, 1880-01-18
THE WEST SIDE UNION DEPOT, AND
=. JACKSON STREET.

THE WET SIDE UNION DEtoI, AMI
:, :. JACKSON STREET.
= The Chicago q Alton, the PittsDu1g@ @
Fort Wayne, and the Milwaukee d st. Paul
Railroad Companies propose to build union
den0t on Canal street, extending from Madl-
son to Van Buren. Monroe street, east OF
Canal has long since been vacated; ut
Adams street there are viaduct and brldge'
and Jackson street Is still open to the river.
The railroad corporations have asked the
CITY Council to vacate so much Of Jackson
street as is east Of Canal street, that 1t may
be built upon and used as part OF the depol-,
On the other hand, the owners OF property
on jackson street, on both sides Of the river,
from State street west to Hoyne, have pet1-:
toned the City Council that viaduct and
bridge be constructed at Jackson street.
Here we have case Of conflicting interests.
On tho one hand, the building Of this, Union
Depot will be Of great benefit to the public.
Its construction will remove the unslghtly
and unsavory mass Of rambling wooden sheds
now occupied by the railroads, which are
disgrace to the corporations which have per-
petuated them SO long. This passenger depot
would lead to a general rehabilitation ofSo
Canal street, greatly to It's benefit and to the
sanitary as we'll as architectural improve.
ment of one Of the most unsfghtly and d1lape
idated neighborhoods in Chicago. On the,
other hand, the West Division is Of immense
area, containing more than half the entire
population Of the city. Several square miles
Of territory are occupied as residences Of
PERSONS doing business in other parts OF the
city. a very large portion Of the same dlvis-
ion is devoted to manufacturing establish
ments, aud the tide Of travel and Of trans
portation from one side of. the river to the
other has become so great that every bridge
is occupied to its full capacity, and the neces-
sity for other bridges in the near future is
quite evident. The property rty-owners onJ jack
son street have taken steps for its improve
ment during the coming season, and this, they
believe, will furnish the public with new
thoroughfare, to which bridge IS, Of course,
d necessity. -: =. r: ,
There does not seem to be the least an
tagonism on the part Of the citizens to the
depot building; on the contrary, they insist
that there is nothing inconsistent with the
two works. They claim that the roof Of the
depot building will be sufficiently high, and,
if not, can be made sufficiently high, to admit
of 3 viaduct from Canal street to the east
line Of the building, passing through the
upper part Of that structure on a level with
the bridge. They claim that this can be
done without the least inconvenience to the
railroad building, the roof of which can be
thrown over and inc1ose the viaduct, and
that such change in the plan would be an
improvement and an ornament to its archi-
lecture.
It is understood that the railroad COM
panies refuse all arrangements save
the absolute vacation Of the east end
Of jackson street; that they insist on that
as condition Of building d depot at all. At
the game time, the Jackson street property
holders insist upon having bridge at Jack
son street, and, while willing to make any
concessions and any sacrifice short Of aban-
doning the bridge, they will have the latter
whether the railroad people build a depot or
not. This question, which promises to be
lively one, may be expected to occupy the
attention Of the City Council for several
months to come. = s:..4 -
It should not be forgotten that the practice
has heretofore been to have bridges only at
alternate streets, the distance otherwise be-
ing too short to admit Of the safe manage
ment Of vessels: The present style of ship
building is in the direction Of the longest pos
sible keels. Some Of the propellers recently
put on the lakes are longer than some Of our
blocks. There is danger, therefore, in hay
ing bridges too near each other, as it may re-
suit in so crowding the river at the bridges as
to block the channel and keep the bridges
open, to the interference of travel.
. STOCKINGS. +.