The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-11-03
Voiceof the People
THE DRAINAGE OF THE LITTLE
CALUMET REGION.

rem waste of land lying south of the
Little Calumet river. within the last
three years has sprung up the wonder
full city OF Gary wonderful on account
of the vast amount of work and num-
erous amount of improvements. both
public and private, which have been
completed in so short a period.
Today we find growing, hourishing
city where but three years ago lay
barren land and saand dunes.
On July %. 1908, the first boat load
of ore for the largest steel mills in
the world passed into the new Gary
harbor. This harber is ESQ feet wide.
so feet deep and nearly one half mile
long, connecting the Calumet river
with Lake Michigan. and on August Is,
1908. just thirtyive days after the
opening of the harbor, twenty three
boat loads of ore are reported as hav-
ing been received, aggregatfng 212,739
tons of ore. On Oct. 3, 1908, sixty
seven days after the opening. We find
one half million tons of ore have been
delivered to these new steel mills, and
yet with this vast amount of iron ore
in their bins, the steel corporation say
that they are behind their schedule.
The residence of Gary today COM
prises about four square miles, which
is rapidly becoming thickly populated.
Gary itself covers about sixteen square
miles and it has been conservatively
estimated that within fifteen years the
population of Gary and the, surround
ing towns dependent on this wonder
full city will be over $50, 900.
c. w Hotchkiss well known engi-
neer. has looked forward to the growth
of Gary and the surrounding towns in
the Calumet region, and has taken up
the matter of drainage of the Calumet
dis trict. He proposes to form a sani
tary district in the northwest part of
Indiana extending from Michigan City
on the east to the state line on the
west. taking in the towns in that re-
gion which are growing SO rapidly, and
run the waters from the Calumet into
| the drainage canal southwest of Chi
cago. This canal would not only take
| care of the drainage of all lands in
the Calumet region, but would also take
care of all sewerage coming from Por-
| ter, Crown Point, Hobart, East Gary,
Glen Park and Gary all of which are
bound to become large towns in the
| near future with the growing of Gary.
And all of which towns. with the ex-
|
forced to empty their sewerage into
the Little Calumet river.
| Where are these towns to obtain
their future supply of drinking water?
The sources from which they now OBJ
| tain them are plainly inadequate TO
take care of the vast population which
these towns can soon expect.
The answer is obvious; with the ex-
| of Inf oil Of oh
named towns must look, in the near
future, to Lake Michigan for their wa
ter supply.
/ The solution of the drainage of the
Calumet regions lies in the plan of Mr..
Hotchkiss, and he should receive the
support of all the people in the Calu-
met district of Indiana.
1t is also understood that the United
States Steel corporation has taken lib
eral and broad views on the plan as
laid down by Mr.. Hotchkiss. as the
need of drainage is obvious to the peo-
pie of the state of Indiana and the
towns and manufacturing industries
located therein.
On oct. 9, 1908, the Calumet Deer
Water Ways association met at Indi-
ana Harbor to consider this project to-
/
brought up. And on Oct Is, a meet
ing of all the mayors and town Off
Gals of the Calumet region was held
at Hammond, at which meeting c. w
Hotchkiss gave an address putting
forth his plan OF solving the difficul
question of sewerage in these regions
At the same meeting ]. w. Alvords, the
eminent sanitary engineer, who de
signed the water and sewer system o.
Gary, spoke highly in favor of the c
w. Hotchkiss ditch, claiming that i
would keep all the sewerage from thu
towns in the Calumet district from be
ing emptied into Lake Michigan anC
polluting and communicating the waite
supply thereof. He said in fact tn,
thing now of the most Importance il
not this or that project. but the find
ing of one grand scheme which viii
cover the entire regions in compre
hensive way and solve sanitation TO
generations to come.
The Burnes ditch has been designed
for the purpose of draining the sam
land as the Hotchkiss ditch. The rout
of the ditch is incorrectly stated in tn
petition, but it is intended to cut
ditch from Deep river, about eight,
rods east of Lake Station, thence nortl
to the Little Calumet river, thence fol
! lowing the Little Calumet river tire
} and one-half miles to the center lin
of the east half Of section SO. town
ship 81, Range Z, thence north TO tn
lake at or near Dune park.
| 1t will be necessary for the practi
|. bility of this ditch that the river b
Strengthened out for a distance of thre
and one-half miles, which can only b
done at enormous expense, for shout
they folio wthe old channel of the river
which IS very Irregular and meander
ing, they will in the course of the tire
and one-half miles have flown to a.
, four points of the compass, and at ev
cry crook or turn sand bars will. i
the course of time form, and blockad
sewerage and cause foul and stagnan
[ water.
] Should this river be Strengthened
. will be the cause of endless amount {
trouble to the farmers and landowner
along the route OF said canal. TIL
, river is the old Indian boundary lin
and almost all property owned in til
route of this canal will be divided b
same and rendered useless on accour
of being cut off from the mainland, an