South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-06
ENTIRE OHIO CITY
Is MOVED FOR Big
ANTI-FLOOD DAMS
Hundreds of Men Are Kept
Busy on Construction of
Five Property Walls.

present location.
Construction OF the great Mani
Valley Conservancy district. AZ a cost
Of approximately 100000. has
necessiuated the removal OF this little
city. The building OF a dirt road.
over which Osborne will make It's
trek 70 a new site already has been
completed. and buildings in the lit
tie city's business dis rict are being
razed Homes are being demolished
or taken down. piece BY piece.
The citizens OF Osborne-each OF
the 1.251-are glad that moving
day" has arrived. IN their new
homes up the road" they will be
assured that no repetition OF the
1913 food will ever come.
When the food OF 1913 ripped in
20 DAYTON Osborne also was flooded
When the citizens Of Dayton and
those OF other towns and districts in
eight adjoining counties banded
themselves together 10 make the
Miami valley safe for democracy
the Miami valley conservEncy dis
trict. which is a court or govern
ment unto itself was formed under
Ltaws Of the state OF Ohio.
VIII Build Fiyc Dams
The scheme for preventing a rope
tition Of the 1913 floods was worked
out BY Arthur Z. Morgan and as
soclctes. II called for the construc-
ton OF Eve great dams in the dis
t-ict with a system OF outlets or
spillways. which would release the
water behind the dams in such
quantities that the streams below
the dams would not be over loaded.
The dams have been completed.
They are gigantic structures, and
they withstood the test OF this spring
in such a manner as 70 convince
even the most skeptical Of the wis
dom OF the plan. Thirty-seven feet
OF water backed up behind some Of
the dams. which could have accom-
modated one hundred feet more wa
ter without danger.
There was but one town within
the district which lay directly be
low one OF the dams. The law ere
ating the district required that thie
town be made safe In the future.
Only two ways to do this were pos
sible. one was TO build a dam COM
pletely around tho town. The other
was TO move the town bodily 10
higher ground. some distance away.
This was regarded as the cheapest
and best method OF solving the prob
lem.
District Buys Property.
The conservancy district then
bought the property OF the entire
town, through condemnation pro-
ceedings and resold the buildings TO
the owners who wanted them. A
few there were who decided 20 go
along with the old town to the new
site and build new homes. This
was done in a number of cases. the
old buildings being abandoned for
disposal as the district may see At.
IL was A money-making deal for
the owners. as they made about
$50. 900 through the double transac-
ton.
The new town site was selected by
a holding company known as the
Osborne Removal Co. The new site
was plated. sidewalks constructed,
streets laid out. trees planted. gas
water and electric lines put In. a
location set aside right IN the center
OF the business district for a public
park. fountain. shrVbbery and other
things that 80 10 make up a regu-
lar civic center.
A town hall costing $4,000
which Will be the Feat OF govern
ment and home of the FIRE depart
ment. is under way as is a $4,000
school building The new water
works system viii cost SIS. 900 when
completed.
Houses Are Moved.
OF the lis houses in the town
nearly all will be lacked up and NOV
ing apparatus inserted under them
They then will be trundled TO the
rev locations and set upon the
new foundations The removals are
20 be made without disturbing fam,
lies or contents
The houses viii be rolled alonl
what Is called the spade handle.
in order 20 evade a state law requir-
ing that a village in extending its
corporate limits without losing it'
.lr.ghts must continue IN an unbroker
line. Consequently a strip OF land
400 feet wide and extending from
the old town site 20 the new is in
Guided in the corporation extension
II is almost two miles long.
After Osborne Is completely
moved this road and the old town
site will be vacated by Legal pro-
cess. The former town will be re
converted into farm lands by the
conservancy district.
Two OF the four churches in o.
borne already have selected theil
new locations, and several small IN
dustries are making arrangement
20 locate in the new town.
farmers cooperative elevator 1:
one OF the new buildinss. and new
station FOR the two steam lines and
the one electric line Is ready for oc'
cupancy.
Excavation Work Heavy.
In building the I'VE great dams Il
was necessary 20 move 25.oOo'ooC
cubic yards OF earth by wagon and
hydraulic power. The fills were
made by sluicing earth snd grave
along what Is known as the core OF
the dam. It Is composed OF the fine'
particles OF the filing. with tbs
outer slopes consisting OF the
coarser sands and gravel In nearly
every case the dams are one thou
sand or more feet through At the
base.
In the construction OF the greai
project three steam roads and one
electric line we're relocated. as were
county and state roads, power lines
and telephone lines.
The expenses incurred are oeins
paid through the levy OF assessments