Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-29
THE E. R.. CROSSINGS.

ant Meeting Of Council Committee and
Railroad Men-Automatic Gates Ordered
Pending the Permanent improvements.
The subject of bridging the railroad street
crossings came up, yesterday, at the City
Hall for protracted discussion. The ques-
ton came up before the special council COM
mittee, composed of the commit
tee on streets and the city attor-
ney and engineer. These invited
to the conference representatives from all
the railroads, and response was made in per-
son by Messrs. J. J. Hill and Il. P. Angus, of
the St. Paul & Manitoba railroad. Besides
the two named, at $3.50 O'Clock the following
assembled to give the important matter
consideration:
Mayor Dawson, City Attorney Muir
ray, City Engineer Sewall, Aid. DowIan,
Smith, Rhodes. Brennan. O'Connor and
Minea.
Tie discussion was begun informally and
took wide range. The city authorities
were of the opinion that some safeguards
should be put at the railroad crossings
at once to prevent loss of
life by passing trains, and that at once.
The railroad representatives were agree
able to such proposition, and would do
their part.
The next question was where the safe
guards should be placed.
City Attorney Murray advocated the bridg-
cling of Fifth street, as the property owners
there could be assessed
for the approaches, whereas if
Third street were bridged, the railroads
owning one-halt or one side of the street,
the assessment would fall on the property
<Io, old oE ~,
At this juncture, it was asked if the rail.
Speaking for his company, Mr.. Hill said that
the bridges would be built, if it
was decided to bridge the crossings, but the
city would have to pay for the approaches.
Supplemental to the foregoing remarks, Mr..
Hill suggested the advisability of tunneling
the Third street crossing. In other words,
he submitted plans for making
cut along Third street, beginning
at point near Commercial street
and coming to street grade again at Neill
street. The declivity of such cut to be on
grade giving twelve feet below the tracks
at the Third street crossing.
This produced long discussion, during
which City Engineer Sewall opposed the
scheme, favoring the project of bridging.
In connection with bridging Lafayette
avenue crossing, Mr.. Hill explained that
some difficulty would attend that, in case
the railroad was made to lower its grade.
Aid. Rhodes suggested that pending de-
cision or an adoption of some plan either to
bridge or tunnel the crossings, some
temporary safeguard, gates for instance,
should be used.
Mr.. Hill stated that automatic gates had
been ordered for the St. Paul & Manitoba
Third street and Lafayette avenue street
crossings, and would be put up within two
weeks.
In this connection AID. Brennan explained
that the gates would be placed at either
| side of the Manitoba track, and
that the Duluth road did not require them,
as the freight cars didn't pass beyond this
crossing, and, moreover, all transfers were
confined to one switch engine.
| Aid. Rhodes proposed, as there was such a
difference of opinion, and as some of the
railroads were unrepresented, that the rail-
road companies hold meeting and adopt
some definite plan to submit to the council.
Meanwhile the engineer was requested to
give his attention and make a report 50 to
the feasibility of tunneling at the Third
street crossing. With this understanding,
that he would report to the next meeting.
the conference, adjourned.