The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-25
TO CUT THE TANGLE.
Hills Plan for Solving the Rail-
road Problem.
BIG UNION DEPoTs PROPOSED.
Joint Passenger Station and Freight
Yards-Re-Arranging Tracks-xhe
o. 1. Company's Attitude.

prepared Dy j. j. hin, piSoAAOHs u N.iS
Great Northern railroad, was made public
yesterday by Thomas Z. Shepard, OF
Burke, Shepard & Woods, the roads at
torneys. Copies of the maps EN- ondying
the scheme were sent simultaneously to
Mr.. Shepard and to President Oakes, CT
the Northern Pacific. They were have
been submitted to the new city council;
and were, therefore. withheld from pubii-
cation pending such action. But as they
are still the subject of negotiation amcng
the railroad companies and IS no ret7rn-
mendations can te made to the council
until an agreement is reached by the rail-
roads, they are given to the pub.ic at the
present time.
Mr.. Hill proposes first of all that Rail-
road avenue north of the Y be made eight
feet wider, in order to accommodate eight
tracks. 1t is now 120 feet wide, but eight
feet is reserved for sidewalks, and thus
there is not quite space enough for eight
tracks, on the basis of fifteen feet for each
track. 1t is therefore proposed to extend
it eight feet on the outer side. The plan
also contemplates the extinguishment. by
consent, of the Portland & Puget Sound
franchise from the north end of the city
down to the Y. As the Great Northern is
halloween of this road and is willing to
accommodate it on its sixty-foot right-of-
way, it is expected that no difficulty VIII
be encountered in making such an ar
rangement.
These plans would clear the way north
OF Yesler avenue for two tracks each for
the Lake Shore, Great Northern and Port
land & Puget Sound. South of Yesler
avenue, the Northern Pacific would be
given a franchise on the eastern thirty feet,
which would thus connect with the Lake
Shore right-of-way north of Yesler avenue,
and with its franchise on Railroad avenue
south and also on the Y. This distribu-
ton OF the space leaves each road what it
now holds. with the exception of the
Portland & Puget Sound, which Mr.. Hill
undertakes to provide for, and closes the
gap in the franchises of the Northern Pa
citic and Lake Shore roads. The Oregon
improvement Company would be given
trackage rights by one Of the other COM
panies.
The removal of the Portland e. Puget
Sound franchise leaves vacant the western
thirty feet OF the avenue from the north
end to the Y, which Mr.. Hill proposes
shall be used in common by all the rail-
roads doing business in the city. He is
opposed to the organization of a terminal
company to have entire control of the
railroad facilities of the city, as he be-
lieves that each road should have control
of its own tracks, but he proposes as an
alternative the formation of a company to
operate transfer tracks and crossings and
to build and manage union passenger
station. This company would be COM
posed of the several railroad COM
panies doing business in the city,
| but would be a distinct organization.
Instead of each railroad exercising the
| right given it by its franchise to cross the
| tracks of the other roads where it pleases
and thus cutting up the tracks, this COM
| pany would lay crossings from one side of
the avenue to the other at suitable inter-
walls, connecting all the tracks with one
| another. This company would also build
| sidings both on the shore and the wharf
| side of the avenue, wherever needed, for
| the joint use of all the roads.
The union passenger depot would be on
the west of West street, from Columbia to
| Madison street, and the main building
! contemplated is 60x140 feet, with sh-5
800 or 800 feet long, covering sidings on
which trains would stand. On the
West street front of the building would be
another covered platform with platform
for loading and unloading baggage, and
| with space in front of it for vehicles of all
kinds. Mr.. Hill proposes, however, that
the passenger depot ground shall extend
from 1esler avenue on the south to Spring
street on the north and include all ground
between West street and Railroad avenue.
| This would involve the purchase by the
terminal company of the Lake Shore d.
pot ground. the block owned by that COM
pany between Madison aid Spring stree.s,
the Colman property from Columbia to
Marion and the Commercial Mill Com
pany's property from Marion to Madison
| streets.
The scheme also involves a rearranee-
ment of the freight and yard facilities on
the tide flats. 1t does not interfere with
the track of the Columbia & Puget Sound
road down King street to the coal bunk
ers, but assumes the abandonment by the
| Northern Pacific of the tracks which run
over the broad-gauge strip to its freight
and passenger depot on Weller street. in
favor OF the track partly built along Rail-
road avenue south TO its proposed wards
at the head of the bay. The trestle for
this line has been built across the tide
flats and partly across kinnear's island
but work on it has been suspended owing
to orders from the war department to
build a drawbridge across the east chan
mel of the Duwamish river, the comnanv
holding that such a bridge would render
the track useless for the purpose contem.
plated.
The proposed freight yards would occunv
| q strip >, 100 feet wide from Railroad ave.
nue. south TO South Sixth street and from
! 6,0oo 10 10000 feet long from Lane IN
Lander street. The plan is drawn for two
yards, occupying the eastern half of this
strip. The proposed yard would be what
| Is known as a one-end ward, the tracks
ending at Lane street and being reached
| from the main tracks on Railroad avenue
south, which runs due south along the
| western side of this strip and then turns
| southeasterly, bounding il on the south
| end also. The Northern Pacific. comi,g
| from the south, would run right into T.
| while the Great Northern would have ~
run down 10 the south end
and then back in. If two
end yard should be preferred with
an outlet at each end, that object could be
attained by changing the line of Railroad
avenue south and moving the northern
end Of the yards further south on the tide
flats. so that the roads could curve across
70 them from Weller street. The freipht
sheds and Offices would front on Lane
street and, If necessary, roads could be
| run through the yards from north IN
south, though the plan shows all streets
| within the depot grounds closed Fach of