CHICAGO AS A SEAPORT.


The prairie land in the southwest corner of Lake Michigan, which,
seventy years ago, was half morass from the overflowing of the
sluggish creek, whose waters, during flood, spread over the low-lying,
level plain, or were supplemented in the dry season by the inflow from
the lake, showed no sign of any future development and prosperity. The
few streets of wooden houses that had been built by their handful of
isolated inhabitants seemed likely rather to decay from neglect and
desertion than to increase, and ultimately to be swept away by fire,
to make room for the extravagant and gigantic buildings that to-day
characterize American civilization and commercial prosperity. Nearly
1,000 miles from the Atlantic, a greater distance from the Gulf of
Mexico, and 2,000 miles from the Pacific, no wilder dream could have
been imagined fifty years ago than that Chicago should become a
seaport, the volume of whose business should be second only to that of
New York; that forty miles of wharves and docks lining the branches of
the river should be insufficient for the wants of her commerce, and
that none of the magnificent lake frontage could be spared to supply
the demand.

Yet this is the situation to-day, the difficulties of which must
increase many fold as years pass and business grows, unless some
changes are made by which increased accommodation can be obtained. The
nature of these changes has long engrossed the attention of the
municipality and their engineers, and necessity is forcing them from
discussion to action. As such action is likely to be taken soon, the
subject is of sufficient interest to the English reader to devote some
space to its consideration.