St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-15
time" NOW CALLED
Business Men Conclude That
the Crossing Case Must
Be decided,
And Something Must Be Done
to Protect the
City.
An Estimable Lady ASphyxi-
ated by Escaping Gas--Pe-
euliar Death.
A Couple Of Swell Society
Events Occurred Last
Evening.

bring about some settlement of the dis
pute between the Manitoba and the
Minneapolis x st. Louis railroads rela-
tive to the crossing of Washington
avenue north so as to permit
the bridging of the tracks. Clinton
Morrison presided, and there was some
little preliminary discussion of the Sltu-
alton, when the following report, pre-
pared by the council committee OH rail-
roads, which is to be presented at to-
DAYS council meeting, was submitted:
To the Honorable City Council uf the City
of polis-Gentlemen n: The under
signed TO whom was referred the communi-
cation of ". Ii. Truesdale, receiver of the
Minneapolis & st. LOUIS Railway company,
relating TO q compromise of the litigation
now pending to compel the bridging of the
railroad tracks on Washington avenue, Third,
Fourth and Fifth streets. respectfully report
that in accordance with the instructions con-
tanned in the motion referring this matter to
US, a hearing was granted 10 the ST. Paul.
Minneapolis Il Manitoba company, as well rs
to the representatives of the Minneapolis d
ST. Louis company. We have given an OPP
portunity TO both of these companies TO pre-.
sent orally their views of the situation, and
have also received from them communica-
tons containing propositions looking 10
compromise of the ending judgments we
have also heard other parties interested and
have received a communication from the
Farmers Loan and Trust company, trustee
for one set Of The bOndhulderS Of the st.
Louis road. We have thus endeavored To get
all The light possible on The situation, and
have given the matter thorough inVestIga-
ton. The result of the propositions, as they
now stand. is as follows;
First-The st. Louis company. By recent
communication 10 US has modified its prevl-
Gus proposition as follows:
The company now proposes, subject TO the
approval of the district court. TO comply
specifically and in detail with each and every
requirement set out in the judgment OF the
district court of Hennepin county, rendered
March g. 1883, with one eXceptlon-yiZ.. the
requirement that they shall erect and con-
struct approaches tc the bridges. To obviBte
any objection to compliance with this re-
quirement. and particularly to insure the
construction of the approaches in such man.
ner and form as shall be most satisfactory TO
the city of Minneapolis and the public, 1t
offers 10 pay the city the actual cost Of all
labor and material necessary to the con-
struction of the approaches, the construct n
and maintenance TO be assumed by the city.
In consideration Of this modification of the
judgment it will dismiss its writ of error in
the supreme court of the United States. This
proposition adopts the city's plan. except
that 1t makes the city assume the liability to
the abutting property owners for the change
of grade on the several streets. and also as
sumo the maintenance of the approaches for
the future.
Second The Manitoba company proposes
to conform to the judgments embracing the
city's plan in building the bridges. or its por-
ton of them, at Third. Fourth ana Fifth
streets without any modification. At Wash
ington avenue il proposes that the st. Louis
single track on the sOutherly side of the
right of way, now used by the railroad COM
panies, be removed distance of about l60
feet northerly. so that it shall adjoln the four
main tracks of the Manitoba road on the
southerly side. If this is done they propose
TO give the same right In the tracks as relo-
Gated as the st. Louis company now has in
the track in its present location. thus leaving
their ground not occupied by tracks i'll such
a condition that they can erect their freight
houses, which they propose to do at once,
and have a roadway from Washington ave-
nue. over their right of way without crossing
any track. To accomplish this they ask that
the Judgment OF the court embracing the
city's plan be modified SO the approach and
bridge at Washington avenue instead
of being the full width OF the street
shall be sixty feet in width, and q roadway
next on the westerly side forty-three feet in
width. going down onto the ground. They
also propose, If the st. Louis company will
consent TO the change. that they will provide
depot on the ground owned by the Manitoba
Washington avenue, near the bridges.
which can be used under an arrangement
with the Manitoba and in lieu Of the present
passenger depot of the st. Louis company
located at Third street. The Manitoba COM
pany also proposes, if their plan Is adopted,
to pay the entire cost of the approaches and
the bridge at Washington avenue thereby
relieving the st. Louis company from all
expense for that bridge. The plan Of the
Manitoba company is strenuously opposed
by the st. Louis company. trustee TO! GER
tain bondholders. This Is identically the
same plan as the one proposed by the Mani
toba company in course of the litigation now
pending. Third The st. Louis company
further suggests, in its reply to the Mani
TOBIAS communication and proposition, that
in lieu of that the Manitoba proposes, and to
accomplish substantially The same purpose,
in their opinion, that the four Manitoba
tracks be removed so they shall adjoin the
st Louis track on the southerly side of the
right OF way, and that instead of having a
roadway from the southerly side of the right
of way 10 the freight houses Of the Manitoba
road. that the roadway be on the northerly
side Of the bridge. making an increase of
travel of about 700 feet, and making it neces-
sary for the teams to go over onto the bridge
on the north side and then back by the road
way to the freight houses the freight houses
of the Manitoba company being built on the
northerly side of their property instead
of on the sOutherly side as proposed
by them. The St. Louis company also sug-
gests that the eity's plan might be modified
so that the roadway from the top of the
bridge should go down from the easterly side
of the bridge on to the Manitoba ground and
under the bridge to the freight houses built
on the westerly side of the bridge, thus meet
ing as the contend, the objection OF the MAN.
itoba company that by the city's plat the
roadway would take up large part of their
groun1 between their freight houses and
interfere with the use of the freight houses
by teams. While we have no power TO de-
termine the question as between these two
companies, or to compel either to consent to
the plan Of the other, we are decidedly of
the opinion that the public interests would
be best subserved by having roadway from
the southerly side of the railroad right of
way TO the Manitoba freight houses and by
the building of the Manitoba freight houses
as proposed by 1t and the removal of the St.
Louis ira ok so that all the tracks should be
north of the freight houses. Our reasons
for this conclusion are as follows: % This
would provide the most accessible method of
reaching the freight houses by those who
would have occasion to use them, the great
mass of whom would come from the SOUTH
erly side.
Seeond-It would shorten the bridge at
Washington avenue.
Third-It would shorten or lessen the
grade of the approach to the bridge.
Fourth-It renders unnecessary the drive
way from the top of the bridge to the freight
houses, as included in the city's plan, and
would thereby relieve the bridge Of teams
heavily loaded with freight, being suDstan-
TALLY all the teams using the Manitoba
yards.
In our opinion. the proposal Of the Mani
toba bridge at Washington avenue and to
put roadway in on grade is objectionable !;
but, in connection with their plan, and car
rying out substantially what is proposed, it
would be decidedly better to use the alley be
tween Washington avenue and Third treet
for the approach. and leave Washington ave-
nue. free from any such possible obstruction,
bridging it the entire width. In order to
properly accommodate the public. and pro-
vide suitable access TO the freight house, it
would be necessary to widen the alley to a
width of forty feet instead of sixteen, as it
now is. II this is done. the danger occa-
stoned by such widening shout be paid by
the Manitoba company. We herewith sub
nit a plan prepared by the city engineer.
showing this change of situation. II is also
our opinion that if the plans of the Manitoba
were carried out, so far as the removal of the
ST. Louis track is concerned. the Manitoba
company should not only pay. the cost OF
such removal, as it proposes, but 1t should
preserve to the Minneapolis & ST. Louis Rail-
way company, in the yiaduct to be built, the
same rights which it now hiss under the
terms of the contract now exist
ing between the st. Louis and Manitoba
and any additional rights which it may