Telegram-herald., 1891-01-24
DOCK LINE IS A GO
Unanimity Nov Prevails Among
Parties In Interest.
The OWNERS OF RIPARIAN RIGHTS
4 Ds<k Iias Agreed Upon whieA Win
Give \ CAssnsl SEQ Feet Wide
~ eas Place. and nss less has aso
Esss ~ shs Asrrswest fsiss.

Theadlourned meeting of the citizens
interested both directly and indirectly
in npar.an rights oa the river within
the city. vas held at tho engineers
rooms in the city ball yesterday after
noon. The great object and the only
object of the meeting Was the detsrmsn-
alton. ~ far IS practicable. Of ell mat
ters relating to . settled dock line on
both sides of the river.
The meeting was called to order BY
Adolph LeiteIt, who presided. The re-
port of the committee 10 whom Was en-
trusted the preparion of proposals. and
suggestions. made report embodying
proposed dock lines for both aides OF
the river. reaching from the q. X. q !.
railroad bridge on the south TO the city
limits on the north. This report Was ac-
cepted ana freely discussed. foot by
foot and rod by rod and section by
all parties interested. As stated by
Judge Burch in q brief and lucid ad-
dress to the meeting, the one desidera-
tum as . condition Of success Was
entire unanimity Of opinion and action.
This end, IN The midst OF interests that
at times seemed conflicting, was
honestly sought for by every property
owner present, and the consequences
was that dock-linc was finally agreed
to without dissenting voice. The fol-
lowing are descriptions OF the lines as
they run on the east and west sides OF
the river:
East Side-The llne begins at the face
of the river wall at the southwest
corner OF Hirth's stone works at the g..
Il. IL /. railroad bridge, and runs thence
north in straight line to point ten
feet west of the northwest corner OF
Leitelt's machine shop; thence 10 the
west face OF the second pier of the
Brldge-st. bridge; thence to the west
| face Of the east abutment of the Sixth
ST. bridge; thence to the west face OF
the first pier of the Leonard-st. bridge;
thence TO point sixty feet on the city
limits sixty feet west of the present
dock line.
West Side-The line begins at q point
of the X. Il. Il l.. railroad bridge on a
line with the easterly face of the found
| alton walls of the Grand Rapids Elec-
trio Light and Power Company; thence
north, touching the east face of the
foundation walls of the rear portion of
| the Crescent Mills To the center of Pearl
ST.; thence to point west of the north
west corner Of Leitelt's shop; thence
| nOrtheasterly to the east pier OF the
Leonard-st. bridge; thence north to the
point OF the present established dock
line at the north city limits.
When the dock line is thus es-
| tablished, the channel of the river will
vary in width from $50 to 500 feet st
the dam, but at no place will the cham
mel be narrower than $50 feet. 1t is
demonstrable that such a channel, es-
pecially with the wall that is to con-
| fine the river, will be more than ad-
equate to carry off all the water that
will ever be poured into it from above.
For instance, not to consider other
reasons for this belief, the river at the
D.. q. II. d NJ. railway bridge passes
between banks only 45O feet apart, and
the channel at Wealthy-ave. Is only 325
feet wide. That is to say, the narrow
est part of the channel between the
proposed lines is 30 feet wider than the
channel that delivers the water, and
l55 feet wider than that which receives
it from the dock channel.
After the settlement by the meeting
of the above important measure, a
committee was appointed to unite with
the committee of January 20tn., 10 con-
fer with Judge Burch, relative to the
legislation that might be necessary to
carry out the action of the meeting.
The property owners interested feel
that the action proposed is of vastly
greater moment to the city than any
| measure that has ever been brought
to the attention of the public. The
| impracticabllitles and the disadvantages
are absolutely zero, while the advan-
| tages are so many and great that the
| obvious ones of them are two numerous
to be specified. The sanitation and
| ornamentaiion of the city alone have
! long demanded the removal of the
| Grand River marshes within the city
| The reclaimed ground would settle the
mooted question of a trunk sewer 70
! the lower limits of the city beyond the
necessity OF dcfiling the river within
| the city. the belt line road:
that would eventually run
Along the banks would be oi
! incalculahle value. The water power
of the river would be enhanced some
what. The rapid rush of volume Of
pure water at all seasons through the
town, N the place of the stagnsnt pools
winch now send up their poisons t.
the people and their obnoxious sight:
and smells TO eye and car, would effect
the interests of all, both residents oil
the city and the strangers within oul
| gates.
On the matter of the probable fate oil
any asked-for legislation, Representa-
tive Hayward was seen last evening b,
the TEIEsRAM-IIER.Lp said he:
These men have done a good thing
and my only objection to their actor
a that they did not 90 far enough
Why. if | had had anything to ds
with the matter, should have brough
! the channel down 70 300 feet. Tba
amount of channel is ample TO carr,
of all the water. Yes. SIR I heartily
favor the leg station Necessary to carr
out the dock-lne plan, ard shall sup
portit with might and man,
The ssstiu Chrfstsnas-
"a =