St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-10
WARNING RAILROADS.
The Fight Over the Crossing ON First
Street North--Expert Testimony.

term calendar was continued, and Judges
Lochren, Koon and Young devoted the
entire day to the hearing of testimony in
the matter of the petition of the Minneap-
oils e. st. Louis Railroad company to con
denim right of way across the tracks of
the ST. Paul, Minneapolis Il Manitoba road
at First street north. 1t will be remem-
bered that the court has already granted the
petition and that the question now To be de-
cided is as to the form of the order, i. e. as
TO Just where and in what manner the
crossing shall be made. The Minneapolis
q st. Louis asks that the crossing shall be
on grade and the Manitoba demands that
it shall be by TUNE! under its tracks since
the overhead crossing proposed has been
ruled out by the court. During the week,
| in accordance with instructions of
the court, the contending corpora
tions had each furnished the other
with profiles of the desired street crossings.
and the attorneys and witnesses were found
to be well posted, supplied with estimates,
etc. There was the usual coterie Of attOr-
neys and railroad officials, which included
President j. j. Hill and Manager Marvel of
the Manitoba. Vice President Truesdell of
the NJ 81 st. L.. J. p. Springer, f. VI.
Wilson and J. B. Atwater for the petitioner,
Col. r. c. Benton and Young 81 Flandrau
for the respondents.
j. W. Kendrck, chief engineer of the
st. Paul & Northern Pacific was first put
upon the stand and gave it as his opinion
that a
GRADE CROSSING
proposed by the NJ. & ST. l.. will not inter-
| fere with the Manitobas business any more
| than the present connection between the
| Northern Pacific and Manitoba. The
| grades of the proposed crossing were next
considered, the court holding that the ques-
tons as to the effect of the crossing being
immaterial so long as the order for a cross
ing had been made. The point to be de-
cided is where the crossing should be.
Being asked whether the proposed grading
crossing will allow the Manitoba to place a
track south of the track used by the NJ. e.
ST. L., Mr.. Kendrick answered that
the crossing proposed by the St
Louis does not include such a track
The Manitoba company called Charles
Morris, civil engineer, to the stand. Mr..
Morris
HAD MADE SURVEYS
for an der-grade crossing. and his testi-
mony was mainly on the feasibility of such
plan. The course of the proposed con-
nection of tie ST. Louis and Northern
Pacific. according to Mr.. Morris survey.
would lead from the union depot along the
|
to Second avenue north, then deviating 10
the south a little. 1t would pass under
First street north. between the present
bridge and the Monitor Plow works, under
the Manitoba tracks into the Northern
Pacific yards, and along their westerly
side to main tracks. The grade of the pro-
posed track would be six inches above the
highest water in the Mississippi river on
record. At the present time it would be
from eight to ten feet above the water
level. He thought the excavation needed
for the proposed crossing could be made
in ninety DAYS. The cost of the eX-
cavation he estimated at $40. 900, masonry
at SO, 500, iron bridges for Manitoba tracks
So. 500 each.
Col. Smith, the consulting engineer of the
Manitoba company. testified that the under
; ground crossing would be preferable to the
grade crossing for both parties. He said
: the best crossing in that sense alone
would be an over-grade over Bridge
: SQUARE running down Second street, bu
there were objections outside of its feast
bility as a crossing that made it imprac
} ticable. He first heard of the under
grade crossing about week ago.
l Octave Chanute, consulting engineer OF
the Burlington e. Northern company, anC
l formerly assistant superintendent of thu
New OrK q Lake JSTlc IOdu. UeSllhcu
the feasibility of the proposed under grade
1 and though it would be the least Injurious
to the Manitoba property. BE regarded the
over-grade project feasible except as
I might be objected to because of the expense
l that would be entailed in its construction.
Il am decidedly opposed to grade cross
ing under any consideration, said Mr.. Cha
s mute. because of the danger that such {
t crossing carries with it. 1t is my judgmen
: that it would be better to entail a heavy ex
pense rather than establish grade cross
t ing"
e PRESIDENT HILL,
OF the Man itoba was requested to give hi
5 reasons why the under-grade crossing
S would be preferable. He said:
I'm the first place it enables the trains o
II both companies to pass and repass withou
II stopping for Signals and the comforting o
'' employees. Another reason is that il aford
:. as good grade as the crossing proposed a
c grade. 1t interposes no objection that /
not met with at grade. During three o
. four months of the year, in busy time,
avoids the necessity of delay that in ever
i twenty-four hours would equal one-third o
u the time. There are about $50 locomotive
]. that pass that point every day in a bus
p season. 1t would require two minutes TO
IL each locomotive TO stop and start again, an
l. that Is equal to eight hours IN the day. an
;. so it is better for both parties to do ava
Y with that delay. If we 90 ahead eight G
ten years it is hard to estimate how man
e locomotives would pass that point. Tn
question of safety to people travelling is ais
l. a very great question to consider
le IN THE AFTERNOON
Tho faEinU of aYnart facfinOnv xuao -.