Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-13
RAILROAD cos PROTEST
WIDER CHICAGO RIVEH
Pennsylvania viii Abandon Plans
for New Depot if Idea
Is Carried Out

CHICAGO, June 12.-Plans for the
construction of a magnificent new
building on the present site Of the
Union station. which is expected to be
one of the finest railway depots IN the
world, will be abandoned if the channel
of the south branch of the Chicago
river is widened to 200 feet between
Madison and Van Buren, streets.
This statement was made yesterday
by Attorney Frank J. Loesch, special
counsel for the Metropolitan Elevated
Railway company and counsel for the
Pennsylvania Railroad company, who
appeared as one of the attorneys IN
the hearing before Maj Thomas FL.
Rees, chief of the corps of federal en-
gineers in Chicago, on the question OF
ordering either the removal or the
lengthening of the bridge of the Metro
politan company short distance south
of Jackson boulevard.
According to Attorney Loesch, the
advocates of a 200-foOt channel are ad-
vocating a course that would make
the present location wholly unavail-
able as a new depot site.
"They are simply trying to drive US
away" declares Mr.. Loesch after the
adjournment of the hearing. "If the
channel is made 200 feet wide it will
site. It will necessitate the removal
Of the abutments of the bridge inland
to a distance of between fifty and sew
enty feet. Such AN undertaking at
the Metropolitan bridge would surely
mean a similar lengthening at the
Jackson boulevard. Adams street and
other bridges along that branch of the
river. Besides destroying the property
as a site for a new station, it also
- aFan
main track.
1--WE have had experience in this
matter of widening the channel of the
river heretofore. The sanitary district
of Chicago secured 1t strip of thirty
five feet between Madison and Van
Buren, streets some time ago, and at
present we have barely enough room
to build the proposed station The
Pennsylvania Railroad company, of
course, Is only indirectly interested in
the proceeding pending before Major
Rees."
what would be the result if it is
decided that the channel should be
widened to 200 feet?" he was asked.
"It would mean big fight" replied
Mr.. Loesch Every inch of ground
would be vigorously contested"
"Are you opposed to channel 14O
feet wide?'
"I regard that width as entirely rea-
sonable. 1t would furnish ample pro-
vision for all navigation along the
river. In addition it would not in
terfere with the preSent Union depot
site as a location for the new station.
A 20O-foot channel would be entirely
unreasonable and a burden on the
taxpayers"
Mr.. Loesch did not present any argu-
ments before Major Rees, but will be
heard at length, 1t is expected, when
the hearing is resumed in June.
Views from varied interests were
listened to, however one Of the chief
contentious put forth being that Chi
cago's commerce had not advanced one
step in the last fifteen years becau@e
of it's inadequate river capacity. This
assertion was contained in affidavits
made by navigators and vessel cap
tains read before Major Rees.
C. F. Wiehe, chairman of the rivers
and harbors committee of the Illinois
Manufacturers association, pointed out
a statement in one Of the affdavits
to tn effect that 100000 tons of iron
ore was shipped to South Chicago an
nually and then taken by rail to Joliet
and other steel manufacturing centers
because the ore could not be handled
on the Chicago river. Among the
points emphasized by Wiehe were the
following:
Vessels having a length of $50 feet
require the opening of the Metropoli-
tan, jackson boulevard and Van Buren
street bridges simultaneously to enable
them to pass
The current is so strong beneath and
between those bridges that navigation
is dangerous
Some Sof the larger boats on the
great lakes cdnnot traverse the Chi
cago river because of it's narrowness.
Two boats, each thirty feet wide,
cannot pass each other in the river.
The drainage canal, which cost $780,
0OO. 600 cannot be of any great COM
mercial value until the Chicago river
is improved.