Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-22
Gb paip SPY dolorssr aaIronesoap orng aarb g. 1871

| what course should be pursued in considering an
order referred to the committee, as to what legs-
| lation is necessary to make the act of last year
| operative relative to n union depot, the commit
| tee decided that they would first hear the petit
| ton, but that in the end, both the petition and
| the order would be regarded as involving the
| same issue.
Mr.. Nelson, in opening the case for the city
| OF worcester, said that he desired the committee
| and the railroad authorities to understand that
| the proposition before the committee was not in.
| tended to iniure the railroads in question, but
was as much for their benefit as for that of the
| city. The city government appeared at the re-
| quest of the citizens of Worcester who had
| heretofore taken action in the matter. In 1869
| the mayor had requested the railroad corpora
tons to use more caution at the crossings, where
the lives of citizens were constantly endangered.
! To that respectful request no reply was made,
| and the evil had continued to increase so eXten-
| siyely that a great cutlery had arose against it.
| Subsequently an article was inserted in the war
rant to test the feeling whether the people de-
| sired that the roads should be removed. The
subject was agitated through the newspapers
and the result was that 233) persons voted in
| favor of it, and 4S0 against. In consequence of
| this expression of feeling, the city government
| appeared before the committee to ask them and
| the legislature 70 afford them some relief from
this enormous evil. The Inconvenience, in
stead of diminishing, were rapidly growing.
The three thoroughlares by the common over
which the railroads passed substantially con-
stitutcd one thoroughfare, over which hundreds
of trains passed daily. The through business
north and south and all the switching was done
over these parks. The evil was growing as bus
mess increased, and the exchanges of freight be-
tween the Boston and Albany and the Norwich
and Worcester railroads had increased from $1,000
per month to 100000 per month The New York
traffic by the Norwich and Worcester and the
Worcester and Providence railroads would be
still further enlarged when the Boston, Barre
and Gardner railroad was finished
II they succeeded in satisfying the committee
that the evils existed, they were bound to show
Il remedy This he claimed was simple, mex
pensive, and that the necessary power to re-
move ii was in the legislature. He supposed it
would be claimed here, and in the courts here
after, that the legislature had not the constitu-
tonal right to make the corporations remove
their tracks. He commended that since 1881,
when the legislature reserved the right to amend,
alter or to repeal the charters of railroads. that
that body had the power to compel them to re-
move whenever any eXigency arose, or even to
take away their franchise and in this connection
he cited precedents bearing on this point
Mr.. Nelson, in continuing his statement, said
that some of the railroad companies were willing
to aid the city in accomplishing what it desired.
The Boston and Albany railroad were not affect
ed, except so far as their steamboat train was
concerned, and were willing to render all the
assistance they could in the building of a union
depot at Washington square. The Worcester
and Providence railroads, as far as their through
freight business was concerned, were willing
that it should be done, and the Boston, Barre
and Gardner railroad offered no objection. The
Worcester and Nashua and the Norwich and
Worcester railroads opposed the change. At a
recent meeting of representatives of all the rail-
road companies with the city government the
railroad companies were willing that paSsen-
ger station, intended for common use, should
be established in Washington square, and that
all switching the and adjacent
streets should be stopped, but insisted that all
the through business should be allowed to
pass over the common and other sire Is. To
this proposition the city was not willing to con-
cede, as it only afforded partial relief, and the
continued increase of travel would be great
source of annoyance. The reason for opposing
the railroads at the meeting was because the cit
liens of Worcester were asked to make con-
siderable sacrifice in giving up the Foster street
station; but theywere willing TO give up the adj
vantages they enjoyed in that respect in view of
the Inconvenience which would be got rid of.
Mr.. Nelson then explained by maps and plans
the present location of the roads, and the pro-
posed consolidation of their business to WASH
ington square, matured by the late Mayor Blake.
The distance of this junction to Lincoln SQUARE
was about mile, but by the proposed plan the
distance would be divided between the northern
and southern railroads. 1t was claimed by
some that the proposition would necesSitate
too frequent crossing of the Boston and Albany
lOdt3 pub uS tuOuSuI iiiul lldChS vi tldl
corporation were crossed fully as EN- now as
it would be by the new arrangement, and that
some difficulties they now experienced would
be remedied. The exchange of freight would
be simplihed by the change, and it required less
crossing of tracks of different roads,
The grades and curves OF the new location
would be less and better than under the present
arrangement. Another objection which had
been urged that the plan would only transfer
existing difficulties TO other streets, he thought
would be overcome by tunneling Grafton and
Franklin streets, which could be done without
much difficulty, To tunnel Green street would
require the raising of the grades of the railroads.
but in the present condition of the streets such
tunneling was impracticable. BY the change
the business of all the railroads could be done
much better and cheaper than it now is, and the
crossing at the junction was done away With,
so that the Norwich and Worcester railroad
would run south of the Boston and Albany rail
road, in the same manner that the Providence
road does. 10 the matter of expense, he sub.
mitted the estimates of Mr.. Phneas Ball, a civil
engineer. The total expense for the purchase of
new lands and the building of new tracks would
be 1922 900. The question of new buildings
should not be taken into consideration, mas
much as they must be constructed, the Boston
and Albany railroad company being aware that
their present accommodations were insufficient
and that better facilities must be furnished
The Norwich and Worcester road would have
for sale Sal ,450 worth of land; the Nashua and
Worcester S23, 400 the Boston and Albany,
S5025 and other land owned by the roads in
common would make the entire amount S40617
leaving a balance of over S114,000, above the
cost of land and tracks, toward the erection of
a new depot. If the cost of bridges, &c., was
all put upon the railroad companies, it would
cost only S1S6,000 over the prices they would
receive from their released land.
The corporations which had become enor.
mOusly rich by their business passing through
Worcester, he thought could well afford to bear
the expense, and that the city should only be
called upon to pay for the bridges, and even
this was a question whether the companies
should not pay for them. 1t would appear that
the burden of this expense would fall on the Nor
witch and Worcester railroad, which he regarded
as unjust, and desired that bill should be
framed requiring the several corporations, all of
which would be benefited, TO pay their proper
tionate part of the expense to be determined by
a competent tribunal The people of Worcester
he said, were net entirely in harmony in the
matter, as some of the citizens were fearful of
its effect on the business of the city in the re.
moval of the Foster street station but the trouble
he thought was not so great as represented In
conclusion, Mr., Nelson read an invitation from
tue mayor and aldermen of Worcester, inviting |
the committee to visit Worcester and view the |
premises, and he suggested that testimony might |
be taken after arriving at Worcester,
After introducing the several orders and re-
ports of the city government upon the better |
protection of the public at the streets now |
crossed by the railroads, and pet ition of 3S41 |
persons asking the mayor and aldermen to in-
sert an article in the warrant, calling upon the
people TO express by written ballots of yes and |
no, whether they desired the removal of the |
tracks, MIR. Nelson called Mr.. Phincas Ball as |
the first witness, who after stating that there |
was no practical difficulty III the required en-
gineering, explained at length the details of the
change, and the expense attending it.
After instructng Mr.. Nelson to submit bill, |
the committee decided that they would not visit |
Worcester until after the case had been opened |
by the remOnStrants, and soon after one o'clock
the hearing was adjourned to Thursday at 10 |
A. NJ.
Miscellaneous Disnafcbaa