South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-25
MICHIGAN TO ERIE
CANAL SURVEY IS
TO BEGIN At ONCE
Army Board Orders Engineers
to Go Into Details of Both
Northern and Southern
ROuteS-TO Take Year.

Based on the decision Of the army
canal board, incident to its meeting at
Fort Wayne, Thursday, surveys of
both the Harris and Taylor Lake
Michigan to Lake Erie canal routes,
are to begin at once, favoritism for
the Harris route. through South Bend,
and the shorter one, being expressed,
provided sufficient water supply is
available without too much expense.
Richard Elbel was the delegates from
the South Bend Chamber of Com
merce, at the canal board meeting.
The board consists of four members.
Colonel John Mills Boston; Colonel
G.. A Zinn, Philadelphia; Colonel +.
p. Bromwell, Cleveland, and. Colonel
H V Judson, Chicago, the latter re-
Gently added.
incidentally. as the result of the re-
cent Investigations made by the army
engineers, all thought of using the st.
Joseph river as a canal bed, dredging
and installing locks, has been aban-
doned, due TO distance being an ele-
ment of consideration, and Chicago
the objective point at this end of the
route.
The South Bend route, lined with
three times the population and ten
times the commerce of the other,
comes straight west from Fort Wayne
to South Whitley, thence to Warsaw.
and northLrly to New Paris, Goshen,
Elkhart, MishaWaka, South Bend. New
Carlisle and Michigan City. 1t Will
pass South Bend to the South, just
north of the foothills, through Rum
Village, on a fill of from so TO 40 feet
TO the west.
Water Supply is Problem.
troupe of fifteen additional engi-
ne9rs VIII be drafted for this survey
service. making . in all, engaged on
the two routes. u. NJ Churchill is
to continue chief engineer in charge,
assisted by n. X. Sutherland, with
Frank Scholes in charge of the field
parties, l.. b. Glasgow in charge of
photography, and II. +. Sacknus, l..
C Thomas and +. d. Thomas in charge
of water works.
Water supply for the canal espe-
cially along the north route is an i'm
portant factor according TO the report
of the engineers to the army board,
since il viii have TO be drawn from a
source TO the northeast, several miles
over in Michigan, the clusters of lakes
in that vicinity being the surface evil
dence. Whether tapping those veins
for canal support will affect the city
water supply. and whether II is likely
neither, may also have TO be consid
cred. and is one Of the questions which
will finally decide, after all surveys
are made, whether the north route or
the south route is to be followed.
1t Will require pretty much the ball
anCe of the year to complete the sur
veys. enabling the engineers to finally
report according TO Assistant Engineer
Sutherland. who returned from Fort
Wayne Friday evening with Mr.. Elbel,
going on TO Michigan City Saturday.
1t Will be at least a year before the
secretary of war can make his rec
concentrations to congress- and then
it is up to the people of this section
TO see that congress orders the canal,
one or the other, constructed.
Maps showing the location of the
two routes Will be on exhibition in
South Bend after few days. at Elbers
store. perhaps. for a while: then at the
Chamber Of Commerce rooms.