On Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 9:25 AM, Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> wrote:
> If it was like the Erie Canal the canal boats hauled the rails and ties
> to lay down the rail lines the caused their own demise.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
Similar story on the I&M. It made Chicago viable, made it attractive for
the railroads. For a while after they were both in place, it was still
cheaper to ship freight on canal boats. But eventually that changed, and
then they built the Sanitary and Ship canal right next to it. The I&M was
60 feet wide by 6 feet deep.... the S&S was 200 feet wide by 24 feet deep.
It was dug partially to reverse the flow of sewage from Chicago -
previously, it was dumped into the Chicago River and then into Lake
Michigan. The S&S reversed the flow of the Chicago River and took the
treated sewage from Chicago and sent it downriver into the Desplaines and
Illinois rivers, and then on down to the Gulf. But it also could handle
significantly larger barges. The S&S channel cut through the I&M at one
point, pretty much killing it. But by that point, rail traffic had already
taken a toll on the I&M.
--
Paul Braun
Music Junkie
"Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." -- Harlan Howard
--
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