MOUND CITY AND CARNAK SITES PUT ON ENDANGERED LIST

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Pieces of Chicago's history and two sites in Southern Illinois are ranked among the state's 10 most endangered historic sites by a preservation group.

In its eighth annual list, the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois said Tuesday that a number of decades-old buildings with ornate designs are in danger of being torn down or irreversibly neglected in Chicago.

The group is a nonprofit watchdog for preserving historic sites.

"If (people) don't protect the particular character of their neighborhoods and their towns, sooner or later they won't know whether they're living in Illinois or in Las Vegas," said David Bahlman, the group's executive director.

The sites in Southern Illinois are:

* The Mound City Marine Ways and U.S. Naval Station/Yard in Mound City, a boat ramp during the Civil War that has deteriorated because of erosion and its current use as a loading area for barges.

* The Main Brothers Box and Lumber Company Office Building in Karnak, a former timber and farming operation that has been vacant since the 1970s.

The latest list focuses on Chicago, where four sites are considered in trouble. Those include Cook County Hospital, which is scheduled to be torn down once a new hospital is opened behind it next year.