What Is IN That Lake?: “Sunken Warbirds”

Here’s something I find to be equal parts really cool and really creepy: in addition to the various shipwrecks, Asian Carp and junk bulldozed into the lake after the Chicago Fire, the Navy estimates that there are between 60 and 80 WWII era US Military airplanes in Lake Michigan.

This is in fact pretty awesome. During WWII, the Navy commissioned two passenger steamers and turned them into fresh-water aircraft carriers: the USS Wolverine and USS Sable. These ships were used exclusively in the Great Lakes for training Navy pilots. Their flight decks were somewhat shorter than a regular aircraft carrier, so the Navy figured that if the pilots could take off and land from them, real carriers would be easy!

Another advantage to training over Lake Michigan was that recovery operations were much easier in the relatively shallow water, and if a pilot did end up in the drink, he was unlikely to get eaten by sharks.

Between 1942 and 1945, as many as 35,000 pilots trained and qualified over Lake Michigan, flying between the Naval Air Station in Glenview and Wolverine and Sable. In fact, the majority of carrier qualifications during World War II occurred over Lake Michigan. Pilots trained on these carriers played a critical role in helping American forces win the Battle of Midway. Navy pilot George HW Bush trained aboard the Sable.

During this time there were over 200 accidents and as many as 128 losses. Eight pilots were killed. Six of the crashed aircraft were recovered during the war.

Every so often one of these old planes gets pulled out of the lake and restored. Because the water of Lake Michigan is cold and fresh, they are very well preserved. Aircraft have been found with tires inflated, parachutes preserved, leather seats maintained, and engine crankcases full of oil. The paint on the fuselage is often still bright, allowing for easier identification.

On April 24, 2009 an SBD Dauntless dive bomber, similar to the one on display at Midway Airport, was salvaged from 315 feet of water about 27 miles out from Waukegan. On November 8, 2010 an F4U-1 "Birdcage Corsair" fighter was retrieved from about 250 feet of water approximately 33 miles out, and the Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat at O’Hare airport was recovered from the lake, as well.

So! The next time you are out enjoying that Great Lake we keep so handy, imagine that old airplane graveyard, and think about  the part it played in winning World War II!

Recondite? Random? Both? Lake Michigan Water Cribs

This is the type of esoterica (NOT the skin lotion) that I absolutely adore:

Did you know that those funny little squat structures out in Lake Michigan near Chicago are water intake “cribs”? They kinda look like boats or short stubby lighthouses.

There are four of them: the Wilson Avenue crib, the Four Mile Crib, the William E. Dever Crib and the 68th Street crib.

The Dever Crib is named after William Emmett Dever, who was mayor of Chicago from 1923 to 1927.

What is cool about these structures is that they are the source of fresh water for Chicago. They are each connected to a really long underground pipe that brings water into the city from out under the lake.

The very first crib built was the Two-Mile Crib, in 1865. Ellis Chesbrough came up with the idea in 1863 to solve the problem caused by everybody in Chicago dumping their wastewater into the river and therefore into the lake.

Chesbrough’s plan called for a two-mile-long tunnel under the lake out to the crib. The tunnel was five feet wide and lined with brick. It took several years to complete and here, for me, is the kicker: a couple of guys digging, a couple of guys laying brick, and two small mules, working six days a week for about three years, dug a tunnel 10,567 feet long UNDERNEATH the lake.

Oh my gosh does that gives me the heebity-jeebities. I get claustrophobic if my sheets are tucked in too tightly.

Can you imagine digging a tunnel two miles long and five feet wide, 200 feet under the lake? Just you and a couple other guys and two mules?

Anyway, the original Two-Mile Crib was replaced by the Carter H. Harrison crib in 1900. Carter H. Harrison was mayor of Chicago from 1879 to 1887. The William E. Dever Crib was built in 1935 as a replacement for the Harrison crib, but the two cribs ended up working side-by-side until 1997 because of increased demand for water.

As demand grew, three more cribs were built. On January 20, 1909 a fire at the 68th Street crib killed 70 workmen.

Originally there were "Crib Tenders", like lighthouse keepers, that stayed on the cribs. The four-man crews worked week rotations, changing light bulbs, doing water testing and breaking up ice dams.

Each crib had a bunkroom, shower, and kitchen.

Kinda like a tiny, weird summer camp.

Nowadays the cribs are monitored by computers and cameras, and a crew goes out about once a week to do chores and then comes right back.

In 1998 the city decided to empty the tunnel leading from the Carter Harrison Crib to shore in order to inspect it. Part of the tunnel collapsed and had to be rebuilt.

So next time you are down on the beach or cruising Lake Shore Drive, squint a little out to the east and see if you can spot one or more of the water cribs, now that you know what they are.

Recondite? Maybe. Random? Probably. Awesome? Definitely.

Crib tunnel images from:
The Tunnels and Water System of Chicago: Under the Lake and Under the River. Chicago: J.M. Wing & Co., 1874.

A Love Letter From The School Bus Driver

Dear Neighbor:
I call you neighbor, in the friendliest possible way, because you are driving so close to the bus. I can see you, but just barely. I know you are there, but I’m not sure of your intention.

Please don’t pass the bus on the right, if you can avoid it. If you are in my blind spot, which is roughly the size of Rhode Island, you may find yourself flicked off the roadway like a paper football in study hall. I really don’t want to hit you. It would ruin everyone’s day.

Please don’t cut me off in traffic. This vehicle is not nimble. If you don’t leave me enough room to avoid you, you may find us conjoined.

Please stop at the painted stop line when you come to an intersection. If your rear wheels are in the crosswalk, I may have to get VERY close to your vehicle as I turn onto your street.  

Please don’t tailgate the bus. You’ve seen the signs on the big rigs: “If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you.” This is also true of the school bus.  If I can’t see you to wave you around, you may have to stop at every other block with me. And if you are too close to the back of the bus and I have to stop short, those big tow hooks under my bumper are going to open up your hood like a can of tuna.

Please don’t drive through my stop arm. If my red lights are flashing and the stop sign is out, a child may suddenly cross the street in front of the bus. What if you hit him? Would that work with your schedule?

Please be just a little patient, neighbor. Your convenience is not my priority. Getting these kids to school safely and on time is more important to me than anything you have planned for today.