Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-06
THE GRADE CROSSING HEARING.


 Donahue Appears for the Brooklyn
 People.
 It was 9:35 this morning when the Rail road Commissioners took their seats be- hind the District Court bench and an- nounced themselves ready to hear parties on grade crossings in this city. The hear ing on the petition of the city for gates at the Naugatuck crossing at West Main street it was expected would come up first,
 but this was postponed, counsel for the Naugatuck road giving way to the New England road to accommodate Attorney Robbins, who vented to get away as soon as possible.
 MT Robbins wanted to put in evidence an estimate of the cost of putting Bank street under the New York and New Eng land railroad on it's present line with the plan to close Riverside street. ur Terry said that he supposed that the p,-n would be submitted to him first. Engineer Bid we'll said it would cost $29, ,364. Attorney Terry said he thought that Gen Kellogg, counsel for Holmes, Booth & Haydens, was interested in this matter, and should
 be present. MT Terry said the time for submitting the estimates was in January 2S, and Commissioner Woodruff said that he so understood it.
 While waiting for General Kellogg en- gineer Bidwell explained the plans This plan is the one suggested at the last hear ing by City Attorney Terry and General Kellogg and contemplates the closing of South Riverside street at the railroad track and possibly it's continuation along the track to Burnham street. The railroad company do not oppose this plan stoutly but say that they prefer the first plan which ..puts Bank and South Riverside streets under the track at the same point and cost SIC, 900 less. What Holmes Booth & Haydens wish to gain is the eventual closing of South Riverside street, point that they mean to attain, if possible, whether this or the other plan is adopted. The city maintain that the plan to discon- tinue South Riverside street is more feasible and less expensive. The land damages for the plan presented to-day will be between $20, 900 and ,0OO, and probably twice that if the original plan was adopted. The city believe this plan to be the better, ,ss the original involves many sparp turns. The city intends to continue South Riverside street to Burnham if the present plan of passing under the railroad track is accepted. The extra distance to be travelled by people
 due to the closing of the street is 300 feet. l Michael Guilfoile, a resident at the cor
 ner of Bank and South Riverside streets ! for five years said that 30 or 40 horses pass ed in an hour, and that it was an out l let for all the southern portion of the city If the street was closed people would have
 to walk mile extra every day. He said
 the plan of the Brooklyn sewer system was to go down South Riverside street. Dennis Brophy of South Riverside steret
 thought the street in which he lived was
 an important one. The other day he counted 30 teams in one hour. On We'd
 nesday, between 12 and 1 o'clock he count
 ed 125 people passing by his house. l c. B. Webster said that South Riverside street was an important one.
 | Thomas Wagner of Railroad Hill street said that the travel on South Riverside street was immense. It was one of the oldest streets in that section of the city. i Fire Commissioner Kelly said there was ! @ big traffic on the street. It was 8 connec- ton street between Brooklyn and Bank l streets.
 | G. B. Lawrence thought that South Riv- ] erside street was an important thoroughfare. John c. Eggleston said it was an impor- tant street as it was direct route from Watertown to Naugatuck, and also from
 South Brooklyn to the center of the Brook lyn district.
 l Attorney Robbins said that the first plan devised by the company was the cheaper, but whether Riverside street is to be GOV [ cred under at Burnham street, it did not ! seem advisable to expend $1O,000 ad- ditional to put Bank street under the ] track.
 General Kellogg said that as far as tun-
 nelling was concerned, according to either plan the property holders would be greatly
 damaged, but the damage by the first plan would be great deal more. He wanted
 Burnham and South Riverside streets put
 into one and put under at Burnham street. He believed the Bank street crossing should
 remain the same with a gate tender. l Attorney Terry did not think that South Riverside street was worth either of the proposed plans, involving an expenditure
 of $1O,000. The only thing that seemed
 feasible was the present plan. As regards
 Bank street he thought it was reasonably
 safe with gates as at present. He did not be-
 lieve that the condition of affairs there
 warranted any such expense. He thought
 the original was the most foolish plan he
 had ever seen put on paper. He could not
 conceive of any plan that would make it more unreasonable. The necessities of
 this case did not warrant any expenditure of money.
 Attorney Donahue, counsel for the resi-
 idents of Brooklyn said for 23 years this l street had been in existence. It was the
 natural outlet for Brandy Hill, Abrigador
 and Simonsville. If anything was to be l
 vor the first plan. Nobody seems to be
 injured by that plan except Holmes, Booth
 & Haydens. 'We do not want South
 Riverside street discontinued" said MT
 Donahue. "The people are in favor of the
 first plan. Then you will satisfy all" l The Naugatuck Crossing. 1 The next matter that came up was the petition of the City for gates at the West
 Main street crossing of the Naugatuck Di- vision of the Consolidated road. The rail
 road company want to carry the tracks
 under the crossing. Attorney Lynde liar
 rison appeared for the railroad and Engi-
 neer Curtis presented map. Engineer
 Curtis said that by this plan it was pro-
 posed to remove the present line of the
 road, from the Watertown branch to the
 New England road, west from the embark
 ment, in some places 40 feet and at the
 crossing about six feet. The bridge is to
 have headway of IS feet. The grading of 1 the street is to be 6 feet in 100. The grad | ing on the east side will extend about 200 feet and from 80 to 100 feet on the west
 side from the residence of MT Church. At MT Horrigan's blacksmith shop the ap- proach will be eight feet high. Engineer Curtis could not give any estimate of the land damages He considered the D1an