The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-06
THE PROPOSED NEW DEPOT.
Difficulties Which Have Been Encoun-
tered in Advancing the Project.
The Plars for the Structure and the Viaduct
the Union Railway Company Proposes to
Erect - The Conference Yesterday.


V. T. Malot, vice-president of the Union Rail
way Company, ''give me brief history of the
new Union Depot projectp
ut is story filed with perplexing difficulties.
said Mr.. Malott, :some of which will merely
hint at and others omit altogether. for the sake
of making the stsry brief For a number of years
there has been clamor for new union passen-
ger station that would furnish modern convent
ences, and provide for the comfort and safety of
the travelling public. Two years ago. when the
matter of building it was seriously discussed by
the board of directors it was fou nd to be neces-
sary-to enable the company to- place mortgage
upon its property, and to issue bonds that would
be salable-that some legislation should be
secured. There was no law other than general
law authorizing the organization of union rail-
way companies. The right of eminent domain
the company possessed at that time. A bill was
prepared and passed by the Legislature author
izing such organizations, and governing the re-
organization agreement that had been entered
into by the nine companies entering into the
city. On May 1. 1884, this reorganization agree
ment had gone into effect, and all the railroad
companies except one were using the Belt rail
road. that had been leased by the Union Railway
Company year or two previous. in the trans
portation of their through notwithstanding
great relief to the use of the Union railway
tracks and to the citizens who were compelled to
cross those tracks
''Do the citizens fully appreciate the relief
thus affordedp
II do not think they do. Not less than forty
thousand cars are moved monthly over the Belt.
The leasing of the Belt railroad has greatly in
creased the expenses of the several roads in the
rental and cost of maintaining and operating
that property. It is contemplated, when the
new union passenger station is erected, to do the
switching on the Union tracks with Union rail
way engines. It has been estimated that one
third the engines now employed to do this work
will be sufficient thus still further relieving the
Union tracks. 1t is and has been the disposition
of the Union Railway Company to adapt itself
to the public convenience as far as possible"
when were the plans for the new station
begun
Quested to prepare plan for new passenger
station. There were a dozen plans prepared,
adapted to different locations. These were sub
mitted, and compromise as to the location was
made upon the site now decided upon"
"What was the chief reason for that decison?"
ut was represented to the board that the
streets in the vicinity had been built up with
reference to the old depot and that it would oc
casion great depreciation in improved property
to remove it; that the city was not strong enough
in surplus capital and population to warrant the
attempt to build up another trade center, and
that the valuation of the property of the entire
city had been adjusted with reference to it.
Upon these considerations the board determined
that, although it would cost the company very
large amount more to locate at that point than
at any other point, they would do so. It is an
error that anybody connected with the Union
Railway Company has bought any property near
the present location for the purpose of specula-
ton. think any one will readily see that if
speculation had been desired new location
would have afforded much better opportunities
for making a fortune. In the preparation of the
plans for the depot more work has probably been
done than upon the plans of any depot that has
been built in this country-surely more than
upon any built in the West The aim has been
to so construct it as to do the least possible dam
age to adjacent property A station of the re-
quired dimensions and afording the needed IA
cilities, cannot be located upon any one block.
There would be necessity of vacatng one or
more streets wherever it might be placed"
Mr.. Malott here exhibited the plans for the
depot to the reporter, and described them. 1.-THE
building for the Offices and waiting rooms" he
continued. twill be built across Louisiana street
into the block on the northeast corner of Illinois
and Louisiana streets, upon that quarter of
square. This building will be about 140 feet
square; brick, with stone trimmings The tower
will be placed on the northwest corner The
original plans have been taken up by architects,
greatly changed from the pictures published,
and much improved in architectural effects. This
main building will have three tall stories, almost
equal to four stories. It is the intention to oc-
cupy the second story with the general Offices of
the several railroads. The train sheds will be
$50 feet long and 200 feet wide, and will be sup
ported by iron columns, covered with glass and
slate tiles. 1t is essentially an iron, slate and
glass building The baggage, mail and express
rooms will be on the northeast and northwest
ends of the sheds, and be built of pressed brick
and stone. Between the baggage rooms and the
main buildings are large exit gates, opening into
Illinois and Louisiana streets"
"What will be the surroundings"
Louisiana street, fifty feet in width, will be
offset in rectangular form around the station
building. which, with the unoccuped ground in
front of the building, will form an esplanade ex-
tending $50 feet wide by LAG feet WIDE A stone
sidewalk will extend from the west line of Merid-
ian street along the south line Of Louisiana
street and around the station building to the
west line of the sheds. There will be an en-
trance from Louisiana street. also from Illinois
street. as we'll as the main entrance in front.
There will be nine through and four spur tracks
Trains on five of the tracks will be reached with
out crossing track. These tracks will be of
sufficient length to enable trains to pull through
and form aisle in the center and opposite the
entrance to the station building. One hundred
and twenty trains day are handled now in the
depot. The capacity of the new passenger sta
ton will be double that There have been few
accidents in the old depot, owing to the vigilance
of the police and those in charge. It is great
wonder that there have not been more, for peo-
pie often swarm there like ants, as DR.. Jameson
said. and there is constant liability to accident
The same vigilance exercised with the system of
gates. the liability will certainly be reduced to
the minimum.
Most Of the work upon the plans has been
dons by Mr.. James McCrea, who for several
years superintended the road between Philadel-
phia and New York. He built the passenger
station at Jersey City, and has lad as much ex
perience in building depots and handling crowds
as any railroad manager in this country. From
these general plans Mr.. Willis Thorpe, who
built the Central Union station at Cincinnati,