Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-01-12
THE CITY.
THE WATER ST. IMPROVEMENT.
Further Consideration by Council.
Adoption of the go feet Plan.

The proposed Water Street Improvement was
taken up by Council again, last evening" for fur
ther consideration, and an ultmatum finally
reached.
In order to bring the matter properly before
Council, Mr.. Febiger moved that the Mayor be
instructed to ask for the appointment of COM
missioH to condemn the land along Water Street,
from Justison TO Seventh street, running on the
southerly side to French st.. thence on the north
erly side to Seventh, except at the old Church,
where it should defect 80 as TO carry trains to
the best water on the Christiana. Mr.. Febiger
took occasion to say that as the so feet plan met
with opposition, and Council had been pettioned
to widen only 25 feet, he would agree to dis
pense with a cartway Of 20 feet, and widen only
40 feet additional.
Mr.. Pickles, while be endorsed the ideas Of
Mr.. Febiger fully, would like to see them in
little better rshape-would pledge Council to some
particular width or principle To this end he
introduced the following: ResolUed, That it Ia
the judgment of Council that when Water street
is opened il shall be opened wide enough for
two double tracks, cartway on the North side,
20 feet wide, and side walk IL feet WIDE He
wanted something definite. The proper plan
would be to let the Surveyor lay out and prepare
plan showing how il Affects the property along
the line, 10 that the jury may act intelligently.
He contended that roadway was necessity /;
that the manufacturers and the mass Of the
people would not be contented without it,
Mr.. Febiger Withdrew his motion that MIR.
Pickles resolution might take the precedence,
and upon its being stated from the chair,
Mr.. Finegan said that he could not support
that resolution, and did not think he would sup
port any plan which would take over 20 feet.
He didn't think Council could afford to take 40
feet, and il AZ feet was to be taken, It might as
well be increased to GO feet. He still thought
that 25 feet was sufficient. roadway would
not be much used, and the people will not care
TO pass that way because Of the liability to acci-
dents.
Mr.. Quinn was strongly in favor Of the reso-
luton. The object aimed at could not be attained
by widening 25 nor 40 feet. 1t would require all
all Of GO feet, but IL could net get that he would
consent to take AZ feet. lettering to tie objeo-
tion of a roadway because OF liability to acci-
dents, he stated that he had recently been in
Jersey and there saw roads running parallel with
the railroad, and separated only by fence, which
would prove effectual in the prevention Of
accidents in Wilmington as well. To open Water
street 20 feet would not benefit the city in the
least, but to provide a 20 foot cartWay would be
highly advantageous to the business men. Ii
their facilities could not be increased no bene-
fits would accrue.
Mr.. Paynter called the attention Of Council to
the requirementa OF the charter which forbid a
sidewalk of any less width than IA feet.
Mr.. Febiger had one objection to the resolu-
tion-its indeHniteness lie had been in favor
promise seemed 10 be the order he would submit.
The present width Of the street il 80 feet and il
A feet additional be taken We shall have an
avenue 80 feet wide. He therefore offered to
amend by inserting that the street be widened
AZ feet.
Mr.. ]. G.. Baker offered to amend the amend
ment, by making the additional width GU feet
instead Of AZ feet.
Mr.. Pickels referred to the proposition Of the
Philadelphia authorities to widen their Water St.
80 feet and thought that II 80 feet was enough
for them it ought to be for Us.
Mr. Bakers amendment prevailed, and the
resolution, as amended, was adopted by ayes and
nays as follows Ayes--Joshua Baker, j. q.
Baker, Dillon, Febiger, Heusted, Mcdowell,
Pickels, Phillips, Quinn. Taylor, Underwood-11.
Nays-Finegan, Foulk, Hayes. Lichtenstein, Lea.
Mention, Paynter, Quigley and President Maris-
o.
Mr.. Pickels then moved that the Map Commit
tee be instructed to place Railroad Avenue on
the map, parallel with the Railroad and Of the
game width Water Street when opened.
In support Of his motion, Mr.. Pickels said that
there ought to be streets parallel with the Rail-
road and running through to the street, for
without ii the railroads can't get into Water
street after il shall have been opened. On the
Southern boundary of the city, land is cheap, and
there ought to be an avenue even il it makes the
street 800 feet wide. That portion of the city
will one day become the distributing point for
the South, West and Southwest. The business
wanted 10 that the people can get at these dis
tributing points and 10 that our manufactures
can ship their goods cheaply and expeditiously.
At the other end the land il not built upon from
Seventh street toPusey Jones q Co.'S shops, and
all that space will be needed for development,
for the land between Wilmington and Chester
will, one day be full Of machine and other shops.
Because we cannot widen in the centre. it ID no
reason why we should not widen on the outskirts
of the city.
z 4 !1.1..
to the bill and increasing the expense by
widening OH the outside. He declared it would
give that portion OF the city along the railroad
the appearance Of two inverted tunnels. He
would like to defer action upon this matter 80 as
not to kill the widening OF Water street.
Mr.. j. G. Baker thought that Council ought to
do the work now just as it should be done. This
was the critical moment. The improvement was
the grandest ever projected in the city, he said
and will reflect credit upon every man who votes
for it ten years to come The city owns the
bed Of Water street, and ii is occupied by the p.
w. & b. Il. simply by the sufferance of Council
When the damages are assessed they will be as
sessed 30 much per foot, and the bed Of this
street will pay the city's part Of the expense. He
appealed to Couucilmen to come up nobly to the
work, saying it would rebound to their credit and
the credit Of the city.
Mr.. Mention thought it would be well to wider
through the city 80 that all the roads may come
in.
MR. replsel 5alu 'hat W Saiiy out lho iesoiu
ton two bridges across the Brandywine would bC
requisite, side by side, which would be imprac
ticable. He confirmed the statement of Mr.
Baker in regard to the cty's ownership in tn,
bed Of Water street, and reviewed the charter Of
the city, showing how the p. W. & B. II. r. oc
cuped the street.
Mr. Pickels said that Council had resolved tC
/ open Water street, from Seventh to Justson, ,ant
as the W. & II. r. r., ends at the Gas Works
how was it to be brought into the city? If tn,
road does not get in, Council fails in its expecta
tions, and the city will be left in precisely iti
/ present condition.
Some interlocutary remarks were then made
| after which Mr.. Pickles resolution was adopted
1 --
| The Indian POlicy-nIeeting Of the Indian
Commission,
The U. s. Indian Commission met in Wash
ington yesterday. Representatives of the religi
/ ous societies to whom the Government has com
mitted the moral and educational training of thi