Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-08
WATER STREET BRIDGE.

An Important Hearing Before the
Railroad Commissioners.
There was an important meeting of the
railroad commissioners in the county law
library yesterday morning. They gave
hearing on the plans for the proposed
bridge over the Water street railroad GROSS
ing. Mayor Sargent and Corporation Coun-
sci Driscoll represented the city, and Vice
President futile, Chief Engineer Curtiss
and Lynde Harrison appeared for the rail-
road company.
The plans of Civil Engineer Fayette 8.
Curtiss of the Consolidated road call for q
fifty. foot bridge with ten, foot sidewalks
and sixteen feet clear. The line of the
bridge follows the line of Water street
from the south. This would empty the
traffic of the street into State street almost
opposite the point where Front street runs
| into State street.
The plan oontemplates raising the street
| at the corner of Union and Water about
| fourteen feet. It is proposed to grade off
| the street at both sides of the bridge five
/ feet to every 100 feet. This would finish
the grade about $50 feet south of Union
| and Water and turn Long wharf into
Water street south of the tracks. On the
State street side of the bridge the grade
| would make State street where the new
street would join 1t three feet higher.
The mayor favored q bridge with fifty
foot driveway and two sidewalks each ten
feet wide. He also asked why the bridge
| could not start from Union street and go
in q westerly direction, joining State street
at West Water street as at present.
Engineer Curtiss said as the track will
come very near this point it would make
the grade too abrupt.
City Engineer Kelly said If fifty feet
| width was ordered he would favor one side
| walk; If sixty, two sidewalks.
| Edward Bryan of the firm of Bryan,
Miner & Read, whose business house is on
State street, said the changes as proposed
| would damage the firms property.
J. D. Dswell favored walk on both
sides, especially to accommodate travel to
the steamboat.
| Vice President futile said: ''Every en-
largement of this plan increases tho ex-
pense to the railroad and the state. Ali
| are disinterested as to expense as long as
they do not have to bear part of it. The
railroad must pay the greatest expense. So
| far as the carriage ts concerned We shall re-
| move all of the outward freight business
to the Derby station, thus decreasing ma
terially the carriage over the bridge. The
inward freight will be at Its present loca-
ton with an outlet at Brewery street. As
to increasing the grade in Water and State
streets it would prove very damaging to
| adjoining property. 1t is not fair that the
| city of New Haven mot participating in the
expense, should ask US to improve the sur
rounding streets. There are few cities 60
we'll located, as concerns grades, as is New
| Haven.
| Mayor Sargent said that the company
was bound to pay the damages done by
| change of grades.
| Mr.. futile eaid that the matter was in
| the courts yet. He said that the outgoing
| freight would be sent out from the Derby
freight house when the new arrangement
| was completed. This, he said would lessen
the street traffic over the bridge He
| thought that q sidewalk on the south side
of the bridge was unnecessary, as the
| freight yard made a sidewalk leading to
that side impracticable.
Chairman Woodruff asked If it would
| not be better to have the grade made easier
on the west or south side of the bridge, as
most of the loaded teams would come from
the west side. This seemed to be the gen.
eral opinion.
The commissioners reserved their deci-
sion