The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-24
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Question of viaducts.

should IL until the problem Is solved There is
no disagreement between the community and
the railroad authorities as to the desirabiity,
If not necessity, for more convenient and safe
transit of the streets across the tracks of the
railroads; but the question Of whose duty it is
to provide such facilities, and the manner of
their construction, is not settled, and the ideas
on that subject are as varied as the persons dis
cussing them This is no new subject to me-
It may be remembered l am already on record
in this behalf; but from recent discussions
ia the press feel there is room for more to be
said, that all parties interested may at Last ar
rive at a practical and feasible solution of the
question To do this we must take in the
whole situation It must be remembered that
from the first to the present some fourteen dis
tinct railroad organizations have come in their
order. asking admission to the city, by authority
to cross the then streets and alleys named, all
seeking common center, that in the time of the
pioneer roads was not improved, being the
marshes of Pogues run, and considered of little
value They conformed their grades to the
streets then improved The value of these roads
to the commerce of the city was so apparent that
il not only invited successors by grant
ing proper rights of way but in
come cases aided in their construction.
AS the years have passed much then-outlying
territory has been plated, and streets made to
cross these TRACKS conforming to the grade there
Of and houses built in all directions close up to
IN original very limited right of way, and with
che fact very apparent that the railroad tracks
were already there Again. year after year, as
manufacturing industries have been projected,
side.trac facilities were necessary. These have
been multiplied in every direction by authority
of the city. on the application and urgency O she
parties SO interested until perfect gridiron of
tracks appears in certain. localities. The rail
obstruction. It is the aggregate work
of our enterprising business men,
and the iberality of the various railroad com
panies, responding to this demand, have afforded
accommodations to private establishments sec
ond to no other railroad center in the country.
Each of these roads has also acquired large prop
critics, at heavy expense the value of which was
created by the existence of the roads compelled
to buy and use such property. On this reclaimed
and otherwise worthless land costly improve
ments have been made for the mutual accomoda
ton of the roads and their patrons, so that this
entire system of public and private tracks,
and the public and private depots, ware
houses, shops and factories served thereby have
all conformed to the original grades established
and fixed for the first railroad entering the city,
to be followed by all coming after it.
1t is idle and worse than waste of time to
discuss some of the propositions for relief, such
rs, 6rst, to lower the tracks SO as to afford easy
bridging over The engineers of the various
roads would not disgrace their profession by
even discussing such proposition, as they remem-
Der the waters of Pogues run and White river.
abundant at times, but not reliable as navigable
to continuously float the commerce passing
through indianapolis. Furthermore. every road
but one enters the city on down grade, so that
70 Sink .Ae tracks, even if other conditions would
allow is not feasible for this reason 1t would
make a hole harder to pull out of than it was for
the boys to climb out of the "swimmin' hole in
early days. Second, another suggestion is for the
tracks to be elevated leaving free passageway
beneath This had only to be mentioned to be
condemned in the light of what has already
been suggested. In this case, what would be-
come of all the sidings, and the improvements
they server
Following these suggestions, that neither the
raising nor the lowering of the present system of
tracks is feasible the question comes back at US.
what can be dones Simply accept the situation and
devise the ways and means to construct four VIA
ducts, the first two at Virginia avenue and Ala
hama street and Meridian street. the other two on
East and West Washington street. The first
should be at Virginia avenue taking the CORE
spoHRing points between Virginia avenue and
Alabama street for the landings. If these could
not be had by fair purchase let the city con-
denim and appropriate them for the purpose.
When the onion Railway Company proceeds
with the erection of new union depot, which
it is hoped may be in the near future, would
suggest the plan of building stone arched
causeway, high enough for all trains to pass IN
der it, and as wide the street, with the proper
easy approaches, so that the landing of
all passengers and baggage should be at
the second floor, where all waiting, lunch, bag
gage and ticket rooms could be located.
and by easy stairways passengers could descend
to or ascend from all outgoing and incoming
trains clear of all the din and confusion of the
tracks below And commodious elevators could
handle all baggage, and by such construction
Meridian street would be as free from obstacles
to the passage of travel as it is at the cross
ing of Washington street With these two and
safety gates at all other crossings, would
soon know mo north nor no SOUTH" with the
two on Washington street we would know mo
east, west" but leave each quarter
sible, leaving all interests to pursue
their way without let or hindrance.
Now comes the main, if not vital question, to-
w.t. the necessary means to accomplish that
which all admit must be done in time 1t is,
therefore, only question of time and money
after all. The first, then, is to agree on and
adopt plans for these works. and have their cost
carefully estimated, after which set about rails
ing the means for their construction, one at q
time, by setting apart certain specified taxes
and license to be used solely for this purpose,
until the plans adopted shall be executed TAX
ing it for granted that when the union depot
shall be built it will be substantially the pres
ent site. if the Union Railway Company should
they could afford, for their own con-
venience, to build that at Meridian street
by the city furnishing the approaches to the
same, and doubt not would aid in the others In
proportion to the interest they have in the sew
sral crossings in affording them relief from the
expense and responsibility now imposed on
them This is onesided question. Whilst
citizens have the right to traverse the
streets in safety, the roads have equal rights to
pursue their traffic over their tracks under the
conditions granted by the same people who
then, as we'll as now understood the nature of
such traffic; so that as every one must take his
chances and look our for runaway teams falling
walls and other mishaps, he must look out for
passing trains; not because Of their accidentally
being there. but because of their right to be
there and whilst they may occasionally tech
nically violate the ordinances under which thew
exercise their right it, seldom, if ever, is in a
spirit or wantonness or carelessness but fran the
nature of the service is purely accidental as
any other mishap witnessed on the streets.
The rules Of every road centerng here gov