354 TIMEHRI. 
has been the scene now and again of labour and Commun- 
istic riots, the historians record with pride that nothing 
which has occurred served to check its wondrous growth 
and prosperity. Here let me quote something as to its 
situation ; — 
The site of the business portion of Chicago was originally amarsh. It 
is believed that Lake Michigan covered at one time almost the entire 
surface occupied by the present city. Beneath the marshy soil is blue 
clay, and underneath this is aquicksand. A leading engineer maintains 
that Chicago is built upon a crust less than thirty feet thick, and that 
the weight of the massive structures which have been and are being 
erected, may prove sufficient at some time to break through it? The 
result would be a disintegration of the foundation soil upon which these 
buildings now stand and a general collapse. This view, however, is not 
entertained by engineers generally, although the crust theory is 
admitted. Water is struck at a depth of about 8 feet. 
On a substratum such as this, made-up land really and 
truly, are reared the scores of ‘‘ sky-scrapers” which have 
made Chicago renowned, ranging as they do from the 
13 storey Chamber of Commerce building to the giant 
Masonic Temple of 20 clear storeys above street level. 
Generally, foundations are made by pile driving and 
overlaying the soggy soil with steel rails crossed and re- 
crossed and filled in with cement so as to secure uniform 
pressure. The worst feature of Chicago is its Styx-like 
stream yclept the Chicago River, which formerly emptied 
into, but now by diversion flows from, Lake Michigan 
and divides the city into its northern and southern 
“sides.” There are between 300 and 400 churches and 
chapels, and it is the birth-place and home of DWIGHT 
L. Moopy, the world-famed Evangelist of Moopy and 
SANKEY notoriety. It has 15 leading and 10 minor 
theatres ; ‘the Continental Sunday ;” and the celebrated 
“ Stock-yards” in which huge shambles visitors may 
