The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-27
THE OLD RAMS HORN.
1t Once More Worries the Com
mon Council.
TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
Another Attempt to Reconcile the
Claims OF tho Marrow Gauge and
the Great Northern Roads.


eled once more last evening by q council
committee. A conference was held at which
the council was represented by President
kloeber of the house of delegates. who
occupied the chair, Aldermen Miller and
Garlic and Delegate Calligan. Thomas
Burke and T. r. Shepard appeared for the
Great Northern railroad; the Oregon I'M
provement Company was represented by
A. +. Burleigh, accompanied by c. ].
Smith, general manager; and Corporation
Counsel Donworth appeared for the city.
Z. b. Shelby, Of the Great Northern, lis
tened to the proceedings. After three
hours discussion the committee decided
to go over the ground today and meet next
Wednesday night.
Mr.. Burleigh. after brief review of the
subject, said that he had proposition to
make. The original purpose of the avenue
was to provide room for all railroads in or
to come into the city. This purpose had
been defeated by giving it up to the Seat
tie, Lake Shore & Eastern, to the Seattle &
Montana and the Portland & Puget Sound,
leaving entirely out of the question the
Northern Pacific and the Columbia
q Puget Sound, both of which had
for years been running into
the city. This proposition was to make an
arrangement which would afford sufficient
facilities for all roads. That was a termi-
nal company which should provide tracks
for the common use of all railroads, a
trackage to be paid for every car that
passed over it. He suggested that the
rams horn. which was now thirty feet
wide, should be widened to ninety feet,
which would give room for four tracks,
with fifteen foot sidewalk on each side. If
these were managed by terminal company
the city would be better served than by hav-
ing tracks owned by separate railroads.
His reason for preferring the rams horn
route to that of Railroad avenue was that
it would allow of overhead crossings from
Front street to the wharves. AS it is now,
there are seven tracks proposed. yet two
railroads are entirely unprovided for and
the great traffic between the city and the
water front must be done across all these
seven tracks. He advocated the forma-
ton of terminal company. not for pur-
poses of profit, but whose charges
should be based upon the inter-
est on expenditure for acquir-
ing necessary land and for maintenance.
1t became very advisable to arrange now
that all railroads in the future could come
in on equal terms with those now here.
The Columbia & Puget Sound, with its
lines to the coal regions, pays out more in
Seattle every month than any other con-
Germ in the city, and it desires to have rea-
sonable opportunities for dong its bust
ness.
Mr.. Shepard, addressing the committee,
conceded that if Railroad avenue had more
closely followed the shore line it would
have been better if that could have been
done. The best situation for pas
senger station is in the space be-
tween Yesler avenue and Marion.
1t would be better than anywhere near
Yesler avenue on the south. because q
very awkward curve would be encount-
cred. The objection to depot near the
rams horn was that it would mean either
damage to the buildings on the east side of
the rams horn or that all the great pas
senger traffic, carriages, hacks and SO on,
must cross all the tracks. Another objec-
tion would be that spur tracks to the
wharves must cross West street at almost
every street leading to the water front.
Mr.. Shepard then repeated the
proposition of President Hill, of
the Great Northern, which is
to add eight feet to the outer side of Rail-
road avenue, at the expense of a terminal
company, with raised roadway wide
enough for two tracks to be used by
through trains.
Mr. Burke said it would cost So, O0O, 900
to bring the Great Northern to Seattle.
The circulation of money by that road in
this state today is 5000 day. Is that
road to be asked to come in and turn its
terminal arrangements over to a local
narrow gauge road or to terminal COM
pany run, not for profit, but the love of
God, as his friend Burleigh seemed to
put il?
Ne. Burleigh replied that they did not
want the tracks turned over to the Oregon
Improvement but to an entirely distinct
and independent terminal company.
Mr. Shepard continued the discussion as
to details and incidentally mentioned that
the Great Northern had acquired sixty
five acres at Boulevard for railroad shops
DIR. Kloeber said the controversy had
throughout taken the phase that each
side had made proposition hav-
ing first in view its own in
terests. The plans proposed were
Numerically opposed. He considered
that this council would endeavor to act as
a mediator, and he suggested that the
conflicting roads should arrive at the con-
clusion that something must necessarily
be conceded by all. If the roads would
make concessions they would find the city
willing TO do the same. SO that a mutually
beneficial result hight be reached.
ADJUSTMENTS.