Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-16
MUST CONE TO TINE.
THE STREET COMMITTEE AFTER THE
UNION PASSENGER COMPANY.
Franchise for the First-street viaduct
Recommendcd-Talk About Blind
AIIeys-Northside Railway.

The semi-monthly meeting Of the
Council Committee on Streets was held
in the Chancery-Ceurt room last night
ia order TO accommodate the large num-
Der of interested spectators in attend
ance. Chairman Capers presided.
The first matter considered was the
opening of the alley running from Fifth
to Sixth streets between Broad and
Marshall, which is at present opened
about halfway to Fifth street. =.
A petition signed by number OF
people was read by Mr.. Stratton asking
for the improvement. 1t turned ont
that several of the signers were merely
tenants and not property-holders.
AGAINST IT.
Mr.. J.. Y. Cannon appeared in his own
behalf and vigorously opposed the open
ing of the alley unless paid for by the
city and not by the property-owners
abutting on it, as the law provides.
The roll Of property-owners present
was called, and all of them opposed the
work, several OF them saying that when
they signed the petition they did not
know there would be anything to pay.
Captain Angle, Of the Second district,
was called upon for his opinion OF the
desirability of the extension. lie said
1t would be good thing for the police
if all blind alleys were opened. II this
particular one had been opened several
years ago Sergeant Brooks would not
have been shot, for Shaw could have
been seen at work from the rear of Mr..
Schmidt's store and captured with case.
and would not have been hid by the
fence.
Sergeant Cosby thought the opening
would benefit the citizens generally.
VIEWS OF THE ENGINEER.
Colonel Cutshaw stated that as pub
lie question the alley ought to be open
ed. At present Mrs. Pyle's store on
Fifth street is flooded every time it
rains. If the alley is raised it will food
the lots at the other end. The best
remedy would be to open and grade it.
Mr. Strat,on called attention to the
fact that the health, engineer, and police
departments-th three most important
in the city-favored opening the alley
Mr.. Cannon warned the committee
that the property-owners would fight the
matter to the end. This way of taking
a mans property from him and forcing
him TO pay in addition when he was not
/ benefited was communistic.
MIR. Curtis moved that the opening OF
the alley be recommended.
Mr.. Turpin opposed this motion.
Mr.. thinner suggested a sewer rs
remedy.
Colonel Cutshaw explained that this
could not be done.
The vote was taken and resulted:
AYRs.-Messrs. Bahen, Carter, Cur
tis, Stratton, Thomas, White, and Ca
pers--7.
NOES. -Messrs. Gray and Turpin-2.
A petition for the grading and paving
of the alley from Pine to Laurel be-
tween Main and Cary was next taken
up. All of the property-holders except
two asked for the improvement, and the
committee recommended 1t to the Coun-
cll.
WANTED MORE TIME.
Mr.. Roosevelt Page called the commit
tees attention TO the fact that the delay
in filing north Seventh street had pre-
vented the Southside Line from laying
its track and operating the road. The
charter OF the company requires the
track TO he laid by October 9th and cars
to be running within two months there
after. The City Attorney was instructed
TO prepare the proper resolution by tho
next meeting OF the committee extend
ing the time.
NORTHsIDE RAILWAY.
The City Attorney read an ordinance
allowing the Northside Railway Com
pany to lay track from the south end
of the Fifth-Street viaduct to Baker
street. where it will connect with the
Union Passenger Line. This new cor
poration is practically the Northslde wa
duct Company, and was formed to build
this piece Of track, the charter OF the
former company not allowing 1t to do so.
The ordinance being acceptable TO Mr..
Randolph, the representative OF the com
pany, 1t was asrecommended 10 the Couhcl'
F1BsT- STREET vIADUCT.
Mr.. Harvey Wilson, as counsel for
Nessrs. Barton & Lamb and Others. APP
peared in support of proposition to
allow the construction of viaduct from
the north end of First street to a CORE
spending point in the county. FIRST
street at present ends in bluff fifty feet
high at Bacon street. To build this
viaduct it will be necessary for the city
TO condemn land from this point to the
CORPORATION line--a distance of about go
feet. A motion for the condemnation OF
land for a continuation Of First street IN
Henrico was submitted in the County
Court yester lay. The viaduct will be
for the free use of the public.
Colonel Cutshaw thought the peti-
TONERS should buy tie righv of way for
the city. as they were the ones to be
greatly benefited thereby, and would
occupy all of the land condemned. The
yiadnct he said, is desirable. as oil such
structures are. The building OF
wooden yiaduct is a matter to he con-
sidered seriously in the event the city
limits should be extended northward.
In his opinion, though, the bridge
should be at least thirty-two feet vide
instead of twenty feet as proposed. III
would be 900 feet long ana shoulu DC VI
sufficient width.
MR. BABToN's IDEA.
Mr.. Barton said it was hardly right fol
the city to complain Of the danger OF
having to keep up the bridge in case oi
annexation. as property in that vicinity
has already advanced Sl,O00,OOO. lie
was perfectly willing to pay for the con,
demnation of the land. which could mol
be more than S2O0. The only point ol
variance between him and the City I'm,
eineer was the width of the bridge and
the grade OF the approach. If they were
allowed to start at Bacon street 1t would
be only fiity-five feet high IN the centre,
whereas by Colonel Cutshaws plan i
would be sixty-four feet. and would cost
81, 800 more.
Mr. Bahen claimed that First street
was one of the incest in the city' anc
such bridge as proposed would Dc
', disgrace to it. 1t ought TO DC OF iroi
; and plenty wide. a.
Mr. lsnars favored granting thC