Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-10-30

of The earth gravel or snow, that would be conssny
accommodating, and (much of II carried mere ny e ua
vel mentioned abuve) would produce serious luLOn
venence 3dy That If the street were so improved do
10 render it easily pa.sable The track. in The dlreco
of its length, il would subject carriages to eohtua
accident by getting their wheels into the grooves aI
furthermore, by its affordng facilities tor loot Pssse
gers horsemen would increase the chances ioi au
cidents. On the other hand, facilities for Hee ps
a, all points, from side Of the street 10 Iie -
appear TO be in the abstract at least Inc 'g,
citizens. With these views, submit as Ic"T ill.,,
of interests the accompany ing plan;-hccoIu"s W
pan II street, each side OF the track VIII D PJ
up TO the rail- the space between t ene ,ss inches
with an elevation GROWING Of from 10 mems,
the sills will not be paved over, but left little oeio" ne
level of the pavement say from TO lncnesi ,ne '"
vii! be elevated the outer side from 70 IhGhes anu
although they will be higher on the inside OF 'he 'ach
The BROWNING Of that portion will receive the whee's u.
lass distance than tue or inches-thus the street
may be crossed at all points by loot passengers
.n and carriages of every description, while the con.
tinued interruption from the sIl!s, &c, Will e3cuue II
from general travel icng'hwse. The crossings al the
cross streets will be upon the plan now eesd lever WIN
the plates; and while The street may DC crossed u. any
point on this pur inducements will thus be held out 10
use the cross streets as crossings The Commissioners
of Streets unanimously approved The plan mus submit
ted by the City Surveyor, and The committee OF the ia.
road Company thereupon informed, that the Com
nissoners of Streets would recommend TO the Common
Hall the execution ofthe work pIa3sd The railroad com
pany would pay third ofthsexkSe OF executing the
same including the cost of ttesf& stone, deducting
berrom bo price of all the curb s8ne, graduation, and
other paving already done on $500 streets by Inc
company The committee Of thS 94scompany IN re-
ply, stated that in their opinion lroad company
was asked TO bear larger porti expense IMAM
was reasonable but that they hadFome the CONCLUSION
to yield their assent, and it was4sgen accordingly.
Thereupon the commissioners OF strcets mace report
sa,inp that having considered the importance oil The
work the advantageous terms upon which 1t was un
dcrs,ood would be effected he very liberal propo
sition of the railroad company they unanimously recon-
mended The Commons E0npc5f to cause The WORK toS
n,,,abo ,tu tn
surveyor, nnd that lhe proposition OF the railroad com
pany should be accepted. This report was adopted ny
The Common Councillor the Goth March, 1880, and this
company hereupon rescinded is peYo resolution, d.
recng additional crossings 10 be made Tie cross
streets.
In The meantime, while these proceedings were going
on between the Common Council, and the commission.
ers of streets, the hand and The railroad compa'
nv and its committee the other the locomotives
were running daily street. The commissioners OF
Streets therefore, acted not only with full knowledge OF
the ground which the right Of the railroad company
to run locomotives rested under lis charter, but win
full evidence of the actual effects produced by the run
ming With both this knowledge and this evidence,
very distinctly understood IN the interviews winch
took place between the commissioners OF streets, and
the committee of the railroad company, that upon this
companys agreeing 10 Fay the third which was asked
to pay Of the expense Of paving there would be an END
all action upon The resolutions adopted al the meeting
of residents Shockoe Hill.
The third, which this company undertook 10 pay,
TO nearly $1,000 II has been paid in part, but
the contract which have not yet become payable. The
street, which formerly remarkable for having the
deepest mud in winter, and the deepest dust IN sum-
mer, is now handsomely paved. The increased amount
Of business and the paving Of the street. have together
made stores more in demand decided improvement
is percepbls both in The buildings and in The nature of
the And the owners OF property generally upon
the street. and especially the depot find their prep
er,y rising in value and The income from il increasing
These benefits, oil Of which have arisen in greater
or less degree from the construction Of the railroad
Under such circumstances, it would be matter OF sur
prise, that the petition presented TO the Common Coun.
Gil should have received of the signatures which
found to it, were it no, well known, that sgnauree
TO petitions generally obtained with great facility
Persons often in hurried manner unite in applications
from which upon better examination, and more reiec-
ton they would prefer to recede.
That there persons who would be pleased 10
the depot moved from its present location the head Of
II street, to be contiguous TO their property, and
add its value, is not doubted That there others
who would be pleased change in the direction Of
the railroad before il gets TO The cnrporatun and turn
given to ii down the Valley towards the market house,
is belle we'd TO be equally true But that any seriously
say ha: hy Of the noise and smoke, and other
causes Of dstu rbance, incident - the introduction OF
these engines, the value OF property on lie streets
hroug which they permitted to pass has been much
impaired, cannot readily believe Take for example
the property street, nearest tie depot, and there
fore exposed all the disturbance incident 10 the
locomotives 1t is perfectly we'll known, that property
situated cannot be purchased for wba, could have
been purchased before the iaioad made. Some Of
it, on the contrary, has nearly doubled in value.
The history Of the past, Affords but little warrant also
for the opinion "tha the introduction and Of these
engines in The town dangerous TO personal safety
dangerous TO horses and carriages and will, al some
PERIOD produce conhagrntion of houses in the city. IL
is true, that about eighteen months ago, upon dark
night in winter two horses came in contact with The
locomotive, and under the peculiar circumstances of
the care, the company paid 10 the owner their value
But with this single exception, there has not resulted
from the of locomotives in the city, during the two
years and eight months that they have been runnlng
any injury either to persons property. On two coca
sions boys attempted TO climb upon the cars and falling
down, hurt by the wheels but this injury
would equally have resulted had the cars been drawn
by horses The locomotive has injured one, and set
fire 10 nd house. The width Of The street is itself great
security against any damage Of the latter kind.
If, IN truth, the Inconvenience greater than II
really is might say, English Court has already
said, in somewhat similar in lis nature that "ihe
words of the act clearly give to the company the unqua
lGed authority 10 the engines and "ihers is no.
thing unreasonable or inconsistent, in surprising that
the Legislature intended thai .hc ;c al The public
which should use The Highway, should sustain some in.
convenience fl. the sake of The greater good to be OBJ
tanned h. other parts Of the public, in the speedy
Travelling and conveyance OF merchandise, along the
railroad At present. neither the traveller no- ,s ncr
son who has produce or goods transported, pays any
thing for transportation from the head OF II street to
the depot. The charge which they would have to incur
in case the locomotives should not come into the city
and the depot, were changed to the head OF Ii street,
would be found 10 be quite considerable.
The information, "that in the city of Baltimore the
Of locomotive engines in the Streets at time
permitted and that The Chancellor Of The Stale after
wards prohibited their use is incorrect The Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad passes in Baltimore through slreet
very narrow, considering the business upon it, and
ground well adapted locomotives. The transpor.
ation in The city has been done by engines
and therefore have gone before the Chancel-
or upon any such ground.
The petitioners are equally incorrect, in surprising
"that Richmond is the only city within the u. States
in which the of locomotive engines the Streets
is permitted" The Legislation Of Pennsylvania fur.
lure Thai il is deemed nrnner hete 20 menLinn