South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-25
Seven Again in South Bend at
Work on Route for Lake
Michigan to Lake Erie
"Big Ditch"
PATRONAGE AND WATER
SUPPLY BEING PROBED
How to Cross Network of
Railroads and Not Interfere
With Traffic Another Big
COnundrum.

United States engineers detailed to
work out a route for Lake Michi-
gan to Lake Erie canal are again IN
South Bend, furthering their investi-
cations begun some six weeks ago,
and promising after another week S
stay to know fairly well what the
prospects are Of this city ever being
blessed" with any kind Of inland
seaport" The Chamber Of Com
merce has opened it's rooms To the
engineers as their headquarters.
The troupe consists of =. NJ.
Churchill chief engineer in charge,
and Nj. r. Sutherland his assistant;
Frank SchOles, in charge of field
party; l.. b. Glasgow, in charge Of
topography, and H. +. Sacknus, L. q.
Thomas and e. d. Thomas, in charge
Of water works. The board of army
engineers, under whom they are act
ing, consists of Col. John Mills, Bos-
ton; Col. G. A. Zinn, Philadelphia,
and Col. G. p. BrOmwell, Cleveland,
and it is to these that the engineers
Will make their report.
I'VE can give out no information" ."
said Chief Engineer Churchill, "as to
what we shall recommend, but only
what we are doing. Our opinion and
conclusions based upon our findings.
will be reserved for the board. We
cannot even suggest whether the
canal will touch South Bend or not"
Water supply for the canal, trans
portation available along the route.
and how TO get past the railroads. as
well as the amount of digging neces-
sary, are the leading inquiries to
which answer is sought on the pres
ent trip.
Water Supply is Problem.
Water supply to operate the canal
must be available along the route,
and prospectively the year around,
and one of the questions incident to
following the St Joseph is the num-
Der Of dams that have been construct
ed in it, and the extent of the rights
of the owners can prohibit the govern
ment from drawing on the river for
canal uses
If the Indiana and Michigan Flec-
trio co. should prove through the
construction of its dams. along with
other dam owners to have obtained
sufficient control over the waters of
the st. Joseph. that they can prevent
those waters being diverted into the
canal; and. should they determine to
exercise that power, or refuse TO re-
linquish it, it is more than likely that
the Harris route through here will be
deserted, and the canal builders will
turn to the Taylor route and the
Kankal<ee for water sustenance This
would leave South Bend several
miles to the north of the artificial
stream.
Ft. Wayne appears 10 be favoring
the Taylor route as it is This NAV
be due TO its rivalry with South Bend.
or it may not. This route strikes out
from South Chicago, crosses the Kan
kakee near English lake, passes
through Rochester, direct to Wabash.
and then turns to the northeast. tax
ing in Ft. Wayne. Defiance. O.. and
other points along the historic Mau-
NEE.
The Taylor route from Ft. Wayne TO
Lake Erie is about the same as the
Harris route, but westerly from TT.
Wayne. the Harris route strikes north
west. through Columbia, Goshen, Elk
hart, Mishawaka and South Bend.
connecting with Lake Michigan at
Michigan City.
Transportation An Issue.
Next 10 the question Of water comes
that Of transportation patronage
along the route. In this regard il
CONTINUED on PAGE I6)