, 1872-10-19
RAILROADS..
Important Meeting Of the Council
Committee on Railroads.
Interesting Discussion Of the
Viaduct Question.

The Garden City Street Railway
Company.
Ameeting Of the Railroad Committee Of the
Common Council was held yesterday afternoon,
for the purpose Of acting on various important
matters, including the Burlington Crossing Oh
|. Wabash and Michigan avenues, and State and
Clark streets.
The first thing taken up IVES in relation to
viaducts and the use Of horse power on Sixteenth
street. Mr. Wardmau asked Mr. Walker, OF the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Road: What he
would like to do on behalf OF his road.
That gentleman said that so far as using horse
power was concerned, the railroads could not
affordit. II they could, business people and the
community could not afford it. It was imprac-
ticable-it could not be done and
do the business. If the roads took
all the streets and all the day they could not do
it even now. Generally car took four horses.
They could not get horses enough to move the
cars Of the passenger trains alone. Five hun
dred freight cars were also passing. The rail
roads were more important to the city than any
thing else. They must do their business prompt
". Goods and passengers must not be delayed.
There we're suburban towns whose people must
get in and leave promptly, and not spend m
hour and a half in going to the city limits. The
road TAN six special suburban trains, and they
must be given up if they went to horsepower
Nor did he think the passage Of the streets of SO
much consequence. It WAS dangerous, but the
delay was not much to complain Of. But for the
roads there would have been no Chicago, and q
thousand delays we're better than no roads. His
associates had brought hundred. million to
build their road, and the result WAS the city.
better increase the facilities, and offer induce-
ments for people to come here. No man present
had been delayed over three minutes at any
crossing. There was thousand times more de-
lay at the bridges. They could not have rail-
road system without evils, bnt would they there
many years ago. We got the right Of way
through what was then open field. AL who
came to live here after then knew the road was
there for all time BY Legislative enactment.
to the Illinois Central.
Nj Walker thought il one road had the grant
all had. In reply to the Mayor, he did not dis
pute the right Of the Council to pass the order
relative to horse power.
AID Clark said the people would be satisfied
il the Indiana Avenue Engine House we're re-
moved, the coal and limo tracks taken up, lun-
ber cars not brought over to the South Side, and
freight trains not made up there. Il the road
would do that they would waive the viaduct
question for the time.
Mr. Walker did notintend to argue the powers
OF the Council. He wanted to point ont the i'm
policy Of such an ordinance. Il passed, they
should build from Aurora to Joliet and pass by
House, substagtially, by SO arranging as to keep
the eng gines of Michigan avenue. Orders had
been given to stop letting off storm there go as
to frighten horses.
Mr. Walker said the Legislature required the
whistle sounded or bell rung. y
The Mayor preferred tie bell. He vas waken-
ed from g sound sleep every night.
satisfactorily arranged. It was their desire
to accommodate the people: Trains were linn
tied to twenty cars now. They might be limited
to ten, which would not cover more than one
street. The point would be considered. As for
viaducts, he had not consulted other roads, but
the Chicago, Burlington d Quincy and Michi-
gan Central would do all that was necessary on
their OWL lands, the city to build the approach
Viaducts he thought the only thing, and that
they were unobjectionable. The track could be
lowered eight or nine feet. About sixteen feet
and half were required for train.
The Mayor suggested that they have special
engines, With lower smoke-stacks.
Mr. Walker said the Pullman cars we're four
kGEu 1ECL, huu LuEy ua0 OEahGslUeu O11
cars. They must have sixteen and half feet.
The approach at the viaducts would hardly be
perceptible, and was no disadvantage. It WAS
the purpose Of the Company, in time, to put
viaducts over all their streets.
Mr. Newell, Of the. Illinois Central said his
Company had for years been ready for viaducts.
Nearly all the lumber shipped by the Central
came from the West Side, and cars had to be
sent across the city: They could not get it by
the Stock Yard track, for It would take si1 days,
and al cf1 1rrdhnr rdu
would like to be consulted about it. The num-
Der OF cars in train might to limited to ten, but
it would be an expense, doubling the
number Of engines and men, and absorbing
profits There we're times when train had to
stop, but it would be practicable to so arrange
matters as not to block street. The Western
lumber trade Of the road conld be done On the
West Side. The road was willing to join in any.
viaducts, which removed the difficulty for all
time. It was not practicable to tunnel the river,
since they had to so down thirty-six feet, and
they could not drop their grade 30 much on the
have to switch back long distance. Il they
had viaducts, they would @haye to raise the
grade nine feet at Wabash, and ten at
State. That sunk the track to one
foot above extreme high water. in the
S a b 1RS ~a1as ES Rss tSf hS esq TIN ss
would haye to build Il vinducts we're needed
over alleys, they would build them also. The
Clark street. viaduct would have to be four feet
higher. The tracks Of the Michigan Southern
Road could be lowered four feet. The removal
OF the sewers would not aid them. They Were
governed by high water. So long as the Rock
Island was on Clark street, they would build no
viaduct there. Whether the Northwestern WAS
willing to spend any money on tue viaducts he
doubted, but the other roads we're three-quarter
owners. He agreed with Mr. Walker that via
ducts alone could settle the matter. The rail-
road and city engineers had agreed upon that
point. The road was in no hurry to build tho
viaducts, but WAS ready to do it when the city
said so. .
Afr. Harris, Of the c., B. 4 Q. Road, said that
By making up trains Of few cars they could
stop the obstruction Of streets. # they could
Keep cars in motion it was better to have one
train Of twenty than two of ten. All wanted to
have the delay as brief as possible.
Mr. Walker never knew Of any team being
frightened at the Halsted street viaduct, and Mr,
Woodman had seen no such instances at adams
street. Mr.. Walker said yiaducHs were universal
in Europe, and did not gcaro horses. a little Sid
ipe all