Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-30
RAPID TRANSIT TO THE WORLDS FAIR
chicago Is Puzzled and All Her EnGi.
neering Experts with Her.


neering Experts with Her.
Especial Correspondence
CHICAGO, Jan. s0-Rapid transit to the
worlds fair grounds is now the most diff
cult problem. All who visited the Centen-
ties provided by the Quaker City. The
South street, Spruce and Pine, Chestnut
and Walnut, Arch, Race and Vine, Fourth
and Eighth, Sixteenth and Eighteenth, and
Girard avenue street railroad companies
all had their western termini in front of
the main building; while in addition the
belt line depots of the Pennsylvania and
the Reading roads were located in Fair
mount Park, some distance to the
rear of the same structure At that time
1t was merely question of some three
miles from the banks of the Delaware river
TO the desired rendezvous. Chicago, how
ever, Is constructed on very different lines.
The crossing of State and Madison streets
may be regarded as the very center of the
city. Thence for four miles or more north
and west Chicago is built up solidly. At
the present time, compared with Philadel-
phla In 1873, the facilities are decidedly
meager. The Illinois Central, it is true,
parallels the lake front to distance far
beyond the site selected, and running south
in the same direction there is, on Wabash
avenue and on State street, by all odds the
best system of cable cars that the world
has yet produced
At the same time, as is already painfully
apparent to the multitude of southern
suburban residents, these facilities are
scarcely more than equal to the existing
demand There have been times and oc-
casions, and there will probably be again
before 1893, when they have been abso-
iuteiy inadequate to handle the crowds
that have hocked to the central portions OF
the city for some particular event. 1t is
conceded, therefore, that with such a de-
mand for transportation as is certain to be
created two years hence, the present meth
dds of reaching the South park would be
ludicrously meager, and hence it is that for
many weeks past two experts in the mat
ter of transportation-Chief Engineer Gott-
lleb and E. l. Corthell, of she Western Indi-
ana and the Lake Shore roads-re-enforced
by other raiiroaders, have been indus
trlously engaged in planning ways and
means by which the problem might be
solved. 1t was thought at first that an
underground system might be feasible
This plan was voted too expensive the
oshihC VIII al tIeNdOtu T1hIlrOitSl terminal,
but the idea has not yet been definitely
abandoned
The proposition which meets with the
greatest favor contemplates loop, which,
while affording accommodations to the
people gathering in the center of the city,
viii at the same time have connection
with each and every railroad depot Gen
eral Manager Thomas, of the Western In
diana, claims that train might safely be
started from the Worlds fair grounds
every minute, moving 300, GOO people in the
space of ten hours. Nobody imagines that
there will he anything like such tax on
the transportation facilities, bur it is well
to be prepared, as experience demonstrates
that everybody wants to go and come about
the same time
There Is objection, however, even to this
admirable scheme, on the ground of the
immense outlay which it will involve, and
so the chief engineer and his assistants are
figuring on a surface switch yard center
ing in an immense depot just outside the
grounds, which shall contain not less than
eight tracks, to be connected by spurs with
the various depots. This scheme is open
TO the objection, however, that the Illinois
Central will not permit the tracks to cross
its right of way on the surface while there
would be considerable delay and almost
momentary danger from the many trains
of other roads which pass over the contem-
plated route. Nothing definite on the mat
ter has yet been determined
HENEY ID HUNT.