9, 1917 Illinois attorney general opinion in part read:

    The State may not fill up the bed of the canal, without the authorization of the Federal Government; nor may the State, without the sanction of the Federal government, permit anyone to fill up the bed of the canal. There is no statute, which is not in force, or which has ever been in force, giving authority to any officer or agency of the State, or to any municipality, to fill or authorize the filling or obstructing of the canal.

    It is the duty of the officers of the State, charged with the control and protection of the canal, to prevent the filling up or obstruction of the canal, and to take steps to stop encroachments upon the bed of the canal, in the same manner and by the same means as the other property of the State is protected.

Points To Consider

What had the Chicago Bureau of Streets done to the canal?

Locate on a map the site of this occurrence.

What do abandoned holes generally attract?

Why had this incident taken place?

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