Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-01
The Harteord and Ha1lem.

s1oners from the Hamden. Line to the
 Orange Line To-day.
 The second day's hearing before the rail road commissioners in regard to the layout of the Hartford and Harlem railroad through New Haven, from the Hamden line to that of the town of Orange, commenced in the Superi or court room yesterday morning at 10 o'clock. T. E. Doolittle and 0. S. Hamilton appeared as counsel for committee of New Haven cit izens. There were other lawyers present, representing individual property owners. The Hartford and Harlem was represented by s. E. Baldwin and his clerk.
 Mir. Baldwin, after some argument with MT. Hamilton, received the promise of the commissioners that they would take car- riages provided by the company this morn ing and view the proposed layout from Ham, den to Orange.
 Mir. Baldwin then read notice of some alterations that, since the last meeting, the board of directors had made in the layout of the road in Norwalk, Stamford and Bridgeport, and all interested parties were notified that by consulting the maps in court they would be able to satisfy themselves as
 
 James D. Dewell, the wholesale grocer, and president of the Evergreen Cemetery as- sociation, was sworn. He testified that the association had owned, since 1856, piece of land over which the proposed layout of the Harlem road would go. There is barn on this land. It has been contemplated for years to use this very piece for cemetery purposes and the witness considered that the land was necessary for such purposes. The adjacent Beecher property was also so needed. If the railroads were to eat up this the life of the cemetery would be shortened twenty years. There is no other land convenient to the city fitted for ceme- tery purposes. To MT. Hamilton the wit ness said that he thought the proposed lay out wonld very sadly depreciate property along the line. He considered the proposed site of the depots, freight and railroad ill., advised He thought that at the proposed freight depot there would be no chance to handle freight. To MT. Baldwin he reassert- ed that there was no other good and availa- ble cemetery property in the city.
 John H. Leeds, called by Lawyer Hamil- ton, testified that in his opinion the pro posed layout was very poor one for the city. He thought that the proposed layout would depreciate the adjacent property in some instances 50 per cent. He thought the plan of having freight depot 25 feet below the surface very poor one. He thought it would be much better on the present route for the company to have it's depot either at the head of Davenport avenue or at Goffe street. He thought it possible to enter the city through the same cut as the Consolida- ted road.
 MT. Baldwin's cross-examination did not materially change Mr. Leeds testimony. He said that a good route could be made by widening the present cut of the Consolidated road and so on down through the city, but the damages would be very severe. It would absorb all the yard room in the rear of build. ings on State street and cut some buildings which were the best business buildings in the city.
 The witness suggestsd g way of making some use of the Consolidated cut and he thought that 1t would be we'll to have the layout on the Union street side instead of cutting off the land in the rear of the State street stores- The property on the Union street side of the Consolidated road is not nearly so valuable as that on the State street not by fifty per cent. A line could be worked through to the Shore Line shops with less money for land damages, &c., tban the proposed cut. If an arrange ment could be made to shift the tracks of the Consolidated road nearer the retaining walls, putting the new tracks on the State street side, and then running in on the Canal tracks, the matter would be practicable.
 To Lawyer Driscoll, who appeared for the city of New Haven, Mir. Leeds said his first choice would be to have the route by West river, as this city was only to be 8 milk station. His next plan would be to widen the cut of the Consolidated road.
 Q.-"What did you mean by New Haven being milk station p
 AT get the idea that this is to be Bos- ton and New York Air Line have heard it stated that it was not expected to do freight business and that alone would render New Haven a sort of milk station"
 Sylvanus Butler, civil engineer for the New Haven interest, testified with his map before him. The line which he considered most favorable as a piece of engineer ing was shown as it runs through the swamp and lily farm. This is the line about half way between the original line of the Hartford and Harlem and the West river layout. It strikes it's highest point back of Gwinnell's barn.
 Professor Leonard J. Sanford testified in answer to Mir. Driscoll's question that to ex- cavate through the city, beginning at Daven- port avenue and running through near Day and Kensington streets to the Hamden line, making cuts at street crossings of twenty feet and upward, would, according to his impress sion, be deleterious to the health of all per- sons in the vicinity.
 Henry s. Dawson, president of the New Haven Water company, testified that the pre- posed layout would hurt the city's water sup ply and would be injurious in every way to the water company. He offered as evidence a vote of the directors of the water company, authorizing him to oppose the layout of the company. He told of the different ways in which the company's interests were opposed to the proposed layout. It would, for in- stance, cut three of the mains; it would necessitate diminution of the water head all over the city by reason of the angles |. T I~o 5a above the curve. MT. Dawson concluded by saying that for the life of him he could not see, if this road was to commit the abomins- tion of this proposed route, why the com mission did not make them come into the city in tunnel as they do in New York. Public opinion, he said, was all one way and against the present proposed layout.
 City Engineer Hill was called for the city. He said that the sewers that would be cut were as follows Eighteen inch in Chapel street, 24 inch in Martin street, two in Whalley avenue, one 15 inch and the other 12. Proposed sewers, one in Orchard street, 36 inch main, and 42 inch main in Goffe street. The proposed route of the railroad would necessitate an entire change of the sewer system from Davenport avenue to George street. Yesterday after noon Edward c. Beecher, one of the direct ors of the Evergreen Cemetery association, testified about as had Mir. Dewsll in the morning, saying that the proposed layout would be injurious to the associations prop erty interests, the trains would disturb fun. eral services, and altogether it would be ''a serious matter for the cemetery" He said that he personally would favor having the new road enter the city by the same cut as the Consolidated road and have the new track pass between the Consolidated and Derby tracks. He illus trated at length on the map route along the West river which would be his second choice.
 Lawyer DoolittIe here asked to have an officer of an interested road say a word con- corning an agreement that had been referred to-
 President Yeamans of the Northampton road here made statement to the effect that no negotiations had been made be- tween his company and the Hartford and Harlem road, and that the only business transaction between them was the leaving by the Hartford and Harlem company at the office of the Northampton road of plan of crossing which showed a bridge entirely too poor in design to receive the Northampton roads approbation. Moreover, he protested against having it understood that the new road could cross the Northampton road until they had complied with the requirements of the law Mr Baldwin inquired what was the matter with the bridge, and bMr. Yeamans said his company wanted an iron bridge at that point. The proposed wooden bridge would not be strong enough.
 After MT. Yeomans concluded, Engineer Hill again took the stand and in reply to Mir.