Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-09-16

CdEO avenue.
In return for this concession the
Park Commissioners agree TO main
tain the driveway free of expense to
the property owners AUDITING and
contiguous, except as they are as
sessed for general park purposes in
common with other citizens. The
commissioners also agree to forever
maintain and rebuild the breakwater
now being constructed at a cost Of
a half million dollars. Offsetting
this, the commissioners obtained the
Aeparian right. 1t appears from the
Veyidence: First, that the contrac
tor who is doing much of the work OF |
constructing this breakwater for the |
riparian right owners (Which the |
commissioners agree to maintain) is
violating his contract in several par
ticulars. Instead of adhering to the
line laid down by the commissioners
and agreed upon he is departing from
it from 140 to 100 feet; this addition
al made land will undoubtedly belong
to the RIPARIAN right owner, and the
riparian owner at one particular
point is this self-same contractor
According to his own admission he is
Hiving the sheathing, necessary to
protect the made land, but four (4)
feet into the ground, when it is con-
tracted to be driven ten Q0) feet
He is filing in the space between the
piles, upon which the driveway in
part will rest with large stones only,
when the contract calls for stone of
all sizes, forming compact and sand
tight body, common bolts, are used
instead of upset bolts as the con-
tract calls for. These violations OF
the contract cheaper the work and
make it less durable and will increase
kthe cost of maintenance. In addi-
ton this cheap construction will
shorten the life Of the structure and
hasten the time when the Park Com
missioners will have to reconstruct
the entire structure, this time at the
expense of the taxpayers 1t is also
a fact shown by the convention be-
tween the Commissioners and the
contractor that it will be impossible
tO construct the driveway upon the
Ibreakwaters as it has been completed
thus far.
There is no prospect that land will
form by accretion. On the contrary,
the extension Of the shore line mar
rows the space between the shore
and the outer breakwater built and
maintained by the t. S. Government
for the protection Of commerce and
the shore, so that north, northeast
and east winds operate TO create a
strong current: the breakwater forms
Ga jetty, and the probabilities are
that the bottom will scour and that
no accretions will form. The con-
tractor stated to the Park Board that
since the work has been in progress
the bottom has gone down nearly six
feet by securing. Thus it appears
that no valuable accretions are likely
to form, but that the breakwater is
liable TO be washed out, wholly or
partly, by the securing currents OF
the lake, increased by the break
wafer conformation and location. 1t
appears that the waters Of the lake,
where this breakwater is being con-
structed, are from twelve to sixteen
feet deep.
1t is the understanding of your
Committee: riparian right is simply
the right to natural accretiOns, and
the right to build docks out to the
water, deep enough to float vessels
Thus it appears that the structure
now being put into Lake Michigan is
not justified 10y the riparian right:
of che owners; but it is theft from
the navigable waters of Lake Mithi
gan in the Earbor, protected by outer
breakwater, constructed by the L. 5.
Government for the protection oil
commerce and the shore, and under
pretense OF being Lake Shore Drive
extension. II may be and is argued
that the loss of these waters amounts
to nothing, while it creates taxable
land. 10 should be remembered
however, that proximity to the lake
determines the value Of land In North
Chicago, and this improvement In
crcases the distance from the lake
and consequently dimlnishes The
value 0f land lying back 81 it
The Proposed New Drive.
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