Telegram-herald., 1890-05-14
MEETS WITH FAVOR
The scheme 10 Establish . New
and Straight Dock Linz
WHAT HOS. c. c. COKSIOCE SAYS
he Has Always Been Ready - Ala In
Saeh AZ URdsrt.kiag sad wth rat
mOass tEts . River FroEt Railway
VIM. l. Powers AlsO For IL.

The article which appeared IN tae
TELEGEAM HEEALD yesterday morn NJ
relative 70 establishing straight dock
line along the east bank OF the river,
Was read with interest by many promi-
nent citizens yesterday.
Hon. c. c. ComstOck said 70 repor-
ter Last night, "As early IS 1896, when
the dam WAS built, / advocated the
establishment of straight channel 500
feet wide, and have neither heard or
seen anything 10 change my mInd since.
However, II the channel we're narrowed
10 900 feet, II would 90 very WELL that
is about the present width or the riyer
al the Sixth street bridge. don't
think II would require any legislative
enactment 10 change the dock line.
Whateyet the board OF publlcwork KS has
already done, II can do, with the
sanction OF the council. A volume OF
water that will raise il 10 SIX feet
above the dam, Will set back
from below the rapids, so
tnat you will scarcely see any fall there.
l can not see why the dock line was
ever established as II is. The Board OF
Public Works that did the job, un-
dOubtedly intended 10 do what was
right, but | can not understand why
such Lig-Zag course was decided upon.
AS established, the line cuts of por-
ton of the river front of Mr.. Beltelts
building, and can see no sense III that.
II a straight dock line were established,
such as was suggested IN your paper
TINS morning, million dollars worth
of taxable property would be added 10
the city, and am sure Il could dam
age no one. On the other hand, the
benefit 10 the community aside from
taxes would be great. ! own property
for two miles along the river front. and
for that reason people seem 10 think
that my reason for wishing the channel
narrowed IS an entirely selfish one"
"What do you thing of the idea of
building a railroad down the river front
into the city. rs far as Brldge-street
bridge, at least
There is another thing that l have
always been IN favor of, and ! would
be willing TO put money into such an
enterprise. Seventeen years ago | tired
to get a franchise 10 build a bet
line down under the Leonard
II. bridge. over my property and
through Mlll-st, but the franchise that
was granted me was not one on which
any one would be Wilt & 10 build a
railroad. 1t is not so that the channel
would need To be deepened If il were
narrowed. III narrowed, the current
would be swifter and deeper, and
would therefore carry off the ice IN the
spring much quicker than 1t now does.
Yes, sir; agree with the article which
YOU published this morning, and |
stand on record as having always been
strongly la favor OF such an improve
ment. 1T is claimed 10y some that part
of my property juts out farther into
the stream than II should, but with the
straight dock line, as your paper pro-
poses, would still have 20 feet to fill
IN all along the front.
VIM. L. Powers was also seen yester
day and ne expressed himself most
heartily in favor of the proposed i'm
provement. He said the river was
widest through the middle OF town,
just where property Is the most valu-
able. The stream was narrOweSt at the
Grand Rapids q Indiana Railroad
bridge, and If there was room for the
water 10 flow through at this point,
there was no good reason why 1t
couldn't flow through the same width
OF channel at all points above the rail-
road bridge. He thought there was no
sense IN the dock line ever having been
established as 1t Is at present.