Morning journal and courier., 1892-11-22

The ROardSOf Aldermen Grant the Re-
quest of the State Street and Whit |
ney Avenue ROads-Two Reports |
Presented by the Committee on
Railroads and Bridges-The Minor
ity Report Adopted-The Road Will
Probably Not BE Compelled to Run
to the Depot-An Inter esting Session
of the City Fathers.
The meeting of the board of aldermen
was called to order last evening at
O'Clock, Mayor Sargent in the chair pre-
siding, twenty members of the board be-
ing present. Thomas Ward was unani-
mously appointed special constable. A.
ter the transaction of some other prelimi-
nary business the principal matter which
was to come before the board was present
ed. 1t was in the form of reports from
the committee on railroads and bridges in
regard to the petition of the State street
and Whitney avenue horse railroads to be
equipped electrically. Both a majority
and minority report were presented by
the committee as follows:
MAJORITY REPORT.
To the Honorable Court of Common Coun-
Gil OF the City OF new Haven:
Your committee on railroads and
bridges to which was referred the petition
of the State Street Horse Railroad COM
pany and the Whitney Avenue Horse
Railroad company, for leave to use cleo
tricity as a motive power for their cars
within the limits of the city of New
Haven, beg leave to report that 1t has
attended to the duty assigned to it, and on
due examination is of the opinion that the
public interest and convenience require
that one of the conditions upon which
such permission should be granted is that
said horse railroads shall run their cars
across Chapel street to the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad station. The
petitioners have informed the committee
that they are unwilling to comply with
this condition. Your committee therefore
recommends that the petitioners have
leave to withdraw.
H. A. NEWTON, Chairman.
THE MINoRITY's REPORT.
Following is the report of the minority,
Messrs. Alderman J. M. Champion and
Councilman g. E. Hoadley:
Ordered: That the following resolutions
be passed:
Resolved, l. That permission be and the
same is hereby granted to the State street
Horse Railroad company aud the Whitney
avenue Horse Railroad company, which
latter company is leased to the former
company, to use as a propelling power on
any of the lines of either Of said companies,
in the city of New Haven which they now
control and operate, electric motors to be
supplied by electricity from properly
guarded overhead trolley wires supported
by iron, steel or wooden poles. at least
twenty feet high, which poles are to be
placed within the curb lines.
2. The said companies, before commenc-
ing the work of constructing their over
head plant, shall present to the committee
on railroads and bridges detailed plan
of such construction with specifications;
the same to be approved in writing by the
committee on railroads and bridges of the
court of common council before any work
is done upon said plant under the permits
sion hereby granted. The location of the
poles, the heights and kinds of poles, and
the details of the wiring shall be fully set
forth in said detailed plan. There shall
be guard wires to protect the trolley wires
on all the lines which the committee on
railroads and bridges may designate in
the plan proposed in this section within
the city limits.
3. The said companies shall place at
points to be approved by the court of COM
mon council, at distances not more than
500 feet from each other through the main
streets of the city, upon which their lines
may run, absolute and approved cut-out
switches, 80 that the current of electricity
may be cut off between these points in
case of fire or accident. The officers and
members of the fire department may in
the event of fire, and whenever in oonnec-
ton Herewith they deem it proper, cut
the wires of said trolley system; and if 80
cut, they shall be repaired at the expense
of said companies. If said wires shall be-
come broken for any cause connected with
work performed by the city, or any of it's
officers or servants, they shall be repaired
by said companies at said companies ex-
pense.
4. The said companies shall, before be-
ginning to set up their poles and wires,
contract with the City of New Haven to
indemnify and save harmless the said city
from and against all lawful claims and de-
mands for I'M uries to persons or property
occasioned by the existence of such poles
and wires, or by the transmission of cleo
trio currents by means thereof, and said
companies shall agree to be responsible for
damage to persons or property by cur
rents of electricity escaping from their
wires.
5. All work of construction of said
wires and poles shall be done by said COM
panies in thorough and workmanlike
shall be taken to prevent the leakage and
escape of currents of electricity from their
wires. All poles shall be kept painted and
their location shall be changed at the ex-
pense of said companies within thirty days
after the removal or change of location
shall be directed by the court of common
council or by the board of public works.
6. In case the operation of said system
shall in the opinion of the court of COM
mon council Of New Haven impair the
usefulness of the fire alarm system, or
other electric system that the city has now
in operation, or hereafter may adopt, said
companies shall at their own expense and
without delay, restore to it's present
efficiency the fire alarm and other system
now in use by the city, and pay to the
city hereafter any additional expense 1t
may be put to by reason of said trolley
system in the construction of any electric
system it may hereafter adopt.
7. Said companies shall maintain gates
on the sides of the platforms of the closed
cars; so that ingress and egreas to and
from said cars can be had only on the sides
of the car nearest the curb. The cars shall
not be run upon Church street at greater
speed than seven miles an hour, nor upon
Elm street at greater speed than ten
miles an hour. Each electric car propelled
alone on said tracks by said system, and
each train of more than one car shall be
provided with conductor in addition to
the motor men or person in charge of the
management of the car or train.
8. The said companies, after contracting
as specified in the 4th resolution, and after
approval of their plan by the court of COM
mon council as specified in the I'd resolu-
ton, are hereby authorized to make such
excavations in the streets as are necessary
for the system, but they shall without delay
restore the pavements and streets to their
former good condition to the satisfaction
of the superintendent of streets.
8. The permission granted by this ordi-
nance shall not be construed as limiting in
any manner the power of the mayor and
court of common council to regulate at
any time hereafter the use of said electric
motors, the running of the cars or any
other acts of said companies that involve
the use of the streets of the city.
The point at issue throughout the dis
cussion seemed to be whether or not the
the companies should be compelled to carry