HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
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five years later, by a grant of lands for the purpose of its construction. The work was begun in 1836, and so far completed in 1848 as to admit of the passage of boats from the Chicago basin to La Salle. (See Illinois & Michigan Canal.) Under an act passed by the Legislature in 1865, the work of deepening the canal was undertaken by the city of Chicago with a view to furnishing means to relieve the city of its sewage, the work being completed some time before the fire of 1871. This scheme having failed to accomplish the object designed, other measures began to be considered. Various remedies were proposed, but in all the authorities were confronted with the difficulty of providing a fund, under the provisions of the Constitution of 1870, to meet the necessary cost of construction. In the closing months of the year 1885, Hon. H. B. Hurd, who had been a member of a Board of "Drainage Commissioners," organized in 1855, was induced to give attention to the subject. Having satisfied himself and others that the difficulties were not insurmountable with proper action by the Legislature, the City Council, on Jan. 27, 1886, passed a resolution authorizing the Mayor to appoint a Commission, to consist of "one expert engineer of reputation and experience in engineering and sanitary matters," and two consulting engineers, to constitute a "drainage and water-supply commission" for the purpose of investigating and reporting upon the matter of water-supply and disposition of the sewage of the city. As a result of this action, Rudolph Hering, of Philadelphia, was appointed expert engineer by Mayor Harrison, with Benezette Williams and S. G. Artingstall, of Chicago, as consulting engineers. At the succeeding session of the General Assembly (1887), two bills-one known as the "Hurd bill" and the other as the "Winston bill," but both drawn by Mr. Hurd, the first contemplating doing the work by general taxation and the issue of bonds, and the other by special assessment- were introduced in that body. As it was found that neither of these bills could be passed at that session, a new and shorter one, which became known as the "Roche-Winston bill," was introduced and passed near the close of the session. A resolution was also adopted creating a commission, consisting of two Senators, two Representatives and Mayor Roche of Chicago,
