The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-06-14
THROUGH THE STATE
NEWS GATHERED FROM VARIOUS
INDIANA POINTS.
90 MILE CANAL PLANNED
Chicago. New York and Pittsburs
Capitalists Begin Operations foy
Water Way System in caiu-
met District.

Indiana Harbor.-Engineers repre-
senting a combination of Chicago.
New York. Pittsburg and Indianapo-
lis capitalists are completing plans
here for an extended system OF
canals. The system proposed is 10
extend from Indiana Harbor To
point between Gary and Michigan
City The first surveys provide for
water way so miles long. to cost &c.
900 900. The system is held neces-
sary as an aid TO development of the
steel and iron industries TO center in
the Calumet region.
The. canal system projected is 10
extend from Lake Michigan's shore
for eight miles. with a main channel
$50 feet wide extending in a south
erly loop 20 miles long The main
channel will be 25O feet wide. with
lateral canals 200 feet in width. The
| system is TO have a uniform depth OF
"a feet Turning basins 500 feet in
diameter. similar TO that nearing COM
pletion in the Indiana Harbor snip
canal. will be dug at intervals OF two
miles all through the system. It is
estimated il will take ten years TO
complete the water ways laid out.
The first plans for the water ways,
which await approval of the men
behind the project and OF the govern
ment's engineers in Chicago. show
routes touching Indiana Harbor, East
Chicago. Hammond and Gary.
Il Ar q kn1f- fns ha W 70
II is proposed TO utilize two canal
projects which are already under way.
These are the Indiana Harbor ship
canal and the canals of the United
States Steel corporation at Gary The
Indiana Harbor canal 200 feet wide.
\ already connects Indiana Harbor and
East Chicago, two miles inland 1t is
200 feet wide and % feet deep and
will float the biggest vessels on the
lakes. Three hydraulic dredges of
large capacity are working in the
district
The Calumet river. which runs slug
gishly for several miles along the
route OF the main channel of the pro
posed canal system. is to be made
serve the demands Of commerce by
being deepened. Strengthened and
lined with wharves.
The Indiana Harbor water way
with the pier extending into Lake
Michigan 10 protect IT'S entrance, has
already cost s75O,OOO, and there re-
mains $500. 900 to spend on il before
it reaches Hammond, The Steel cor
poration is spending s1,O0O.0O0 on
water ways at Gary, building break
waters and piers TO give ready &C
cess to ore and coal boats.
That the extensive inner water
ways will be necessary became APP
parent, according to the chief en-
gineers at Gary. almost as soon as
the Gary town site was laid out Steel
and iron manufacturing companies
are rushing into the district from all
over the country that they may be
near perfect water and rail transpor-
tation and the source of steel supply
in the future. The American Bridge
company Is going TO build a plant of
which one building will be more than
1000 feet long
Considerable secrecy has been
thrown around the operations of the
engineering corps. These worked for
four months under direction of II. d.
Richards. OF New York. general field
engineer for a number Of eastern rail
ways Mr.. Richards supervised prep
aration of the preliminary plans and
drawings for the canal system