St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-26
A GREAT IMPROVEMENT.
Magnitude of the Work in Cutting
the Street Through Merriam

NId2nlUuue Oh the w OK III CuttInS
the Street Through Merriam
Hill.
The magnitude of the cut through
Merriam hill and the fill in the vicinity
of the Great Northern shops is an eX-
ample of what civil engineering may
accomplish for the betterment of mod
ern and progressive city. The object
of the cut is to construct street known
as Fairvlew, with an easy grade of 2
per cent, through the hill toward the
nOlth of the city, and over which the
electric car system may pass in one of
its extensions. The charter to the street
car company calls for the construction
of one of its lines over this street, and
requires it to be completed i'll the year
1891. The city's contract for grading
contemplateS its completion before Aug.
1, this year. The cut begins on Jack
son street at University avenue for
merly Fifteenth street,, and extends
across Arch, Winter and Sylvan streets
and Park and Wooster avenues, if
prolonged, and extends to junction
with jackson street again at the north
ern extremity of Fairview street.
Jackson street forms the arc of an
ellipse which is bisected by the new
circuit. The shortening of the outlet
from the business potion of the city to
the great territory beyond, and the i'm
provement to property Oh Merriam hill
are but parts of the general advantages
and improvements. The mountain of
earth beng removed is utilized in max
ing ali immense fill to the north of the
hill, and in the vicinity of the Great
Northern shops. There an area of
eighteen acres is being filed up, max
ing desirable building property. The
greatesl depth of this fill is twenty-five
feet, and almost level surface is the re-
suit in place of what was rather undo
sirable area. There were about fifty
houses in this section that are being ell
evated. These have been lacked up on
stills preparatory to being filled beneath
and around them. Some of these are
now accessible only by means of a lad
der or long fight of steps. The dwell
ers IN these buildings may we'll imagine
that they are now living in hang
ing dwellings, much like nests
of birds i'll ieafieSs and limb
less trees. They may be thankful
that there are no storms of winter to
howl beneath and around them in their
elevated position. and hope that no cy-
clone shall gambol about their nests
until the rising terra tirma shall again
level them with their neighbors on The
farther slope of Merriam hill. The
houses in the area to be filed are for the
most part inferior in architecture
There are, besides some dwellings of the
poorer class, a number of shacks and
shanties in which workmen live. These,
when the improvements are completed,
will doubtless in time be RACED to the
ground and comfortable dwellings take
their place.
The cut along Fairview street is sew
enty-four feet at the greatest point, and
leaves dwelling belonging to Mr.. Bass
and another house or two upon as high
an eminence.
The material removed by the cut en-
braces about 342 900 cubic feet of sand
and gravel. The entire cost of the i'm
provement is abodt 100000, which in
cludes the damage to property. The