The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-07-26


Indiana Harbor, July 26.-That ne
cessity is the mother of invention was
once more demonstrated in the expert
ence of the Great Lakes Dredge and
Dock company, which is dredging the
canal in the vicinity Of the railroad
bridges near the mouth of the water
way
Up to within the past few days, the
company has been working with an in
take pipe not to exceed forty feet in
length at which good results could be
accomplished. When 1t became OBJ
vious that it was impossible to pro-
coed with so short an intake, the com
pany experimental with one 200 feet in
length. The discovery that this could
be successfully operated was hailed
with joy by those in charge of the
work, who for a time had been dubious
about their ability to proceed with their
their contract
The dredge, which has for the past
several weeks been employed in max
ing navigable the canal under the bas-
Guile bridges, had cleared the channel
under the first of the five huge struc-
lures which is owned by the c., L & e
LtAA5 was easy the uIeURG nOlQlnE us
station in the mouth Of the canal
between the bridge and the lake In
dredging beyond that point it became
necessary to go for the ponderous
craft underneath the bridge. This was
impossible unless the bridge was raised
and all the while the dredge was clear
Ing the sand and dirt away from the
channel in the space which divided the
c.. L. S. & E. and the second bridge.
which is the property of the B. & O..
the c., L. S. e. kept their bridge
raised between trains. lowering 1t every
time a train came along. in order to
give 1t an opportunity to cross the
canal When the work had progressed
as far as the B. & Q. bridge and further
in the space which divides the latter
from the three bridges Of the Lake
Shore. it became necessary for two
bridges to be raised all the time. In
order to give the dredge the right Of
way to the open space toward the lake
when trains came along. demanding the
lowering of the bridges. This was made
necessary because the spaces between
the bridges in each case were too mar
row for the dredge to work with the
bridges down.
The railroads stood this for some
time with patience becoming a souIless
corporation. When it came to the point
Of excavating underneath the three
Lake Shore bridges, and having to leave
their structures raised throughout the
process and wait for the dredge to pull
out whenever train passed they de-
INJURED They not only demurred but
they declared unequivocany that they
could not stand for It, The dredge
might get out of it the best way they
could but they refused 10 be the fall
guys any Toned. When the dredge com
pany realized that this was the ulti-
matum of the railroads they set about
experimenting, with the result that
they have discovered that the suction
in their intake is as good for distance
of zoo feet as it was from forty
The dredge is now stationed in the
open between the first of the bridges
and the lake, from which point it is
dredging from underneath the first Of
the Lake Shore bridges. 200 feet away.
Whether this will hold good still
farther, in order to enable the dredge
to work in its present position until
the further side OF the last Of the Lake
Shore bridges, which are closer to-
; getheT than are the other structures IS