Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-14
Railroad CTS Hearing.

The Proposed Tunnel1nx of James Street
 An Informal lTalk-Adjournment Un-
 til September.
 Yesterday morning brief hearing was had before the Railroad Commissioners in Presi- dent Watrous' office upon the matter of tun- neiing under the James street crossing of the Hartford division of the Consolidated rail- road. The three commissioners, Messrs Woodruff of Litchfeld Haywood of CoIches ter and Bacon of Danbury, were present. At torney John w. filling represented the Con- solidatsd Railroad company Corporation Counsel Cornelius T. Driscoll the city and Professor Simeon E. Baldwin the Boston and Air Line railroad. Messrs Sargent and Pond, of the Board of Public Works, were present beside four property owners who live in the vicinity of the proposed tunnel. These were Messrs. Harding, Maher, Cutler of Ferry Path and Russell of Lombard street. Law 1 yer H. L. Hotchklss was looking after the in- ! terests of Mr. Butler, who occupies the only l house on Ferry Path between the Shore Line railroad and State street. The hearing be- gan at 10 o'clock in President Watrous' of l ice. Both the president and vice president ] were at the hearing Attorney filling on be- I half of the Consolidated railroad read the company's petition for tunnel at the James 1 street crossing at the Hartford division
 He also read an amendment to the original l petition, which was in effect that the Boston 1 and Ar Line railroad ran their cars over the 1 line of the Consolidated road, but that it was | known that they owned land just to the point where the proposed crossing is talked l about. Professor Baldwin opposed the ! amendment on the ground that 1t imma-
 terlal to the original petition. Then there ! followed an informal discussion on the mer- ! it's and disadvantages of tunnel at that
 point, and all in the room gathered about a
 map of the spot where the talked of tunnel ! Is said to be built. Attorney Aliing said that
 one of the principal reasons of asking
 for tunnel at that point was that 1t would greatly lessen the danger
 of accidents. It was not feasible nor was
 it judicious to build it at the Ferry
 Path crossing. The route at this point should
 be closed up together. This travel was very
 light through Ferry Path. Then the att or
 ney traced an imaginary line on the map iron ! point in Ferry Path between Lomb l street and the railroad tracks, saying that tn,
 objective point ill the travel in that portion
 of Fair Haven was to the corner Of State ant ! View streets near the stables of the Stat
 street horse car line. This practically take
 out of the line of travel Ferry Path from tn l point mentioned.
 l Corporation Counsel Driscoll said he rep
 resented the city in the matter and was in
 structed to oppose the tunneing of the cross ! ing at James street until the circumstance
 had been more thoroughly investigated b. l the Board of Public Works. The city oueh to know what effect the tunnel would hay l on the sewerage system of Fair haven, an ; he asked that the hearing on the matter g , over until September. The merits of tn
 question had not yet reached the Board o Aldermen, and as the petition now stood
 virtually closed up Ferry Path at 8 poin
 where the attorney claimed the stree was thickly populated. The citizen
 were much interested in the project Then again he claimed that the Com
 missioners should not for 8 moment er 7 certain the idea of having tunnel mad
 there unless it was also coupled with tn project of building another tunnel at tn , l same street crossing on the Shore Line div . l sion of the Consolidated railroad. The roa i. | bed at the James street crossing on the Shor ? I Line railroad he understood was five or si feet lower than the road bed on the Hartfor , division. Both roads were controlled by on , corporation and bye and bye perhaps tn , city might see the necessity of applying for tunnel over the Shore Line road at Jame street. Then the company might compel tn , city to fill up the deficiency in the road be- ' if they asked for tunnel there All thes
 things have yet to be considered by the cit , and MT. Driscoll therefo ore asked for con , tlnuance of the hearing until September , President Watrous said that all the rail
 road company wanted was to have one grad
 crossing in tie vicinity and that should be a
 James street. There is no danger there Fen trains pass at this point to the one at tn
 Shore Line road. The question before tn , Commissioners was not whether tunne
 should be built at the James street crossin
 on the Shore Line road but at the same stree
 crossing on the Hartford division.
 , The Commissioners retired from the roor
 8 few minutes to consult and then told thos
 present that the hearing would be continue ! unfiJ SapfeD,har