Share:
Here in conversations about how to change the world, many say that nothing will work and we will still drown in the bubbling swamps of our own shit. Well, once upon a time, no doubt. But before these, you can kick a little. To do this, however, will have to understand that the goal is not to drown in shit for you-primary. And then there will be places for sedimentation tanks, and for reclamation stations, and for new landfills, and for landfills. Yeah, neighbors. Well, even in a crowd of some owners and Industrialists will have to put. Well, partly. Sacrificing little is generally a good principle. Importantly understand, who this " small."
Look at this. If you don't know, I hasten to inform you that in the mid-nineteenth century Chicago was one of the dirtiest cities in the United States. And the reason for that was rather prosaic: all sewage and sewage in the city were taken out simply in ditches along streets. And when it rained two or three days in a row, stagnant ponds of shit decorated all the streets of this beautiful American city. All this, of course, not only smelled great, but also contributed to the spread of all sorts of sores. For example, the epidemic of cholera, which in 1854 killed 6% of the population of the city (I have long thought whether the word "killed" is suitable here, but I think it is quite).
In General, at some point, the city authorities decided that it would be necessary to create a sewer system. But the main problem was that the whole city was too flat and was perfectly-here one in one, up to an inch-on the same level as lake Michigan. Which, of course, made natural drainage impossible, and gave the tunneling system an image, of course, wildly interesting, but completely meaningless.
The situation seemed desperate and unsolvable until 1856, when Ellis S. Chesbro drawing schemes to solve this problem, finally made a simple truth: if it is now impossible to dig under the city, you just need to raise the city. He came up with a plan that was accepted by the authorities and immediately the workers began to lay pipes right through the streets, giving them the desired slope and so on. Then began to lift buildings which it was decided to lift and connect them to system of the Sewerage. The first house that was raised was a four-story house weighing 750 tons. It happened in 1858. And in the same year, raised and hooked up in series 50 buildings.
In 1860, six engineers from Mr. Chesbro's office raised the entire street (first picture) 100 meters long with shops and houses at once — in one block, using 6,000 screw jacks and 600 workers, who at the time of lifting synchronously rotated the cylinders one step and another and another and another. And so — the street rose two meters above ground level.
The following year, a 4,000-square-meter hotel was raised with residents, maids, doormen, blackjack and whores who continued to go about their business. (second picture)
One of the most impressive projects was the raising of the Robbins building - a five-storey monster, with an impressive size-46 by 24 meters, on a metal frame and weighing 27,000 tons. The house was raised at the same time as the sidewalk in front of its facade.
That is, as you can see, the problem was solved and the city was no longer drowning in its own shit. So and here "to hammer on owners and neighbors", you ask? Well, everything is simple: not too "important" for the city buildings, but for which someone tried to sue - was displaced on the rollers and went out of town to make room for the new, and not "important" - just demolished. 24 homeowners went missing, 19 were detained on tax charges and were killed in pretrial detention by fellow inmates.
But still, hundreds of buildings have not been connected to the sewer network and on this, and no one will dispute, the greatest merit in turning Chicago into the most modern city in the world belongs to the legendary fire of 1871, when 18,000 buildings were destroyed not connected to the system and a little more than a third of the urban population turned into homeless (as it burned - also in the picture). Hot summer, the usual Chicago wind, and most importantly-the predominance of wood in most (but not all)" not important " buildings led to the fact that the fire destroyed 34 city blocks (there is a picture of how it looked), causing damage to 222 million dollars - an unimaginable amount for the time. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. A beautiful, but invented by journalists version of a cow overturned in a barn kerosene lamp (another picture) is widely spread. There are an unthinkable number of other versions and"revelations". There were even brilliant texts telling us that the fire was caused by the fallen fragments of comet Biela. But, of course, no one thought to look for the cause in the banal "who benefits" - well, first, it is really boring, and secondly- there, I think, the chain can easily build in clans, which were now stronger than ever - why quarrel? Anyway - I just on the surface. Actually after the fire was made the decision to abandon restoration of the city under the old plan, and also about refusal in compensation of the fire and immediately began a large-scale reconstruction — as it turned out — already approved plans. The appearance of the city was completely changed. All buildings were built on bulk blocks and immediately connected to the sewer. And today, all of Chicago is about 2 meters above its level of 1850. And, of course, it is the most modern and beautiful city in the world. Especially after the opening of Millennium Park.
Well, Yes. Until 1900, all the shit on the Chicago river flowed to Michigan. Then the river turned and it flowed away from the great lakes. There was created new fields and lagoons. Far enough from the city. That's where they are now.
