The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-09-22
APPROACHING FINAL STAGE
OF The FRONT STREET FILL

small boy jumped off the Front
street bridge yesterday afternoon into
the ravine below. This was the first
time so far as known that this has
been attempted, but it was not so
much of a feat after all. as the fiji I'm
'he gully has reached a point within
less than ten feet of the bridge floor
ING a little over a year ago the RAJ
vine was fifty feet deep, and to Jump
into 1t from the bridge would have
been very dangerous. In the mean
while the gulley has been filled with
sand washed down from the hills
above by water and deposited against
strong concrete walls. Four of these
walls have been built. the first be-
ing about twenty seven feet i'm height
and the three others about eight feet,
extending across the entire ravine.
The sand fiji back of the fourth wall
Is nearly finished and I'm the course of
n few days preparations can be made
for building the fifth and last wall,
by Contractor James McGlyn, and
which when completed will bring the
I'LL to the level of the sidewalk.
Before snow comes IL will be poss-
ible to cross on foot what was form
erly n deep and unsightly gulley fill
ed with garbage and rubbish and con-
stituting an eyesore and a source of
danger. The timbers of the old wood
en- bridge are nearly buried in sand,
and the whole structure built many
years ago, will shortly be a thing Of
the past and solid roadway will re-
place IT. The work of filling in the
ravine has been a notable undertake
ing and one of the most difficult of
any which the city has entered upon
In recent years. The filling has been
done by the Dakota Heights COM
pany formed of nine or ten of the
leading citizens of Hancock, with III.
u. Brock as the promoter and Original
tor Of the project to move the sand
hills of the Quincy sidehil into the
ravines and make useful property of
what was practically waste land. II
is only four years since the work was
begun. In the ravine having its out
let near the county bridge. and since
that time n vast amount of new land
has been made there and in the gull
ley where work is still in progress.
Deep valleys have been filled with
sand. and during the past summer
large number OF new and handsome
dwellings, have been erected on its
ots laid out, new streets have been
plated and n considerable area has
been added to the taxable property of
the city.
The filling of the last gulley was
started in June last year, and good
progress has been made. notwith-
standing numerous delays from time
TO time. A large force Of men has
been kept steadily employed upon the
work since its inception and thous-
inds of tons of sand and gravel have
been kept steadily running down from
he hillsides, washed down through
wooden launders by a stream of wa
ter supplied from the old Quincy
pump on the sands south of the old
bridge. The filling of the gulleys has
a number of old land
marks i'm the way of small structures
hat were located in the ravine
llong what was in Hancock's pioneer
lays the main roadway leading from
he county bridge to the village. The
work has proved of much interest to
residents and visitors, the operation
If moving hills to fill up the valleys
very fascinating and elictins
many expressions of wonder, espe-
tally from tourists who have visited
he city while the work has been I'M
Ter way.