The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-24

It Means Hardship - the feopAe %
Well - te the Company.
Sxa--rx. Dec %. 1893
To THE EDTToz: Not having trespassed
upon your good nature for long time. the
writer IL encouraged to ask little space
In your columns
1t was announced in your paper yesteF-
day that the city authorities infeno 20
shu. down the operation OF the Front
street cable cars during the construction
Of the proposed sewer on Front and COM
merciai streets. To this the writer enters
an earnest protest.
Il will be great hardship and injustice
to the owners Of the line, who have al
ready protested agains: such action. There
are large number OF patrons OF the hnc
living north of Pine street TO battery
street, and north OF Mercer street 70 tne
top Of Queen Anne hill who have no oinef
convenient route to and from the business
part of the city. These have rights thai IL
is the duty Of the city authorizes 10 re-
spect. The business men OF Front ana
Commercial streets Will be even more
seriously affected, as the immediate effect
viii be to lessen their trade. especially the
retail dealers, and the ultimate effect VIII
be to divert much of that trade to other
streets.
As to what plan may b adopted.
whether the sewer shall be put In the
middle of the street or upon the east side
Of the street, need not be discussed at
length, though it would seem that the
latter plan has much to commend It. The
ground is more solid on that side OF Front
street, it would be out of the way OF the
car tracks. and short ordinance could
provide that all connections on the east
side of the stree. should pay into the clty
treasury the cost saved by not having to
90 to the center of the street, at so much
per lineal foot of each size Of pipe. and
then all connections on the west side
should receive from the treasury . like
sum for the added cost Of having to 60 be-
yond the center line.
1t is claimed that the whole street Is
needed to hold the earth dug out Of the
trench and the other material for con-
struction. Under any plan that may be
now adopted the cost will be largely more
than it would have been if the sewer had
been put in before the street was planked
and the car tracks laid down. The ques-
ton il now: How can it be done with
least cost to the city and least inconye-
nience and injustice to others? In this
the i6lseI cOuSiQeEdkiOu ~ "a AQOEc liupQk-
lance than the other.
It may be presumptuous In one not an
engineer to offer any suggestions as to
methods OF construction, but it would
seem that no earth should be allowed to
accumulate on these streets. From the
first section il should be taken to some
out-ofthe-way place or dumped into the
bay; then let the sewer be put in, and
49, - 1r
the next section and put into the COM
pleted one. If any excess of earth should
still accumulate, let it be taken to the in
tersections of cross streets in wagons or
wheel scrapers ana put in pile that need
not block traffic in any way. OF course,
this will increase the cost, but a. the
sewer Il to be built in midwinter for the
purpose Of giving needy men work. few
dollars more or less is OF small moment
The cost will be nearly double now what
would be in midsummer, but as it iya
charitable institution let not our aims
giving be stinted. 1t would be cheaper to
the taxpayers for the council to appro-
pirate IS 900 to buy food and clothing for
the needy, and not begin the work until
next June, and the resulting inconveni-
ence and injury much less.
There can be no doubt that, If the coun-
Gil shall decide that the cable shall not be
stopped, the city engineer is capable Of
devising means to carry on the work
safely and skilifully, and the business
men interested and patrons of the line
should let their views on this question be
understood at once for there can be no
doubt that among those directly interested
the sentiment is practically unanimous
against stopping the cars during the prog
ress OF the work.
It Is promised that not moro than two
months will be consumed in its construc-
ton, but ii the Lake Union tunnel may be
taken as a comparison the cars will not be
running again under four months. The
northern part of the city has been the
sufferer because of the delay in the con-
struction of that tunnel and now tho
north part of the city will again be
heavy sufferer if the proposed action be
carried into effect C. b. BAGLEY.