The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-11-03

days after Oct. 10, exclusive of sun
days and holidays. and must contain
| two thirds of the number of landown
ers mentioned in the petition, and who |
may be affected in any way by an as
sessment for the construction of the /
proposed ditch.
One of the chief objections to the
Burnes ditch is that the food waters |
| from the Little Calumet and Deep riv- |
| ers (Which in short time will be car |
rying the sewerage of the surrounding |
| towns) flowing into Lake Michigan are
going to pollute the water supply of !!
adjacent towns As before stated the |
surrounding towns will in a shore time
| be compelled TO look to Lake Michigan |
| for their future water supply, and they |
win also have to make some adequate |
disposal of their sewerage. Should the
Burnes ditch be built it will only be a
| few years before some such plan as
| the Hotchkiss ditch will have to be
| looked to to take care of the contami-
mated waters of Deep and the Little
Calumet rivers.
| A more simple plan and less expen-
sive way of draining the country in the
Calumet regions Is to cut a canal from
the little Calumet river to Lake Michi-
gan, starting at point directly north
of Liverpool and run due north between
Aetna and Gary. The total distance of
this route would be a tri1e over three
miles. This is the shortest route, the
least expensive and most practicable,
across this route are scarcely any OBJ
structions. BY slightly meandering this
line all hills can be avoided. with the
exception of few ridges.
This canal will remove all the wa
ters from the Calumet and Deep rivers
and at this point in the spring of the
year is natural basin, formed by the
overflow waters on account of the Lit
tie Calumet not being able to remove
same fast enough. The most natural
place to remove this surplus of water
would be the basin wherein the same
collects. Deep river empties into the
Little Calumet river about three quar-
tiers of a mile west of this point and
in the spring of the year this river is
in places 210 feet wide and IS to 80
feet deep, while today Deep river is
barely over 100 feet wide at the same
point
At the point where this canal would
leave the Little Calumet river. the river
is about 100 feet wide, and in the spring
will be one-quarter mile wide. The
river at the crossing of the Michigan
Central railroad will raise about six
feet in the spring, and for distance
of one mile the track is riprapped with
) stone to stop the washouts caused by
the overflow.
But this plan has the one chief OBJ
lection as the Burnes ditch (the con-
tamination of the Lake Michigan water
supply.
Mayor Knots of Gary at first OBJ
, jected to the Hotchkiss plan, but now
however admits the Burnes ditch to
be only a drainage proposition. with
out regard to sanitation. He also now
thinks the plan of Mr.. Hotchkiss must
ultimately be resorted to to dispose of
the sanitary question, and seems recon-
ciled to the plan and willing to aid in
its promotion. P J. Lyons is of the
same opinion, and says the Burnes
ditch is not the problem to be consid-
cred, as the important question is the
disposal of sewerage of the cities and
towns with their increasing popula-
tion, and the certainty that the empty
ing of sewerage into Lake Michigan
would certainly be stopped. He also
thought that by pursuing the Hotch-
kiss plan the removal of distractions
in the Little Calumet could then be
forced by legal process. This, he
thought, would give the drainage
through the Little Calumet that is
sought to obtain by means of the
? Burnes ditch.
Mayor Becker, ]. Schloer, Mayor Mil
Ter and Attorney Prebble of Michigan
2 City, Mayor De Briae of East Chicago,
Mayor F. j. Smith of Whiting, DR..
Lauer of Whiting, and Mr.. Ross OF In
Z diana Harbor all regard that now is
: the time for action, and all think that
the Hotchkiss plan, or one on that gen
! eral outline, must ultimately furnish
! the solution of the problem. And all
e decided that the mayors of cities and
: heads of the town governments of the
l district organize themselves into a
: working body to further plan or SAM
= tary district and for legislation to Sc
{ cure it.
: Why should we argue this question
q further in view of the eminent opinions
: already shown. 1t is plain TO be seen
e that all those people who are benefited
$ by the Burnes ditch will equally be
4 benefited by the Hotchkiss ditch, which
4 will eventually have to be constructed
: Why should we pay assessments or
= the Burnes ditch when in a short time
we will again be assessed for the