Showing posts with label Environmental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environmental. Show all posts

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Elias Kent Kane was a key figure in the constitutional convention that drafted Illinois' constitution in 1818.

Elias Kent Kane left a lasting mark on the state of Illinois. Born in New York City in 1794, Kane pursued a legal education at Yale University. Shortly after graduating, he ventured west, finding himself in Nashville, Tennessee, for a brief period before moving on to Kaskaskia, then the capital of the Illinois Territory, in 1814. Kane's arrival proved fortuitous as he was quickly elevated to a territorial judge position, marking the beginning of an influential political career.

As Illinois moved toward statehood in 1818, Kane was a central delegate to the state's constitutional convention. He became a key figure in shaping the state's fundamental laws and earned the nickname "Father of the Illinois Constitution." In the same year, Kane was appointed Illinois' first Secretary of State. Ever ambitious, Kane won election to the United States Senate in 1824, serving as a Democratic senator until his untimely death in 1835.

Elias Kent Kane is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, at 501 West Holmes Street, Chester, Illinois, in the Kane family plot. The cenotaph[1] monument is located at the Congressional Cemetery at 1801 East Street SE, Washington, D.C., which was erected in Kane's honor because he died while serving in office as a United States Senator from Illinois.
Throughout his political career, Kane remained engaged in Illinois affairs and wielded power as part of an influential political faction. While not without controversy, his work helped to lay the foundations of government in the newly established state. Kane's legacy includes Kane County, Illinois, formed in his honor a year after his passing. Though initially buried in a family cemetery, Kane's remains were later reinterred in Evergreen Cemetery, Chester, Illinois. A cenotaph[1] stands in his honor at Washington's Congressional Cemetery.
Early Life and Career

Born: June 7, 1794, New York City

Education: Graduated from Yale College in 1813

Initial Career: Briefly practiced law in Nashville, Tennessee, before moving to Kaskaskia, Illinois Territory in 1814. He was appointed as a territorial judge almost immediately.

Move to Illinois: Relocated to Kaskaskia, Illinois Territory in 1814 and was quickly appointed a territorial judge.

Role in Illinois Statehood

Constitutional Convention: A pivotal delegate to the 1818 convention that drafted the Illinois State Constitution.

First Secretary of State: Kane held the first-ever position as Secretary of State of Illinois from 1818 to 1824.

U.S. Senate: Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1824, serving from 1825 until he died in 1835. He was reelected in 1831.

First Secretary of State (1818-1824): Kane held the first-ever position as Secretary of State of Illinois.

U.S. Senator (1825-1835): Elected as a Democratic-Republican (later Jacksonian Democrat) to the U.S. Senate, where he served for two terms.

Political Views and Legacy

Democratic Party: A member of the Jacksonian Democratic Party.

Advocate of Internal Improvements: Kane championed infrastructure development in Illinois, supporting projects like the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

Land Policy: Played a significant role in shaping land policy in Illinois.

Kane County: Though he never lived within its borders, Kane County, Illinois, was named in his honor in 1836.

Jacksonian Democrat: Kane was a strong supporter of President Andrew Jackson.

Advocate of Internal Improvements: Kane championed infrastructure development in Illinois, supporting projects like the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

Controversial Figure: His political alliances and dealings made him a somewhat controversial figure. Some historians argue he used his positions for personal and political gain.

Death and Burial

Died: December 12, 1835, in Washington, D.C., at age 41.

Burial: Initially interred in a family cemetery, then reinterred at Evergreen Cemetery, Chester, Illinois.

Kane County, Illinois: The county is named in his honor.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.



[1] A cenotaph is a monument built to honor a person or group of people whose remains lie elsewhere. The word comes from the Greek "kenos taphos," meaning "empty tomb."

Friday, February 16, 2024

Here are some reasons why Chicago's property grid system isn't completely perfect.

Chicago's property grid is often questioned about its imperfections. 

Historical Development
Non-Uniform Expansion: The grid didn't expand uniformly over time. Chicago grew in fits and starts, leading to irregularities where older, smaller grids joined newer ones. This mismatch can cause streets to jog or have unusual widths, disrupting seamless transitions.
1830 Original plat map of Chicago by James Thompson. From the plat map of Chicago, you can see that the Chicago River disrupted the perfect grid.















STREETS CONFIRMED TO BE FORMER INDIAN TRAILS:
Diagonal Roads: Older diagonal roads and Native American trails cut through the grid at angles, creating unusual intersection shapes and impacting block formation.

Archer Avenue: Followed a trail connecting Potawatomi villages near the Des Plaines River to Lake Michigan.

Clark Street: Part of an ancient trail following a glacial ridge, used by various tribes for centuries.

Lincoln Avenue: Traced part of an extensive trail system connecting Lake Michigan to Green Bay.

Milwaukee Avenue: Followed a well-established trail connecting Milwaukee to Chicago and beyond.

Ogden Avenue: Based on a Potawatomi trail leading from the Des Plaines River to present-day Joliet.

Ridge Boulevard: Originally known as "Indian Ridge," it followed a high-ground trail used by Potawatomi and Miami tribes.

Vincennes Avenue: Followed a trail connecting the Wabash River to Lake Michigan, used for trade and travel.

STREETS POTENTIALLY BASED ON INDIAN TRAILS:
Clybourn Avenue: Possibly followed a branch of the Milwaukee Avenue trail.

Cottage Grove Avenue: Likely followed a trail used by Potawatomi and other tribes.

Elston Avenue: It may have been part of a trail connecting the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River.

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Elston Avenue begins at 830 North Milwaukee Avenue, and ends at 6088 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago. 
 
Grand Avenue: It could have been part of a network of trails leading west from Chicago.

Higgins Road: Might have been based on a trail connecting the Des Plaines River to Skokie Valley.
 
Indian Boundary Road: Named for the territorial boundary established by the Treaty of St. Louis in 1816 between the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes and the United States government. 
CLICK THE MAP FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW
Map of Rogers Park and later the West Ridge communities showing Indian Boundary Road. Kenilworth Road is Touhy Avenue today. Interested in the 'LAKE' at Pratt and Kedzie? Click Here.




Sheridan Road: Potentially traced a trail used by Potawatomi and Sauk tribes.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTRAINTS
Lake Michigan: The lake limits eastward expansion, forcing the grid to abruptly end or bend to align with the coastline.

Chicago River and Bodies of Water: The river meanders through the city, leading to irregular block sizes and shapes where the grid has to adjust to its bends.

PRACTICAL ADJUSTMENTS AND HUMAN INTERVENTION
Railroads: Railroads required rights-of-way that often cut diagonally across the grid, causing fragmentation in the street pattern.

Expressways: Building expressways through the city involved significant alterations to the street grid, sometimes disrupting flow and continuity.

Subdivisions: Individual, smaller subdivisions within the larger community grid might use their own modified grid systems, contributing to minor irregularities.
 
Major Events: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed large swaths of the city, and even though much of the rebuilding adhered to the grid, this event had lasting impacts on the layout in some areas.

Neighborhood Variations: Within the grid, the precise sizes of blocks and streets can vary between different neighborhoods.

DESPITE IMPERFECTIONS, THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE FLAWS
While not completely without kinks, the Chicago grid still provides numerous advantages:

Easy Navigation: The grid's overall simplicity makes navigation relatively easy compared to cities with less organized street patterns.

Addressing: The grid has a logical numbering system, making addresses predictable and easy to understand.

Land Division: The grid system simplified land division for purchase and development.

Historical Narrative: The non-grid elements reflect Chicago's historical evolution and growth. 

Looking North on Pulaski Road (Crawford Avenue) towards North Avenue, Chicago, 1947.










Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Comparative Cost of Macadamizing (Explained) and Planking the Streets of Chicago.

Since the experiment of macadamizing [1] (aka McAdamize) the streets of our city has been instituted, a great deal of discussion has been had as to the comparative cost and cheapness of this kind of roadbed over the planking in such general use, and articles, pro and con, upon this subject, have found their way into the newspapers.

Some time ago, the City Council ordered Harrison Street to be macadamizing. A number of property holders on that street, whose property was assessed to pay for the improvement, petitioned the Council to have the street planked instead, for the reason, as they alleged, that the latter road bed is cheaper than the former and, the street not being a prominent thoroughfare, quite as useful. The petition was referred to Mr. N.S. Bonton, City Superintendent, with instructions to report to the Council the comparative cost of both planking and macadamizing. 
South Water Street, Chicago, in the 1860s


The cost comparison is between planking one mile of the street, with the necessary filling to raise the street to an equal height with fourteen inches of macadamizing.

The annexed estimates show the cost for planking twelve, sixteen and twenty-four feet wide, with three-inch oak plank; also, the cost of macadamizing one mile the same width.

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May 12, 1857, Chicago Tribune:  Canal Street was ordered to be Macadamized from Van Buren Street to Old (18th) Street.



Chicago, August 22, 1857.
To plank one mile of street twenty-four feet wide with a three-inch oak plank, spiked with a wrought iron spike to seven, four by six inch, oak stringers, adding sufficient earth to fill up equal to eleven inches and twenty-eight feet in width:
    • Totaled $16,885 ($593,300 today).
For planking one mile of street sixteen feet wide with a three-inch oak plank, spiked with a wrought iron spike to five oak stringers, four by six inches, adding sufficient earth to fill up to eleven inches high and twenty feet wide:
    • Totaled $11,703 ($411,200 today).
For planking one mile of street twelve feet wide with a three-inch oak plank, spiked with a wrought iron spike to four oak stringers, four by six inches, adding sufficient earth to fill up to eleven inches high and sixteen feet wide:
    • Totaled $9,201 ($323,300 today)
Estimate of cost of macadamizing one mile of the street, one course of stone broken to four-inch maximum diameter, eight inches deep, and covered with one course of stone, broken to two and one-quarter inches maximum diameter, six inches deep, also to grade the road-bed so as to make a suitable face for the stone:
    • Twenty-Four Feet Wide; $15,644 ($549,681 today)
    • Sixteen Feet Wide; $10,516 ($369,500 today)
    • Twelve Feet Wide; $8,008 ($281,375 today)
We are informed by the Superintendent that the estimates for macadamizing are made at what it would cost the city to do the work-by-day labor but that it is probable the same work could be contracted for at nearly a thousand dollars less per mile. 

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September 8, 1859, Chicago Tribune:  A request to the Horse Railway Company to make sure that their road is well [water] sprinkled, particularly on the Macadamized part where the dust is already insufferable.

These estimates, it must be remembered in forming an opinion as to the best mode of making a roadbed, are for the first cost of the work and have no reference to the expense of keeping it in good order, which is quite as important a consideration as the other. It is to be regretted that the report of the Superintendent does not contain at least some approximate estimates upon this point. It would be scarcely satisfactory to those who we pay for street improvements to tell them that this or that method is the cheapest at the outset than any other when in fact, at the expiration of five to ten years, it may be found the most expensive, owing to the cost of repairs necessary to keep the street in passable condition. The public will be far more capable of forming a correct judgment as to the comparative value of the two kinds of improvement when it is furnished with at least an approximate estimate of the cost of keeping each one in good repair. In the absence of any such estimates, the controversy between the advocates of planking and macadamizing will probably be continued with unabated pertinacity.

There are some objections to macadamizing which are entitled to the serious consideration of our readers, the most important of which, so far as comfort and health are concerned, is dust. All experience shows that macadamized roads, by the time they are worn down to a comfortable smoothness, are covered with fine dust, which is not only excessively disagreeable but most injurious to eyes and lungs. This dust is constantly accumulating by attrition until the whole material of which the road is composed is either ground up or sunk beneath the surface of the earth. Macadamize Harrison or any other street, and it will share the fate of all other macadamized roads; either the atmosphere will be constantly filled with minute particles of pulverized stone, or the street, from being well watered, covered with stone paste, if it may be so called, from one to six inches deep. How much consideration may be given to this drawback is somewhat uncertain when it is remembered that, to a far greater extent than it should, the question of immediate cheapness controls the public decision as to the method to be chosen. The Superintendent has decided that macadamizing is the least expensive at the start, and with many persons, this is quite sufficient to determine the matter.

A word as to the much abused planking. Some of our citizens may recollect the planking put down many years ago on Lake Street, between State and Dearborn Streets. If we remember rightly, the planks were four inches thick, having been made by ripping eight-inch square timber. After it had been in place some seven years, it was taken up to lay a gas pipe for some analogous purpose. A friend who was passing as the time assures us that he examined the planks, then temporarily removed them, saw them sawed across and that they were not at all decayed. The only loss they appeared to have sustained was from the mechanical attrition of the wheels and horses' feet which had passed over them, and that was inconsiderable. The material seemed to be perfectly good for three more years of service.

It deserved to be carefully considered whether substantial planking of this character will not require fewer repairs than macadamizing, especially if laid upon a well-drained roadbed of sand or gravel.  We think such a planking, thoroughly laid down, would be good for ten years at least. A great deal of the planking heretofore done has been so imperfectly executed that is has, we think, produced a wrong impression as to the usefulness and durability of that mode of covering streets.

The estimates of the Superintendent are satisfactory so far as they go. Still, we trust that that officer, or some other person possessing the necessary data, will furnish the public with the cost per mile of the kind of planking we have indicated, and also a comparative estimate of the durability, cost of repairs, etc., of such planking and macadamizing. The subject is one of great importance, and now, at the very onset, it is best that the public should be supplied with all possible information relative to this substitution of macadamizing for planking the street of minor importance, for they take it for granted that the principal thoroughfares will be covered with much better material than either of them.


Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.



[1] What is a "Macadamized" Street?
A macadamized street is a road that is made of crushed stone that is compacted into layers. The name comes from the Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam, who invented the process in the early 19th century.

Macadamized roads are characterized by their durability and ability to withstand heavy traffic. They are also relatively inexpensive to construct and maintain.

The basic principle of macadamization is to use crushed stone of different sizes to create a roadbed that is both strong and porous. The largest stones are placed at the bottom, followed by smaller stones and then a layer of fine gravel. The stones are compacted using rollers or tamping machines, which helps to create a smooth, even surface.

In some cases, a binder material, such as asphalt or tar, may be added to the macadam to help bind the stones together and prevent them from shifting. However, McAdam originally designed his roads to be unbound, relying on the weight of traffic to compact the stones and create a stable surface.

Macadamized roads were first introduced in the United States in the early 1820s and quickly became the standard for road construction. They were used to build many of the major highways and roads in the country, and they continue to be used today in some areas.

Advantages of macadamized streets: Durable and can withstand heavy traffic, Drains well, preventing mud, relatively inexpensive to construct, and can be used in a variety of climates.

Disadvantages of macadamized streets: They can be noisy, dusty, slippery in wet weather, and requires regular maintenance.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

World's First Nuclear Reactor at the University of Chicago.

THE BEGINNING
Construction of CP-1, or Chicago Pile Number One, was constructed under the University of Chicago's Stagg Field football stadium (1893–1957) in an abandoned squash court. Mankind first harnessed the energy of the atom on December 2, 1942. Fermi's pile produced only ½ watts of power. It constantly emits radiation.

Envisioned by famous physicist Enrico Fermi, CP-1 was a crude, ugly contraption of 330 tons of graphite bricks surrounding 5 tons of unrefined uranium metal. It had no shielding to protect the scientists operating it, but it was nonetheless a major breakthrough in developing nuclear weapons. Fermi successfully achieved a controlled atomic chain reaction.

Despite its crudeness, CP-1 was a major breakthrough in nuclear science. It showed that it was possible to produce a controlled nuclear chain reaction and paved the way for developing atomic weapons and nuclear power plants.

As the use of CP-1 improved, concern for the safety of its operators (and the thousands of nearby students) promoted a move a few miles to the west to the Cook County Forest Preserves, Lemont, Illinois, named 'Site A.'
Chicago Pile Number One or CP-1












The scientists dismantled CP-1, moved it to Site A, and reassembled it into a cube about 25 feet high and 30 feet on each base. This time, Fermi added a few safety elements. Five-foot concrete walls surrounded its sides. Six inches of lead and 50 inches of lumber acted as a lid.

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Site A is about 20 acres in size and contains the buried remains of Chicago Pile-1.
Plot M is 150x140 foot (21K sq. ft.) area that is the radioactive waste dumpsite.

This redesigned reactor was named Chicago Pile-2 (CP-2). It was still a crude device but much safer than CP-1. CP-2 was used for research on nuclear weapons and other applications of atomic energy.

A year later, CP-3 joined CP-2. CP-3 was a more advanced reactor that used heavy water (H³O+) instead of graphite to slow nuclear reactions. CP-3 was used for research on nuclear power plants.
"World's First Nuclear Reactor," followed by a summarized history of Argonne. Photo: Forest Preserves of Cook County, IL.


For a decade, scientists conducted hundreds of experiments using these primitive reactors. The experiments ranged from nuclear weapons to biomedical research to sustained atomic energy.

The work at Site A and Argonne National Laboratory (which grew out of the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago) laid the foundation for the development of nuclear science and technology. 

The two reactors, CP-2 and CP-3, were shut down in 1954. The most radioactive and dangerous elements of the reactors were disposed of by the Oak Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee. 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1974.


The reactor was buried in 1954 an extremely deep hole, and the surrounding area was designated as a radioactive waste dumpsite.

In the 1940s and 50s, visitors to the Red Gate Woods often encountered well-armed military police. The MPs would question the confused strangers, check IDs, and search pockets. Then without an apology or explanation, the confused visitors would be ordered firmly to leave the area and not return.
RED GATE WOODS


In the early 1980s, amid the nuclear disasters at Three Mile Island and Chornobyl, the City of Chicago asked Greenpeace surveyors to test the burial grounds at Site A. The surveyors were horrified to find islands of radioactive elements dotting the Site. The City requested help from the federal government, but their request was denied. However, when the information about the radioactive contamination went public, there was an outcry from the community. People who had spent years strolling, picnicking, and riding horseback in the woods near Site A were outraged to learn that they had been exposed to dangerous radiation. 

The federal government eventually gave the City $30 million to fence off, analyze, and decontaminate the Site. A decade later, their efforts transformed Site A into a safe, recreational area where people can enjoy the outdoors without fear of radiation exposure. However, the Site is still monitored annually for radiation levels. 

The Legacy of Site A and Plot M is foremost a reminder of the early days of the nuclear age. It's a testament to the ingenuity of the scientists who developed the world's first atomic reactor. And most importantly, reminds us of the dangers of nuclear technology.

PUBLIC OUTCRY
In 1976, the public learned there was radioactive material in Red Gate Woods (Site A). The United States Department of Energy (DOE) released a report that found low levels of tritium in three wells in the area. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is produced by nuclear reactors. The DOE concluded that the tritium likely came from Site A, which had been used for atomic research during World War II.

The DOE's report sparked a public outcry. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) conducted its own investigation and found that the wells' tritium levels were elevated but posed no immediate health risk to the public. However, the IDPH recommended that the DOE take steps to further study and clean up the Site.

The DOE continued to study Site A in the years that followed. In 1994, the DOE and the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) began a significant cleanup effort at the Site. As part of the cleanup, 500 cubic yards (135 tons) of radioactive waste was removed and sent to the Hanford Site for disposal. By 2002, the IDPH had determined that the remaining materials posed no danger to public health.

Today, Site A is a fenced-off area within Red Gate Woods. There are signs in the parking lot that warn visitors about the radioactive material on the Site. However, the IDPH has determined that it is safe for people to visit the area as long as they stay on the trails, do not disturb the soil, and, most importantly, DO NOT DIG.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Schiller Woods Forest Preserve Magic Water Pump on Irving Park Road, Particulars.

The pump is located in Schiller Woods Forest Preserve in Schiller Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Google Maps: 41°57'08.8"N 87°50'38.6"W 

It was installed in 1945 to serve picnickers, just another of the hundreds of water pumps erected in the forest preserves of Cook County. 

It is a hand-operated pump that draws water from an aquifer. Many local residents believe the water has magical properties, improving health and vigor. Some believe the pump's water extends the life of anyone who drinks from it regularly, leading to the nickname "Chicago's fountain of youth." The pump is the most used of over 300 pumps maintained by the Forest Preserve Department of Cook County, necessitating yearly repairs. The pump handle was briefly removed in 1974 due to impurities but restored in 1975 after the water cleared.

There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that the water from the pump has any magical properties. However, many people swear by the water, and the pump remains a popular destination for people seeking a healthier lifestyle.

People say it has a specific taste and is unlike other waters. And it's not. It's the best water in the world! You've heard it's magic, right? I don't know if it is or if it has the rejuvenating qualities they say. But I don't try other pumps. 

It has been said that the Pope blessed it. "Holy water — that's what they call it." In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the Northwest Side of Chicago. The Pope's motorcade drove along Nagle and Milwaukee avenues and the Kennedy Expressway and barely slowed down.

Those who swear by the Chicago's fountain of youth pump have said a lot of things: You hear it tastes better than tap water; it keeps colder for longer; it contains holistic qualities; it's good for heart and teeth; it's unfiltered and therefore not chlorinated or fluoridated; the water from this pump will keep you young an unnaturally long time.

There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that the water from this pump has magical properties.

The pump is located at the intersection of Irving Park Road and Cumberland Avenue. It is open from dawn to dusk. There is no fee to use the pump. If you're interested in visiting the pump, it's recommended that you go during the week. Remember to bring your own bottles to fill with water.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Monday, July 3, 2023

The "Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab Kit," the Most Dangerous Toy in the World.

Marshall Field & Co. State Street Store sold the U-238, Christmas 1950, as informed by a former Toy Dept. employee.
The U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory kit for children was produced by Alfred Carlton Gilbert and is still listed as 'the most dangerous toy in the world.' It included three sources of radiation and four uranium ores that are also radioactive. The kit, which first went on sale in 1950, came with an instruction booklet, a pamphlet on how to prospect Uranium, and various tools that enabled children to dive deep into the world of atomic chemistry. 


A little history about Alfred Gilbert. First known as the Mysto Manufacturing Company, the company was founded in 1909 in Westville, Connecticut, by Alfred Carlton Gilbert, a magician, and his friend John Petrie to supply magic shows. 

Gilbert invented the Erector construction toy concept, first released by Mysto Manufacturing Company as the Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder in 1911.
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In 1916, the company's name was changed to "A.C. Gilbert Company." 

Beginning in 1922, Gilbert made chemistry sets in various sizes and similar sets for other sciences, adding investigations into radioactivity in the 1950s with a kit featuring a Geiger counter and radioactive samples. 

Gilbert began making microscope kits in 1934. In 1938, Gilbert purchased American Flyer, a struggling manufacturer of toy trains, and Gilbert re-designed the entire product line, producing 1:64 scale trains running on an 'S' gauge track. At the same time, Gilbert introduced a line of 'HO' scale trains, primarily marketed under the brand name Gilbert HO.

After WWI, Gilbert released the Atomic Energy Lab in 1950. The kit allowed children to create and watch nuclear and chemical reactions using radioactive material. A line of inexpensive reflector telescopes followed the Sputnik-inspired science craze in the late 1950s.

"Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab Kit."
The most dangerous toy in the world.

The set originally sold for $49.50 ($630 today) and contained the following:
  1. Battery-powered Geiger–Müller counter.
  2. Electroscope.
  3. Spinthariscope.
  4. Wilson Cloud Chamber.
  5. Four glass jars containing uranium-bearing ore samples (autunite, torbernite, uraninite, and carnotite from the "Colorado plateau region") served as low-level radiation sources of Alpha particles (Pb-210 and Po-210).
  6. Beta particles (Ru-106).
  7. Gamma rays (possibly Zn-65).
  8. "Nuclear spheres" are used to make a model of an alpha particle.
  9. Gilbert Atomic Energy Manual — a 60-page instruction book.
  10. Learn How Dagwood Split the Atom — comic book introduction to radioactivity.
  11. Prospecting for Uranium — a book.
  12. Three C batteries.
  13. 1951 Gilbert Toys catalog.

  Chicago Tribune, Wednesday, May 17, 1950
Atomic Kits for Kiddies, Latest in Toys.
New Haven, Conn., May 16 [Special] — Now it's a toy for the kiddies ─ atomic energy, that is.

A toy manufacturing company disclosed today the atomic energy commission has sold it a quantity of what the Commission said is harmless, altho radio-active isotopes, for inclusion in an atomic energy kit for budding physicists.

A spokesman for the company said it plans to retail the kit under the name of "U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory." The outfit will include, in addition to the isotope, a sample of uranium ore, a book of instruction, and working reproductions of such scientific devices as a Geiger counter, a spinthariscope, and a cloud chamber.

MORE FOR TEENAGERS
"This outfit is more for teenagers than for kiddies," the spokesman said. "We expect it to do a great deal to promote the understanding of atomic energy." The same company has manufactured chemistry sets.

A boy owner of an atomic energy laboratory will be able to hide his isotope under a rug and locate it by the Geiger counter, it was said. He can put the isotope in a dark room and, with the aid of a spinthariscope, watch the manifestation of atomic disintegration thru the appearance of sparks.

The spokesman said the AEC and postal authorities have given approval for the manufacturing and distribution of the kits. The company is the A.G. Gilbert Manufacturing Company.

HALF-LIFE ISOTOPES
The AEC said in Washington DC that the isotopes sold to the toy company are known as "Zinc 65" with a "half-life" of 250 days.

The meaning of the term half-life was not explained. The AEC said it understood the company proposes to make toys in which children can watch atomic disintegration.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Friday, April 21, 2023

The Polluted Chicago River History of Improvements in Water Quality.

Along the Chicago River, further from the lakefront, the river remained something to be tolerated rather than enjoyed.

definition
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies that, include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater, usually due to human activities, so it negatively affects its uses.

In 1926 the "Henry C. Grebe & Co. Inc. Shipyard" moved to Chicago on the north branch of the Chicago River at Belmont Avenue, across the river from the famous Riverview [Amusement] Park. During WWII, the shipyard built over 56 ships, wood, and steel, for the U.S. Navy, including 21 tugboats, 4 tankers, and 28 minesweepers.
Grebe Shipyard looks east across the Chicago River. Note Riverview Park's rides, Shoot the Chutes and The Bobs roller coaster in the background, circa 1928.


The opening of Chicago’s first wastewater treatment plant in 1928 reduced the amount of raw sewage, but the river remained laden with industrial chemicals and byproducts. Riverside real estate was cheap, and river wards, dominated by pollution and stench, were still some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.

During the Great Depression, many people lived directly on the river’s North Branch in a floating makeshift houseboat squatters’ camp near Irving Park Road.
Houseboats sitting along the North Branch of the Chicago River sometime between 1920 and 1929.


Around the same time, riverfront property near Division Street on Diversey Parkway was chosen as the site for one of the nation’s first low-income housing projects, the Chicago Housing Authority’s Julia Lathrop Homes.
Aerial view of 18th Street and the Chicago River during the river straightening project in May 1929.


The overcrowded, impoverished area on and around Goose Island became known as “Little Hell,” a reference to the conditions on the island as well as the coal-gasification plant that belched out smoke and flames nearby. It was occupied by a succession of immigrant groups who came to work in the steel mills and other factories along the North Branch.
Four girls standing in an empty lot in Little Hell in September 1902. 





In recent years, the relationship between Chicago’s river and its people has entered an entirely new chapter. Aided by the deindustrialization of the mid-twentieth century, a growing sense of environmental stewardship, federal regulations such as the Clean Water Act of 1972, and yet another round of monumental public works projects, the Chicago River continues to undergo dramatic improvements in water quality and accessibility.

Construction on the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), or Deep Tunnel, began in 1975. The first portion of the massive underground system began functioning in 1981. It is a project that outdoes even Chicago’s forebearers in terms of investment. When it is completed in 2029 at the cost of $3.8 billion, it should be able to hold up to 20.55 billion gallons of excess water.

The Deep Tunnel project has reduced the number of combined sewer overflows (CSO) that take place in a year. But even in the areas where it is fully operational, it hasn’t managed to eliminate them completely. And given the increasing prevalence of intense, fast-moving storms, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) now says that TARP will unlikely completely resolve Chicago’s sewage overflow problem in the future.

Since shortly after the passage of the federal Clean Water Act of 1972, a network of environmental groups has steadily gained in size and political strength and used it to monitor polluters and pressure government agencies, including the MWRD, to continue improving the Chicago River.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Illinois' Moniker: The Sucker State.

You probably recognize Illinois’ state nickname as "The Prairie State," which dates back to the 1840s. On the other hand, "Land of Lincoln" was made the official state slogan of Illinois in 1955. In fact, Illinois' exclusive use of the Land of Lincoln insignia was later authorized by a special U.S. copyright. 
The name and image of Illinois' most famous adopted son have become synonymous with the state and are on Illinois license plates and 'Welcome to Illinois' highway signs.
Most people don't realize that Illinois had a less noble sobriquet for much of the 19th century, "The Sucker State." And although there is no doubt that this nickname was associated with Illinois, the origin of the term is subject to debate. There are at least three interpretations.

One explanation involves a practice that was fairly common among travelers and inhabitants of the prairie. When water was needed, long, hollow reeds were thrust down into crawfish holes, and the water was literally sucked up, as through a straw. Such watering holes were called "suckers" in the local vernacular.

Another explanation derives from the fact that the central and southern portions of Illinois were originally settled by pioneers from Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, all tobacco-growing states. The sprouts around the main stem of a tobacco plant are commonly referred to as "suckers." These sprouts are cut off and discarded before they sap the vital circulating fluid of the plant, taking the nutrients away from tobacco plants 20 to 30 useable leaves. Most settlers of the area were poor and, in fact, had moved to Illinois in hopes of a better life. Society at that time, as throughout most of our nation's history, tended to look down on poor migrants as a burden. It was expected that these particular settlers would fail in their new venture and perish, like the tobacco sprouts that were cast off as undesirable. They were derisively called "suckers," and the term came to refer to the entire region of Southern Illinois, which at the time held most of the state's population.

Probably the most popular explanation of how Illinois came to be known as the Sucker State involves the state's first lead mine, which was opened in 1824 near Galena. As word of the mine spread, thousands of men descended on Galena in search of work. Most came from Missouri and southern Illinois, traveling north on steamboats up the Mississippi River to Galena in the spring, where they would work until autumn and then return home. These travels corresponded to the migration pattern of a fish called a “sucker,” and the name was attributed to these workers by Missourians as a witticism. With six to seven thousand men coming to the Galena mines each year by 1827, the mass influx and exodus generated considerable strains and rivalries. In retaliation for the derisive term “suckers,” Illinoisans started calling Missourians “pukes,” a reference to the way in which Missouri had vomited forth to Galena the worst of her residents.

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The white sucker is a species of freshwater cypriniform fish inhabiting the upper Midwest and Northeast in North America. It's also found as far south as Georgia and as far west as New Mexico. The fish is commonly known as a "sucker" due to its fleshy, papillose lips that suck up organic matter and aufwuchs (plants and animals adhering to parts of rooted aquatic plants) from the bottom of rivers and streams. Other common names for the white sucker include bay fish, brook sucker, common sucker, and mullet. 
The White Sucker

Over Illinois’ 205-year history, the state’s residents have been called other names. The Land of Lincoln, as well as The Prairie State, are considerable improvements.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Friday, March 3, 2023

Griggsville, Illinois, "The Purple Martin Capital of the Nation."

Due to the town's location between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in southern Illinois, Griggsville has a severe mosquito problem. 
A Male Purple Martin is dark and glossy blue. Females are brown in color.
In 1962, local businessman and nature enthusiast J.L. Wade encouraged the city to build birdhouses for purple martins, renowned for consuming more than 2,000 mosquitos daily, making them "America's Most Wanted Bird." 


Over the years, Griggsville built more than 5,000 birdhouses, which led to the town's nickname, "The Purple Martin Capital of the Nation."
The Purple Martin Highrise of Griggsville, Illinois.







Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Nikola Tesla's "Egg of Columbus" at the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American engineer and physicist who made dozens and dozens of breakthroughs in the production, transmission and application of electric power.

Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing Company was in Rahway, New Jersey, that operated from December 1884 through 1886. Tesla is forced out of the Tesla Electric Light Company with nothing but worthless stock.
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)


He endured a brutal winter of 1886/87 working as a ditch digger. He persevered, determined to develop his concept of generating electricity through rotating magnetic fields. However, Tesla knew that he must find a way to help investors and supporters understand the potential of his invention.

The rotating magnetic field is one of Tesla's most far-reaching and revolutionary discoveries. This is a new and wonderful manifestation of force — a magnetic cyclone — producing striking phenomena that amazed the world when he first showed them. It results from the joint action of two or more alternating currents definitely related to one another and creating magnetic fluxes, which, by their periodic rise and fall according to a mathematical law, cause a continuous shifting of the lines of force.

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Tesla invented the first alternating current (A/C) 'motor' and developed A/C electric  generation and transmission technology.

There is a vast difference between an ordinary electromagnet and the one invented by Tesla. In standard electromagnets, the lines are stationary, and in Tesla's invention, the lines are made to whirl around at a furious rate. The first attracts a piece of iron and holds it fast; the second causes it to spin in any direction and speed desired. 

Long ago, when Tesla was still a student, he conceived the idea of the rotating magnetic field. This remarkable principle is embodied in his famous induction motor and power transmission system, now universally used.
Tesla's exhibit at Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exposition.


Tesla devises a machine to illustrate the concept: an electromagnetic motor that generates the force needed to spin a brass egg and stand it upright on its end.
Nikola Tesla's "Egg of Columbus" was exhibited
at Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exposition.
Tesla named the device the "Egg of Columbus" after the famous story in which Christopher Columbus challenged the Spanish court and investors to stand an egg upright. When they failed, Columbus took an egg and crushed the bottom flat so it would remain upright. They accused him of playing a cheap trick. Still, Columbus overcame their objections by explaining that an idea can seem impossible until a clever solution is found, at which point it suddenly becomes easy.
How The "Egg of Columbus" Works.
Canadian Tesla Technical Museum.
Tesla Projects Laboratory Inc.
 
Tesla incorporates this logic in his Egg of Columbus to present his concept of alternating current A/C electricity to investors. It is a stroke of brilliance that results in funding from investors Alfred S. Brown, director of Western Union, and Charles F. Peck, a big-shot attorney from New York City. 

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Tesla’s first laboratory opened in April 1887 and was located at 89 Liberty Street in New York’s Lower Manhattan Financial District. This is where Tesla began planning and developing his designs for the A/C induction motor.

Tesla wrote in his autobiography of this time in his life when he went from ditch digger to laboratory owner, where he finally built the first models of his induction motor concept: "Then followed a period of struggle in the new medium for which I was not fitted, but the reward came in the end, and in April 1887, the Tesla Electric Company was organized, providing a laboratory and facilities. The motors I built there were exactly as I had imagined them. I made no attempt to improve the design but merely reproduced the pictures as they appeared to my vision, and the operation was always as I expected."
Nikola Tesla (year unknown).



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In 1893, three years prior to the earliest attempts in Hertz wave telegraphy, Tesla first described his wireless system and took out patents on a number of novel devices which were then but imperfectly understood. Even the electrical world at large laughed at these patents. But large wireless interests had to pay him tribute in the form of real money, because his "fool" patents were recognized to be fundamental. He actually antedated every important wireless invention.

Nikola Tesla lived a century behind his time. He had often been denounced as a dreamer even by well-informed men. He has been called crazy by others who ought to have known better. Tesla talked in a language that most of us still do not understand. But as the years roll on, Science appreciates his greatness, and Tesla receives more tributes.
"Today, Nikola Tesla is considered to be the greatest inventor of all time. Tesla has more original inventions to his credit than any other man in history. He is considered greater than Archimedes, Faraday, or Edison. His basic, as well as revolutionary, discoveries for sheer audacity, have no equal in the annals of the world. His master mind is easily one of the seven wonders of the intellectual world."                                                                                        ─ Hugo Gernsback
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There are a lot of assumptions made reguarding Tesla's private life. One of the few 
things that we know for sure is that Tesla never married. Tesla's seemingly indifference  in women {friends, like a sister}, made him the perfect target for whispers and gossip that he was homosexual, but, of course, there's no evidence. (Karl-Maria Kertbeny coined the term 'homosexual' in print 1868.) 

Tesla, unbeknownst to him, was the cynosure of all the lady's eyes. Despite being surrounded by beautiful, intelligent, women of substance, many who grew to love Nikola, yet nobody became Mrs. Nikola Telsa.

The issue wasn't the failure to meet his expectations. Instead, it turns out to be Tesla's 'no distractions' attitude allowing him to focus his energy on inventing (solutions to a problem), improvements, and , most importantly, the documentation.
 
"I don't think that you can name many great inventions that have been made by a married man." ─ Nikola Tesla.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.