Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-11-20
OPENING PARK AVENUE.
The CITY Commissioners Have Two Mig
Plans Under Confederation.

Plans Under Confederation.
The Street and Sewer Directors and
the Park and Water Commissions and the
Board Of Health have a scheme in con
temptation, which, If successful will re
suit in opening up what is known on the
city map as Park Avenue, in placing a
sewer from Rattesnake Run to
point below the City Mill and
in increasing the bonded debt Of the city
about 100000 At the joint meeting Of
these bodies yesterday afternoon TO deter.
mine the Crooked Run matter all the
other projects were considered An in
formal discussion took place in relation
to the sewage from the streets running
into the Brandywine, and it was deter
mined to secure better water.
To accomplish this it was
resolved to lay an interseetinR
sewer, commencing at Rattlesnake Run
and continuing down the south sids OF
the Brandywine to point below the CITY
Mills. Before this can be done. however
il will be necessary to secure from the
Legislature authority to borrow 500, 600.
the estimated cost of the sewer
While the matter was under considera-
ton II was also developed that the com.
take the most important step undertaken
in the city for years. namely, the opening
Of Park avenue from Market street to tn
Old Kings road. Park avenue is street
established years ago by the Legislature.
but for want of funds it has never been
opened. The proposed thoroughfare OK.
tends through the properties OF Charles
g. Rumford, Esq, the Bishop
nj -
the Dunn property and the
Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery,
at a uniform width Of sixty feet The
width desired would virtually destroy the
properties of the Lee estate and Della.
ware Hospital An immense amount Of
grading would also be necessary Under
this street it is proposed to lay the new
sewer. The right Of way through the
cemetery could be secured at compare.
lively small cost, but through the other
properties some extra expense would be
necessary. 1t is estimated that the
whole improvement viii cost about $3.50
600 and If a final decision is reached it is
proposed TO ask authority Of the Legis
lature to issue the bonds on the credit OF
the city
That the scheme will meet with de.
termined opposition is not doubted City
Council will fight it from the beginning
and also before the Legislature Chair
man of the Finance Committee Quinn was
seen about the matter this morning and
he said Il am opposed to the whole mat
ter at this time for the reason that
the city is not in a financial condition to
undertake the expense. and no one is suf
fering at present by the present con.
dition Of affairs When these gentle.
men who are advocating the scheme
were before the Legislature asking for the
creation Of their commissions Council
was accused Of reckless expenditures OF
the public money and Of increasing the
public debt from year TO year Now this
is the very thing that the commissioners
desire to do. They said further, .,'You
create our commission, give us the
money we want and we will make all i'm.
provements out Of it, propose for one
to hold them to it.
Charles g. Rumford who owns the fine
property at the corner of Fifteenth and
Market streets said in relation to the
matter--'If the property owners are
/ allowed a fair compensation for their LAND
/ say all right, but IL the usual way i.
adopted by appointing commits
sion to award six cents damages
because it gives you new
front, am opposed TO it. Sixty feet
wide will take a great deal Of my prop
erty and ! want no new fronts. | am per
fectly satisfied as it is and do not relish
the scheme to destroy my present fine
residence. / see no necessity for the
move at the present time. These com
missions with their big ideas, if not stop
ped, will run the city debt up and even,
tually wreck the city. The whole move
back Of this is to secure better water
There have been several schemes to dc
this One that struck me as most feast
Bile was to carry the water down by pipe:
in the bottom of the present south long
race and fill this in. We do not need the
walk. the race and an avenue also. dc
not know the particular crank back OF
this movement, but think it is the Parh
| Commission