Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-22
Hartford and Harlem.

Damage 6o Valuable Residences-SeW-
 CTS and Water and Gas Mains 70 DC
 Gut-The Bank of West River Favored.
 The Board of Public Works held special meeting last evening in rooms 10 and Il City Hall to hear parties living in the western part of the city in regard to the lay out of the Hartford and Harlem railroad through New Haven. Lawyer 0. $. Hamil- ton conducted the hearing on the part of the residents and land owners He explained the general railroad law giving corporations power to build railroads and bridge navigable rivers He said the layout crossed the city somewhere in the vicinity of Evergreen cem- etery, cutting through Norton street and crossing West river some thirty or forty feet above the grade of the Consolidated railroad, and at West Haven striking about the same grade Through some parts of the city there would be very deep cuts, the sewerage sys tenn would be seriously damaged and the water and gas mains would be torn up. It | was, he said matter of very great interest to property owners of New Haven
 Wooster A. Ensign, who lives on Whalley ! avenue, said that if the road passed through | the city parallel with Norton street it would damage his property very materially as well as that of others. He thought every man, 1 woman and child in that vicinity would be opposed to the layout as proposed. Whal- | ley avenue would have to be bridged, which ! would kill it for drive. He said that if the railroad run within four hundred feet of his place he did not think he could get half what it would cost him (about $50, ,0oo). Samuel Brace said that when railroads
 
 residences they were a nuisance He said 1t was proposed to run a track twenty-five feet below the roadway, and the depot for New Haven would of course be underground. as it were, like the old New Haven depot. He said if the railroad ran along the bank of West river he would not object to it.
 Franklin R. Bliss, corner of Beers and Chapel street. said he was decidedly opposed | to a railroad where the layout Of the Harford and Harlem was proposed. He sad that that part of the city was being built up with | fine residences, and he thought it would be I great detriment to property holders and blight to that entire section of the city He l thought it would accommodate the public | just as well if the road ren along the bank of | West river which would save the deep cut which would have to be made if the layout as | proposed was adopted. He thought there f was no demand for railroad through sec | tion that would demand so much destruction I of valuable property.
 l In reply to Mir. Sargent Mir. Bliss said 1 that while the road might need earth to ill l up the swamp that they. proposed to cross, l yet he thought it would be poor investment 1 for the city to allow it's streets to be dug up ] to make filling for the swamp.
 ! Joel A. Sperry, who lives next to wooster l A. Ensign on Whalley avenue, said that he could not see any reason why road should ] Lo Io;5 Ia think that manufacturing would ever pros per in that vicinity unless it was on the bank of the river and it would totally destroy the value of residences in that locality which was | specially adapted for this purpose lie seld he had no objection to said road provided lit did not destroy valuable property. He said if the railroad was built where proposed his property would not be worth half price. William K Townsend asked MT. Sperry how it was with persons residing on Hill house avenue near the Canal railroad, Ike Mrs. Sheffield and others, or Mir. Andersons new residence, some of which were within l three or four hundred feet of the railroad. MT. Sperry said he thought the distance was greater than what was stated.
 William Moulthrop, cashier of the First 1 National bank, who lives on West Chapel street. said that he thought it would be great detriment to his and other property in | that vicinity.
 Richard F. Lyon, whose residence is at the 1 corner of Sharman avenue and Chapel l street, said that there was no objection on
 his part to the railroad itself, but only to the location. Levi c. Gilbert, who lives on West Chapel street, thought the bank of West riv- 1 CT should be followed as a convenience to the public who desire to reach the depot and l would be better for the railroad itself.
 l George H. Scranton, who resides at 23S 1 Winthrop avenue, said he owned property on Sherman avenue and also near Hamilton Park. He thought the damage to property
 where the road is located would be a very great. All living in that vicinity, so far as
 he knew, were opposed to it.
 Charles Fabrique said he had looked upon
 this road as good deal of 8 phantom, and if
 the road ever was built he thought the rail road would find it for their advantage to To- cate the road farther vest
 William Parmelee, who lives on Winthrop
 avenue, thought if the railroad was built ] where it was proposed it would depreciate his property at least one-half, as the layout is | within one hundred feet of his residence
 Hugh Daley said his family owned a little
 land in the vicinity of this proposed road He thought 1t would be a very great injury 1 to that property provided the deep cut is 1 made as proposed. No one objects to the
 railroad being built but it is the proposed l layout. He thought it would be great damage to all parties owning residencesin in that vicinity. He thought the railroad would l be served just es well if they ran along the !
 1 Joseph L. Joyce said that he thought the deep cuts proposed would cut the Norton l street sewer and damage property generally | City Engineer Hill said if the road crossed Beaver ponds there would be a cut of about twenty feet across Whalley avenue until it l reached the vicinity of Evergreen cemetery 1 A communication from H. M Welch, who l was detained on account of sickness in his family, said that he thought the proposed
 layout would greatly damage property in that
 vicinity. similar communication was read from F. s. Bradley. MT. Hamilton also read | 8 letter signed by large number of citizens
 who reside in the western part of the city.
 Lawyer William K. Townsend thought that
 all this talk about deep cuts and depots was l unnecessary. He said gentlemen were here protesting against proposed outrage which
 had never had any existence in fact The
 layout was an arbitrary one, the road being | obliged to lay out road somewhere through l the city. He said the proper tribunal to hear what the people had to say was the railroad
 commissioners. No definite line had been
 decided upon, although survey had been
 made There was no necessity of a conflict
 between the city of New Haven and this rail road. It was for the interest of the road to locate where it would be the most convenient l to the public and the least expensive to | the road. He thought the interest of l the whole people should be considered
 when they are as whole to be benefit ed 1 although few private individuals may suffer
 thereby. In regard to the obstruction of
 the sewers he thought if the road was built | where surveyed that it would not disturb B
 single sewer. If it did this matter could be
 remedied when the matter came before the
 railroad commissioners. The proposed road
 contemplated an expenditure of $S, ,OOO OOO 1 It was backed by abundant capital In
 closing Mir. Townsend said if parallel road
 was needed as the gentlemen had testified | was it quite right for them to attack it
 before the road had done something to sub l ject it to odium. r -Fs,,v
 c. s. Hamilton said he desired to reply
 briefly. He said that MT. Townsend had
 previously tried to strangle an investigation
 in regard to this matter and now he came
 again and tried to have the people
 shut their eyes. He said the railroad com missioners had no power to change the loca- tion of a railroad after it had been definitely
 fixed, and Mir. Townsend knew that there was no appeal to the courts. The matter,
 said Mir. Hamilton. is before the railroad
 commissioners this very hour, and now was
 the time to instruct the Corporation Counsel