St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-01
ACROSS THOSE TRACKS.
The Manitoba Proposes a COmpr'
mise.

The Manitoba Proposes a Compro-
mise.
The complications involved in the pro-
posed bridging of the Washington avenue,
Third, Fourth and Fifth streets crossings
of the Manitoba railway tracks are still
sHRoUDED.BY A CLOUD OF DOUBT.
For four years the city council has been
wrestling with the problem without arriv-
ing at any solution. The citizens of the
North side organized three years ago and
held a series of demonStrative meetings, at
which the matter was discussed and ringing
and vigorous resolutions to the council were
adopted. The aldermen again took up the
theme and labored with it arduOuSly. A
conference was held with the railway mag
mates and under officials, with view to
adopting some plan for crossing the tracks
which should be mutually acceptable.
Without bridges or tunnels the crossings
are
INTOLERABLE NUISANCES
to all who reside beyond them. The coun-
Gil urged their claims and rights with zeal
that promised good results at one time. 1t
had been understood, at least, although
many of the aldermen positively alleged
that President Hill had Internationally
promised that the tracks of the Manitoba
Railway company should be lowered some
nine feet at the crossing named, but when
called upon Mr.. Hill emphatically denied
the condition. Evidently nothing could be
done that year, and by common consent the
subject was dropped. Recently, however,
it was revived by petition to the council
from the interested citizens. The petition
was referred to the committee On railroads
and the aldermen OF the Third ward. On
Saturday visit was paid the officials of
the road in st. Paul by the aldermen of the
Third ward.
THEY WERE GRATIFIED
at learning that the road is taking recOg-
milton of the city's demands, although their
proposition is scarcely acceptable in its
present form. The railway company's
plans are surprise to the aldermen. The
Second street bridge was built with the in
tention of lowering the traclls-the foot
ings were built for that purpose.
The railway company'S plans show that
the tracks are to be lowered nine feet, and
that they intend to build a bridge over the
Washington avenue crossing one-half the
width of the streets, or fifty feet wide and
nine feet above the present grade. They
will ask the city to
v
and two long freight depots will be built
in the center of the railway property, ex-
tending from Washington avenue west to
and across Third street, and just far enough
apart for two tracks between. This scheme
will entirely do away with bridging the
Third street crossing, and the slight eleya-
ton of nine feet and the shOrtness of the
bridge, about fifty feet, or enough to cover
about four tracks only, will carry the
grade of the street scarcely beyond the
limit of the railway cOmpany's property.
Consequently adjacent property will not be
materially damaged by grading up the
street in front. as had been feared. The
retaining wall will be directly in the center
of the street, so that teams may drive from
the street to the freight-hOuseS, which will
be nearly on a grade with the street, fol-
the purpose of transferring freight.
ALDERMANIC VIEWS.
A GLOBE reporter interviewed Aid. Eich-
horn and HaShOw of the Third ward last
evening upon the matter. They were both
opposed to accepting the plans of the Mani
tOba company without material alterations.
They will oppose ths construction of a mar
row bridge upon the ground that the pro-
posed fifty feet will not give room for public
traffic. Again they will oppose the pro-
posed vacation of Third street on the ground
that it would be a gross injustice to the
residents of Third street beyond the tracks.
They will urge that iron truss bridges the
full width of all the streets be erected, the
city making the approaches and the railway
company constructing the bridges,
not only Oh Washington avenue but
on Third, Fourth and Fifth
streets. A meeting of the committee hav-
ing the question under consideration will
probably be held on Tuesday, when some
compromise measure may be conceived
that will be satisfactory to the railway
company and to the city.
A DEsULToRY CHAT.
The question of the bridges having been
disposed of the two aldermen mentioned
talked without restraint upon the general
topic of railways and how they affect cities,
and then of the st. Louis difficulties. Said
Aid. Hashow:
Il can see very plainly that the Mani
toba people have nice little scheme in
only bridging four tracks at Washington
avenue"
''How is that9" Intercepted Aid. Eich-
horn.
'Why it is clear to me that it is to shut
the Minneapolis & st. Louis road out in the
cold. There would then be no opportunity
for them to run down to the projected new
union depot"
''You may be right in your theory, but l
guess when the matters are all fixed up the
st. Louis will be steaming into the new
depot all right enough"
II believe the Northern Pacific will build
an iron truss bridge across the river down
near the brewery"
Eyes, they are acquiring title to large
amount of property through condemnation
proceedings in the vicinity of Noerem-
bergh's brewery"
AN OPENING FOR THE ST. LOUIS.
''The ST. Louis and the Northern Pacific
will undoubtedly enter into some sort of a
compact. The Northern Pacific will build
a short line to st. Paul soon, and that will
afford an opening for the st. Louis"
''What a pity it is" SAID Aid. Eich-
horn. diverging somewhat. ''that city
should he cut UP with tracks as Minneap-
oils is. I consider it serious impeachment
to the growth of this city that
so many streets are ruined by crossings. If
all the roads had been confined to the river
banks it would have been great blessing
Even the South Washington avenue tunnel
is a Cgreat nuisance. 1t has ruined the
grade of the streets. And then think of
the number of streets that are crossed dag
onally between the Milwaukee depot and
Franklin avenue, and also think of the
number of lives that have been sacrificed by
people being run over"
you are right" rejoined Aid. Hashow
''But it will be difficult matter to provide
safe and satisfactory crossings Yet it will
have to be done sooner or later"
81 wish the railway companies were
obliged to tunnel the city as they do in
Eastern cities. That would absolutely do
away with the whole matter"
At this juncture the aldermen thought of
their supper, and started home.