Daily Republican., 1883-10-23
CHANGE OF srREErGRADEs.
sssss Reasons why s:.e Grade "l
CSaytoa street ShoUid not be
Cbonged.

C0ooGe0.
!. !. For the REPUBLICAN.
!. II there Is any one particular thin
that the City Council should Civ,
n special and extraordinary attention {,
a aud careful consideration of, before they
a act upon 1t, that matter IL the cAang M
a OF the regular established grades of tn,
city. There is a proposition now beinl
made to Council to change grades estab.
!. lishsd less than one year ago on the AL
vice OF our late veryskillful aud efficient
engineer, NJ. G. Conwell. On Novem.
. ber 4th, 1882, Council met In special
, session at Clayton and Chestnut street,
to establish the grades at that point, to
Z meet the requirements of that rapidly
improving section of the city, as large
amount Of property would soon be- need.
cd for building purposes. To properl y
meet the necessities of the case, Mr..
Conwell prepared, with much thought
and labor, q plan for the grade of Clay
ton street, south OF Front street. This
plan was prepared by Mr.. Conwell at
the request o: the Opening Streets Com.
mittee, so that the Council by meeting
on the ground and having the profile or
diagram of the proposed grade present
at the meeting, and having the same
fully explained by the Chief Engineer,
the Council could then understand the
reasons why the Engineer had fxed the
grades AZ shown on the plot.
Council therefore held special ses.
sion az above stated. find by making
u search of the minutes of Council for
lS82, that twenty members attended
this special meeting. The object of the
meeting as stated by Mr.. Garrett,
chairman ofthe committee on opening
streets, was to fix the grade of Clay ton
street. and on his motion, Mr.. Conwell
was requested to explain the plan OF
grades prepared for said street. Mr..
Conwell then presented the plans pre-.
pared by him and carefully explained
tho grade by him proposed, which be
said he considered the best one that
could be established for the benefit oil
the city. BY this plan Mr. Conwel |
proposed that at the point where Clay.
ton street intersects Chestnut the bed of |
Chestnut street should be raised above
the level OF the ground at that point, 80
as to make a descent 10 Front street of |
one loot and nne- tenths of foot to c,r-
ry of the water flowing down Chestnut
street to Clayton out into Front street,
which would make the ascent from
Clayton to Elm and from Elm to Lin
den streets each of the slight ascent of
seven feet each. This Mr.. Conwell ex.
plained would make much better
and easier grade from Chestnut to Lin.
den than the present bed of the street.
By raising Clayton street at Ches tnut
so as 10 leave a descent of one foot and
9.lO to Front street all the water coming
down the north side Of Chestnut street,
from Scott street, would flow out into
Front street at Clayton street where il
belongs. Otherwise, all the I
water falling south of Front street
would have to 20 down Chestnut street, |
and the water coming down tho south
side OF Front street, would also at CLAW :,
ION street all be forced down Chastnur
street, not only making Chestnut street ii
,he receiver of all the water that ma t
,urally flows down the steep descent !
rom Linden to Chestnut, but also fore
ng into Chestnut street from Front /
'treet at Clayton, all the water flowing q
rom all the cutters north of Chestnut u
treet to Front street AZ far west az Scott y
treet. "
Th 8 is certainly an indisputable fact. D
md If this question is sauarely put to /
he present Chief Engineer, he W II !,
'er fy this statement Now, Council is u, y
sked to change the grade esta blished by p
)r nance, November 23d, 1888, and c,
he petitioners now ask that inste ad of Il
ilising the grade of Clayton at Chest u
ut that It be depressed several inches, II
t the very point where the plan pro-
osed by Chief Engineer Conwell, and
lso established by ordinan e, raised
his street a. this point some three feet x
more above the bed of the str, ct az it Y
hen and now presents itself to view. q S
low, why is this radical change of .
rade proposed? Mr.. Con well said
haiti was necessary to raise Clayton p
treet at Chestnut street some three or S"
,nr feet to properly drain that section II
the city To the best advantage of the ?
i ~
Now, to save the filing up Of over. ".
orked br'ck yards belonging to pr.- z
ate individuals, Council Is asked to " y
rprtss the bed # Clayton street at u
hestnut. The grade, which is now y
cry steep one fromChestnut 10 Linden, -
y this depression would be increased Z.
nd make the descent much sleeper than III
was originally. Now the quest on =,
ses, why this change, and who is to ct
; benefited thereby? The answer to Oh
lis question Is, their numbers are so
W that they could be counted ON rna te
hgsrs Of one single hand,
They nrs the men who own old brick Z.
ARDS which they wish to sell without ue "
'ving to 60 to the expense of filling up vi
} proper street grade to enable them .s
d spOse of them for building lots, "
hey want the Taxpayers of the city to Ill
rade down a street now already some \,
et too low, to make sluice down ~ "
hsstnut street to drain private prop a.
ty. Now, if those men dig out pits 81
make bricks which Afterwards be- 10
'me stasnant pools Of water, let them
Ike care Of them at their own EXPENSE,
ld not at the expense of the taxpayers.
n the grade established by Ordinance tis
/ Clayton street In November last, on p,
ie recommendation OF Chief Engineer "a
onwell. the lines have been given for
'aut and several new houses are now In
course Of erection ON the grade then be
tablished to change the grade now, Sc
ould greatly damage those buildings. U
hey were constructed to suit the fixed
rade at Chestnut street. Now If 1t Ia VI
.pressed at that point, as proposed, the Pr
rst floor elevation will be some fifteen
Iches greater than It should be, caus- on
x two or three additional outside steps st
reach the front door silIs which pr
ould greatly injure the buildings in mi
,pearance and also iepreciate their ca
iIle
Counci. must look this matter square, W
! in the face. When grades are e. Fl
Ibished by ordinance and buildings Dt
re erected according to such grade, 4
n'l the grade is afterwards chan sed to OF
IL detriment Of the property, the city pr
liable for damages. Does the city
ish to court suit ut law to benefit Il
w private individuals ? that is the
neslion now presented for their con- fre
d"ratiOn by the prOnOsed gLangO of tOl