The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-05
FIGHT FOR "A HARB0R
HAMMOND WILL APPEAL TO THE At
TORNEY GENERAL.
Plan to Be Followed Against the
Railroads Which Block
the Way.

attempt TO secure a harbor, ana inns Unit IL
will be an appeal TO Attorney General Iay-
Tor to begin proceedings against the rail-
roads which are between Wolf lake ana
Lake Michigan. There are now four tracks
on this small stretch of land, but the right
Of way of the Lake Shore & Eastern was
granted with the special provision that IL
the harbor should ever be opened the road IS
TO construct a draw bridge. The roads
which have no contract of this kind are the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. the
Baltimore & Ohio and the Pittsburg. Fort
Wayne G. Chicago. These tracks are but
about one hundred feet apart and the en-
bankments on which they run shut off Wolf
lake from Lake Michigan. The width of
this strip from the water Of Lake Michigan
to the water of Wolf lake is about $50 feet,
and it is this land which Hammond desires
to cut through and to compel these roads TO
put in draw bridges.
The new move OF Hammond is in conse-
quence of proposed plan of East Chicago.
Hammond. East Chicago and Whiting are
practically one and the same town, as the
buildings of each are up to the limits.
though the municipal organizations are sep
arate. Hammond Is six miles long and two
miles WIDE and included in the city limits
are Wolf lake and Lake George, which lies
just east of Wolf lake. 1t has long been
the dream of Hammond to make Wolf lake
and Lake George the great harbor of Lake
Michigan, and various attempts have been
made to attain that end The last was dur
ing the last session Of the Legislature, when
a bill was introduced TO give 10 the city the
right to condemn and open the strip now
occupied by the railroads and assess the cost
on abutting property and the city, accord
ing TO benefits ard damages, in the same
manner as assessments are made for street
improvements. IL was estimated that the
tax for this purpose would be one-tenth of
l per cent. This failed to pass and the har-
Dor proposition was dropped for awhile.
Mr. tricks SCHEME.
Then Henry C. Frick purchased 800 acres
OF land in East Chicago, ard East Chicago
has a harbor scheme of its own. The plan
there is TO dredge out water way which
will have two branches, one of which will
lead TO Lake George and the other to the
Calumet river. II is said that Frick is be-
hind this scheme am this would make East
Chicago the harbor city. In the meantime
the Standard Oil Company is saying nothing,
but is quietly pushing out piers at its i'm
mense plant at Whiting. adjoining the other
two towns on the north, and Whiting Is
rapidly getting the lake trade. This condi-
ton of affairs has caused renewal or
activity on the part Of Hammond. and now
to begin proceedings against the railroads
under the old common law principle against
the obstruction of navigable streams. 1t Is
believed that If the railroads can be forced
TO move the making of the harbor Will at
once follow.
But Hammond is not a unit in this pro
posed improvement. There is an element,
headed by ex-Representative Thomas Ham
maDd which is opposed to this plan, but
which desires that the Calumet river shall
be dredged out and vessels reach the city
by that stream. The Calumet river has
filled up 20 such an extent that 1T Is seldom,
II ever, that "a vessel reaches Hammond Do, Dy
that the Calumet river was filled with the
refuse from the Hammond packing houses,
but that objection has been removed in that
the business has been so perfected that the
only part Of the porkeTs not utilized at the
present time is the squeal
LOVE AFFAIR MADE CHICAGO.
The advocates of the lake harbor say that
Chicago would have been located in Indiana
and at the mouth of Wolf lake. instead of
where it is, had 1t not been for the love
affair of certain army officer. The engi-
neers named 10 locate Fort Dearborn, so
the story runs, decided upon the mouth of
Wolf lake and so reported. certain army
officer was sent out to look over the ground
and promptly fell in love with the daughter
of Indian trader who lived near where
Fort Dearborn was located, and the infat-
so as to be near to his lady love. Now
Hammond wants to recufy the error
caused by Cupid, but the railroad companies
stand in the way. The mouth Of Wolf lake
has been cut entirely of from Lake Mich
igan by the embellishments of the railroads
The city will donate a width of three hum
the harbor entrance. Wolf lake Is from
three TO fourteen feet deep and has an area
to open the mouth and secure the passage
of a craft of some kind and then the lake
will come within the province Of the United
States government for Improvement. On the
shore OF the lake to-day is hull over one
hundred feet long, which was of a lake
vessel that entered the lake before the rail-
roads closed the mouth. The general govern
ment will be expected to look after the inn
provement, after the railroads are disposed
OF. The plan adopted by the Wolf lake advo-
Gates Of Hammond is to dredge out basin
for the deep draught vessels and build
docks around the lake. The plan does not
contemplate extending this basin into that
Nearly all OF the property AUDITING on the
lake is owned by the Knickerbocker Ice
Company, of Chicago, and by those inter-
ested in Roby. The frst-named company
has already done much dredging and now
keeps a dredge at work constantly. The adj
vocates OF this harbor say that If property
could have been assessed to pay for OPEN
ing the mouth the burden would have fall
en- on these owners. They oppose the river
proposition because 1t would be necessary 10
pass sixty-two bridges to reach Hammond
by that rolte ard they claim the cost OF
freight is now increased 25 per cent. 10 Chi
cego shippers because OF the bridges and
tunnels.
A harbor located anywhere in this section
would be in direct communication with ten
trunk lines. the Baltimore & Ohio, Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern. Pennsylvania,
Wabash, Chicago & West Michigan, Michi-
gan Central. Nicke-plate Erie. Panhandle
and Louisville. New Albany & Chicago. In
addition to these seven belt lines are In the
territory. three of which completely encircle
Chicago and connect with each OF the TWEEN
ty-four lines entering that city. Each OF the
three cities or northwest Indiana wants the
harbor Hammond wants IL. but cannot
agree to where the entrance shall be,
and while Hammond fails TO agree, the
Frick interests are preparing 10 dredge out
the waterway OF two miles, so as 10 get IL
for East Chicago and the Standard Oil
Company continues TO push out it's piers.
They agree on but one thing and that Is
that they want the harbor for the lower