The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-27
hal The First Train Ran OYer tho
Worcester Road
PRESENT STATION WAS BUILT
- seotlons-The East Wing First, Then
che Main structure and the West
wing Followsd--Ex-Governor Davis
Gives = sketch Of Its Construction.

Now that the Consolidated Rsilroad
4 oom pany has begun work to carry out the
y plan for improved terminals in this city
there 10 reason to believe that the union
passenger station on Exchange place
Will in few years be thing of the past.
The station was built by the Providence
and Worcester road, and 1t was forty six
years ago today that the frat train was
xun.
It went however only as far as Millville
4 on that occasion. Two trains were run
daily, one at 6:3O a m. and the other at 3
B. m. under the direction OF Mr. v. X.
Stevens, the superintendent OF transpor-
tatIon, who had previously been con-
& ductor ON the StoninRton line. The first
train over the line attracted considerable
Attention and crowds gathered at all the
& stopping places to see it.
The freight station was used for pas
oenger depot at that time an the Union
dspot was not constructed. The east
wing OF the Union depot, now the Provi-
Z dence and Worcester part, was finished
IA the fall OF 1647. In 1S4S the main
building and west wing-were added when
she Boston and Providence line obtained
the right to come In on the west side OF
tha Cove.
Before this there had been q through
train from Boston to New York via India
Point. but this place was now abandoned
and became the lifeless place OF today.
Speaking Of the old station this morn
lng Ex-Governor Davis said the builder
of the last wing was Joseph II. Gilmore,
while the main building and east wing
were built by Samuel B. Durfee and were
6nished In 1S4a Mr.. Tefft was the archi-
toct. At that time there were only four
1rains, two in each direction. These
simply suficed for the business Of the
jlme.
Inception OF the worcester Road.
The demand for railroad through the
Blackstone valley began as early as 1880,
but not until 1640 was the plan definitely
discusssd. In 1914 the Providence and
Worcester Railroad company was incor-
poratsd by an act OF the gene
raj assembly. Among the names In
the quarter were those OF Alexander
DUNCAN, Moses B. Ives, Harvey Chase.
Edward H. Sprague. samuel Wood.
George c. Ballou. Allen o. Peck and
William Foster. BY acts OF the city
council the right was granted to the COM
pany to use the cove lands for depots,
freight houses, railroad tracks. etc.
Plans and specifications were shown to
the city council. which were reported
upon favorably March 8. 1S4L
The Cove Basin.
These plans proposed to make the
cove below the state prison into an clip
deal basin with street around the basin
eighty fest wide. The westerly section
of the sllipss from Sabin street to the
state prison was not TO be completed at
that time Canal and Cove streets were
20 BE- made eighty feet wide. The space
between these streets and the street
around the cove basin was to be occupied
By railroad tracks. depots and railroad
buildiugA Work was commenced o.
onoeS
The right to the use Of the cove lands
Was not obtained, however. without con-
siderable opposition Oae argument
egaipst filling In the cove was that 1t
would seriously injure. IL not endanger,
the very existence of che natural channel
Of our river" between Fox Point aud
Weyb0ssst bridge. Another petitioner
wanted to Use the laud for park. A
written petition by Alexander Duncan
and signed By 1850 of the business men
of the city led to the adoption OF pro-
posals Of the railroad company.
The flrst president was Alexander Dun
can and the next Orray Taft. The first
annual report was given In January,
16l8. and In that year the first train ran
through to Worcester. Hardly five years
later II was proposed to lay dou ole track
aud since that time tho company has
steadily improved.