The Lake County times., 1908-04-04
RELIEF FOR FLOOD
VICTIMS IN SIGHT
Immense Ditch Will be Built
by Steel Company
at Once.
100 MORE MEN SET TO WORK
Water Now Up to Window Ledges-
Families Move in Wagons
Immersed to Box.

Relief is in sight for the flooded
portion of Gary, btween Broadway and
madison streets and the Wabash tracks
and eighteenth avenue 1t was given
out this afternoon that the Steel com
pany would abandon their attempt To
drain off the district through the tile
sewer between Washington street and
broadway ana construct a large ditch
at once which will carry the wafer
into nearby slough which is q mart
OF the great system known as the Glib
son run.
Ihis morning with a hundred addf-
ucnal men they began the work and
III few days they expect to dry mn
that portion of Gary which is the most
Ihlckly inhabited and the most menaced
by the recent flood. The ditch is to
be run diagonally across the flle.4-in
portlon OF the Steel company's SUBJ
division the marsh which runs west NJ
the one which they are about to drain
and which emptied into the Grand
Calumet river. This slough will he
adequate to hold the surplus water and
can be reached far more easily than
the river 1t is thought that the filing
II, of the portion of the slough be-
tween the river and the flooded part
OF the city so that there is no outlet
for the surplus water is Responsible
for the height of the water and the
seriousness of the situation. The small
sewer that was constructed and de-
sigend to connect these two bodies COL
lapsed few weeks ago. and therefore
stopped the only outlet The probable
cause of the breakage in the sewer is
not its poor construction but the weight
Ct the sand which was suddenly thrown
upon it in filing in the marsh in which
il was laid.
Every day. in the south end the water
has been constantly rising. Today it
stands in many places eight to ten
feet deep and it is thought that three
fourths of the territory in this district
is now. under water Madison and sew
eral other streets are flooded in por
tions to d depth of six inches and walk
ing and teaming has been made dis
agreeable. and difficult Window ledpas
OF several of the shaels have now been
reached and hardly a. floor in anv of
the buildings has escaped the flood
Those who still remain in the build-
irgs are in nearly every case forced
to bridge their way to the entrance
and in several cases RATS and i'm |
provised boats are used Teams are
constantly working keeping the streets |
open by filing in the low places and
up to date they have been quite sue
cessfnl One street. however, eleventh |
avenue is now entirely impossible and |
it has been abandoned
In moving out of their shacks one
family which turned in a hurry call to
a nearby wagon, almost failed to get
their goods out without being soaked.
The wagon stood up to the wagon
box in water while the furniture was
being loaded and if it had been a little
deeper the loading would have been
impossible Chickens. and other do
nestle animals have been huddled to-
gether on small dry spots and in sew
sral cases taken into the house to save
hem. Several instances have been re-
ported where they have been drowned. +,
Duckings in. the water by the in
labitants are also of frequent occur
'cnce and furnish much amusement in
he neighborhood.