The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-05-31
PLANS ARE
NOW Being
DISCUSSED
Holman St Grade Crossing
Costly 10 the Roads
ESPECIAL 10 THE rInEsl

CHICAGO, Ill, May s1.--The Mich
igan Central. Indiana Harbor Belt,
Nickel Plato. Monon. Erie and c &
o. railroads. will take the initiative
in the matter Of elevating their lines
through Hammond so as to eliznin-
ate crossing at grade.
This statement was made to a
Times reporter by an official of one
OF the railroads. The railroad offic-
ial granted the interview on tho
understanding that his name would
not be used.
He confirmed a rurnor that the
question had been discussed by rep
resentatives of the various railroads
at = conference recentiy.
1T is as much 10 the interest OF
the railroads to eliminate the grade
crossing at Holman street and Plum
rnar avens4e as is is to the public Of
Hammond" declared the railroad Of
fetal. Take the Indiana Harbor
Belt line for instance. 1t Is short
haul freight line with a great num-
ber OF faains. Have you any idea
wnat 1t costs that line to be held UP
by the Eries long freights or what
it costs the, Erie to be held up by
the /. II. FIT
$50 TRAINS DAILY
SAY for example that the I. H. B.
and the Erie lose an hour day for
year in and year out You can read
ily see that elevation IS a matter Of
economy AS q matter Of fact the
Indiana fIarbor Belt has seventy-hve
tIans a day passing over the Hoh-
man street grade crossing and the
Michigan Central has thirty-six pas
senge trains every twenty -four
hours. the Monon. IA; the Erie. IL;
the Nickel Plate, 6 and the c. & o., T.
Lust AT present there are 250
trains day crossing at grads ON
these Eve railroads at Holman ST.,
and during the heavy season there
are as high as 375 and 400
The pressure for elevation viii be
brought up by the Indiana Hai'bor
Belt, the Michigan Central and the
Monon?" the reporter asked the Of
fetal.
We'll. IL Is just as imp portant to
the Erie" the official countered. IN
all probability the New York Central
group of roads will make the first
elevation"
viii the Nickel Plate go over the
E T. & E. TO Gibson and come to
Hammond on the Michigan Central
elevation?"
That is very likely" said the Of
Aciai
If the Michigan Central. Indiana
Harbor Belt and Nickel Plate elevate
east and west the Erie. c. & o. and
Eonon will not have to elevate?" the
reporter said, putting it as a ques-
tion.
ALL MUST ELEVATE
That would be an intolerable con-
dstion." said the engineer. 1T
would make the grade crossing OF
the Erie C. & o. and Monon under
the viaduct of the Michigan Central,
l. H. B. and Nickel Plate too danger
Gus to be permitted. No. that is en-
tirely out Of the question. 1t would
be a death trap If there ever was
one.
Since you have agreed not to use
my name / feel free to say that the
Erie and Monon. which, Of course in
cludes the c. and o., will have
the lower elevation"
You really believe this will be
done within the next few years."
Within ten years, yes. It cannot
be done tomorrow. Bat feel Ger
tain that it will be done within ten
years, probably by 1890
Have plans been made?"
1T is being discussed"
do these plans. or discussions.
include a union depot
NO. 1t is more likely that the
New York Central group will have
one depot and the other three roads
another depot. Holman street and
Plunener avenue is poor spot for a
depot However, that is merely my
opinion. Things may work out diff
ferently.
This is not a matter of sentiment
with the railroads. It is a question
of dollars Grade crossings are bad
when there are but two or three rail-
roads isut when there are five It is
cheaps. TO move the yard further out
and elevate. II costs money 70 have
a train stalled five, ten or fifteen
minutes There is the pay of the
crew and increased cost of operation
In every way"