South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-26
TO FEEL PUBLIC
PULSE ON CANAL
United States Engineers Seek
information on State of Pub
lie Sentiment Regarding Pro-
posed Waterway.

Seeking TO feel the public pulse"
IN regard 10 the proposed Erie Afiehi-
gan canal, the north route for which
II adopted would pass through South
Bend. the board Of engineers of the
war department has sent The News
Times a review Of the data concern
ing the canal and a series of ques-
tons. p. L. Bond. major of the board
OF engineers. writes that the board
hopes through this means TO deter
mine the true state Of public senti-
ment in regard 10 the canal which
will be OF assistance in preparation
OF its report 10 congress.
Here is the communication OF the
engineers who are located at Cleve
land. o.:
by an act Of congress. the war de-
partment, through the United States
engineer department. is conducting a
thorough investigation 10 determine
the feasibility Of a waterway to con-
meet Lake Erie at or near Toledo. o.,
with Lake Michigan at some point be-
tween Michigan City and Chicago.
Proposed Routes.
The proposed waterway will in
vOlve the canaliZauon of the Maumee
river between Toledo and Fort
Wayne. a distance Of 1855 miles. a |
minimum depth Of u feet and a |
minimum width OF 200 feet Will be es-
tablished throughout this section. |
From Fort Wayne a survey of two /
routes has been made known as the !
northern" and "sOutherR' routes. /
The former runs almost due
west from Fort Wayne TO South |
Whitley. thence north, passing /
through Warsaw. Leesburgh New |
Paris. Goshen, Elkhart. Mishawaka. /
g. 4 Ii
n. Long lake, Calumet river and /
Gary to Calumet harbOr. The latter |
starting at Fort Wayne. follows the |
Wabash valley 20 Huntington, thence /
northwest. passing just south of Ak
ron north OF Rochester, south of /
North Manchester and Knox, through /
Valparaiso, Gary, Calumet river, TO
Calumet harbor. The distance TO
Calumet harbOr from Fort Wayne, |
by the northern route is 1866 miles.
and between the same points by the
southern route the distance is 100
miles.
The dimensions of the canal
through land sections are 10 feet on
the bottom, with a side slope of two
ON one. with minimum depth Of 2
feet. These dimensions are some
what similar 10 the improved New
York state barge canal between Buff
falo and the Hudson river. Between
Toledo and Fort Wayne there would
be nine locks; between Fort Wayne
and Calumet harbOr by the northern
route. II locks; by the southern
northern route would be approx
mately SIS feet above mean sea level
AT Sandy Hook: Of the southern route,
765 feet The water supply for lock-
ages will be drawn from the rivers. in
southern Michigan and northern IN
diana.
Here Are Questions Submitted.
L. Do YOU favor the construction
Of this waterway? If yea or nay
for what reasons
-. DO you favor placing the en-
tire cost OF construction. maintenance
and operation on the federal govern
ment2 IL not. 10 what extent do you
favor the states and municipalities in
terested bearing a portion OF the eX-
pense? bright of way. terminals, both
nj Chicago and Toledo and at inter
mediate points, etc.)
"3. In what manner and TO what
extent would the canal benefit your
community? What are your reasons
for your views?
q DO YOU believe that the canal
would attract any great volume of
business if its rates were not lower
than those by rail. including neces-
sary transhipments?
. Would YOU favor the water
way if il were not self-supporting but
imposed a tax on the states traversed,
or on the United States at large
Sc To what extent would you as 1
a shipper use the canal for either re-
cCipts or shipments?
United States Engineer Office,
cleveland. O.. Jan. %. 1918"
Sec'y Spaulding of the Chamber Of
Commerce. believes that South Bend
4
and bring an avalanche of public SEN
timent from this community TO bear
on congress and those with whom the
fate Of the canal route lays. Each ,
route the one through Fort Wayne
and the one through South Bend, has
its advantages and the balance OF
power. so TO speak, will lie with the
OF public sentiment
one of the most valiant seek
ers after the southern route is Hunt
ington This little town has spent
hundreds of dollars already towards
getting the canal its way. In addition
il has sent two workers quietly to
Washington To drum up sentiment in
favor OF the southern route
Will Prepare Report
one OF South Bends big attractive
powers is her large amount of small
tonnage freight. Thousands OF tons
Of this go in and ont Of the city. How
much traffic the city really does IN
this line Is one of the objects OF Mai.
Ponds letter to the commerce body.
He enclosed a blank form requesting
Sec'y Spaulding TO prepare a full state
nent OF tonnage OF various sorts for 7
South Bend for 1913 and file IL with
the consulting board of engineers not
later than noon of Feb. 20, This re-
port will be filed with the war depart
nent and then submitted 10 congress.
simultaneous with the letter from
Mai Pond was a visit by Capt Lewis
HAYES Watkins OF the corps OF en-
Cineers with the L. ). army engaged 1
with the board IN charge of the pre-
liminary survey. Capt Watkins Is at
present detailed To specially estimate
the cost OF building the canal.