Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-15
An Interesting Hearing on the Petition
of the Traction Company.

An Interesting Hearing on the Petition
of the Traction Company.
Mayor Webster presided at the meet
ing of the road and sewer boards last
| night and all the commissioners were
present. The meeting was held in the
district court room to accommodate all
/, who wished to be heard on the petition
| of the Waterbury Traction company.
Attorney Terry, for the company,
| stated that the company under the gen.
eral laws had simply applied to the city
authorities to be allowed to change from
| horses to the single trolley system. The
trolley would be supported by cross
| wires at intervals and would be in the
| center of the street, All work done in
| constructing the system would be ac-
cording to most improved methods and
| recent developments in the system of
| propelling cars by electricity. The only
change to be made in the tracks would
be at the entrance to the stables on
West Main street.
Commissioner Kelley inquired what
kind of poles the company proposed to
erect to support the cross wires.
| Sawed wooden poles" answered Mr.
Terry. "Iron poles are being ordered
down in many places as unsafe. In
| rainy and icy weather they are con-
ductors of electricity and by touching a
pole one might receive shock"
Commissioner Stevens: "What is the
relative cost of wooden and iron poles p
MIR Terry said the best style of wooden
pole would cost about So apiece, while
iron poles would cost about $50 apiece
set up.
Mr. Young of the company said that
wrought iron poles cost sci apiece, and
cast iron poles SIG apiece, and he did
not think there was much difference in
the appearance. The company intended
to put in cut-offs every 1000 feet in the
center and about half as often in the
outside districts.
General Kellogg asked if the company
proposed to use the same rails, and if
the paving between the rails should not
be relad?
Mr. Young continued: ave will not
relay our tracks in the center, but we
| will repair our lines throughout. When
the change is completed nobody will be
able to say that it has not been done in
the best possible manner"
| John Fitzpatrick thought the proper
| thing to do would be to take the report
of the former committee into considera
| ton or to appoint committee to take
| such report into consideration and re.
port to the council. If too much is ex-
acted an arbitration committee of the
superior court would have to be ap
pointed. Mr. Fitzpatrick favored iron
poles, and remarked that the general
law seemed to be all that electric road
men could have asked for.
II. II. Peck spoke against disfiguring
the city with wooden poles and said
that he had been told that the iron poles
properly insulated were not unsafe.
MIR Young said: "The company will
put in iron poles as quickly as wooden
| a. &c tn he
this as good an equipment as modern
times and inventions can produce"
A letter was read from r. K. Brown
protesting against wooden poles, after
" hich the hearing ended.
The matter of damage to Rev MI
Days property caused by the overflow
of brook on Pearl street was brought
up and referred to the city engineer tt
report the most feasible plan of settle
ment.
The sewer board was then called tt
order. Petitions for sewers in Hillside
avonue, west from Vine street and cas-
from Second avenue, and the extension
of the Wood street sewer 400 feet were
deferred to the engineer for estimate o
9expenses and the property owners or
dered to be cited in on June 20.
The board recommended that sewer
he built in River street extension, il
sion of sewer in Woodlawn terrace. Thu
engineer was instructed to report at thu
next meeting an estimate of expense TO
constructing Vine street sewer eXten
sion some other way than through tn
land of the Waterbury Manufacture.
company.
The road board was again called tt
order and petitions for crosswalks OF
johnson street at Waterville street; OF
Laurel street at Wall street, and TO
sidewalk at corner of Judd and Yves
Main streets were referred for estimate
of expense. The petition for grade ant
layout of Chestnut avenue from Hillside
, avenue to Ridgewood street was tabled
The petition for layout, grade and side
, walks on South Wilson street was con
sidered and the engineer instructed t.
prepare a map for the next meeting
Maps were also ordered prepared O
johnson street to Manhan street to Wa
terville streets, mi of corner of Nortl
Main and North Elm showing tn
change of grade asked for. Petition
asking for relief from surface water a
Washington avenue and Wilson stree
was referred to the engineer.
l Charles O'Connor was given permits
1 sion to remove trees in front of hi
property on South Elm street. Thu
board recommended to the council tina
the work of widening South Elm stree
be ordered done and that a tree at tn
$ corner of North Main street and Abbot
avenue be removed.
The property owners on Round Hi
street will be given a hearing on Jun
90 on the matter of layout of that stree
II. w. French was refused permissio
. to build ceespools in Ward street. tt
: board voted to defer action on the pet
ton of the Waterbury Traction con
= pany until next Wednesday evenin,
after which adjournment was taken.