The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-04-10
DITCH
REPORT PUT
On THE FILE
Commission Estimates Con-
struction Cost at $3.50, 900;
Nearly Three Million Cub
ic Feet Of Dirt VIII Have
to Be Removed.

The cost of the Burns ditch, as esti-
mated by the commissioners in their
report filed yesterday in the Porter cir
cult court before Judge w. c. Nc
Mahan, is $26e, 900. To construct the
Burns ditch and drain off the sub
merged lands of the central part of
Lake and Porter counties so that they
can be used for business and residential
purposes, considerably over a quarter
of a million dollars must be expended.
The report filed by the commission,
composed of A. P. Melton OF Lake coun-
ty, Thomas Wilson and Guy r. Stinch-
field of Porter county, contains much
data of interest to the people of this
county. The amount OF dirt which will
have to be removed before the flow Of
the Calumet river is reversed is $685.
ass cubic yards.
A peculiar factyaboutthe construction
of this ditch Is the fact that after it
is completed the Calumet river will be
made to flow in two directions. From
the Tolleston dam westward the stream
will flow into the Grand Calumet river,
and from the dam eastward the river
WILL flow into the lake. This will mean,
according to Mr.. Melton, that the river
west of the dam will gradually dry UP
famous stream left. There win be but
little water to feed it If the sources
Of supply such as Eagle Creek and
Deep river, are cut or and during low
water the river will be hardly more
than creek.
The general plan Of the commission
ers is to dig three bitches. The largest
of these will be IN the strengthening OF
the river from the main ditch to the
TolIeston dam, from which there viii
be 1,445,3 45 feet dredged. The purpose
of this ditch will be to straighten GU
the river 50 that the water will more
easily stay in the bed of the river, ant
It will be deepened so that the capacity
| will be greater. the length is sS,17
feet Another ditch. which is the so
| luton Of the reverse of the flow of tn,
river, is the ditch from the river to tn,
lake at Dune park, which viii be sew
enty feet wide, $3.50 feet long and iron
which there will be 9S7,144 cubic fee
of earth taken. A third ditch will b
run to Eagle creek to drain off tina
portion of Porter county, and will b.
1850 feet in length.
The total length Of ell of the ditche
will be fifteen and one-haf miles. Th
present high water level viii be owere
thirteen feet after the ditch is con
structed and it will be five feet belo'
the present low water level. There wi
be something over 1900 property own
ers affected by the draining of the suit
merged land.
There was much rejoicing In Valpars
iso among those interested in the pro
ject when the report, containing IS
typewriter pages. was filed with tt
circuit judge. The happiest man
the county was Randall Burns, the pre-
moter of the project. after whom tn
ditch was named The commissioner
have been at work on the surveys ar
estimates since November 49,
It is believed that the constructio
of the ditch can be started this yea
4 This depends upon the number of II
4 monstrances filed with the county con
misisoners upon the assessments
8 benefits. These remonstrances must
! fled in court by the 18th of this mont