The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-10
ADVANCE CLUBS IDEA.
Alderman Little to Present it at the
Next Board Meeting.
IL is said 10 Simplify the Problem OF
Widening Charles and Mill Streets.
IL Contains Novel Features.

At the next meeting OF the Board OF
Aldermen, plan will be presenred by
Alderman Little in which II Is sought 10
simplify the proposed widening OF Charles
and Mill streets at present under dis
cussion. The plan was originated by the
Advance Club OF this city and Is
radical change in any heretofore intro
duced to the public notice. III was COM
piled and drawn mp by John A. Miller,
patent engineer, and is best explained in
Mr.. Miller's own words.
s'The Advance Club, said he TO NEWS
man Yesterday, "has under consideration
this improvement of Charles street and
has appointed committee, which, after
a careful investigation, has reported TO
the club and this report has been handed
10 Alderman Little for presentation TO
the City Council. The Advance Club
considers this widening and laying
out of Charles street as the meet impor-
tant Improvement that the City of Provi-
dence has ever undertaken. The plan OF
the map OF the city shows that from
Smith street on the west TO North Main
street on the east extending northward,
great territory, which is at present only
sparsely settled, depends upon the mar
row funnel of Charles street for
an outlet into the city of
Providence. Any one who has watched
the rapid growth OF Pawtncket and
the manufacturing interests in
this great triangular space, as it
were, by the Moshassuck river
which empties into the bay through the
canal lying alongside OF Charles street,
must recognize the fact that it is the sign
OF destiny for Pawtucket and Providence
TO be linked together and thus form one
great city.
sAll efforts to economize in the layout
and widening OF this short street, scarcely
1000 feet long, would be such poor econo-
my and short sightedness that 1t behooves
all intelligent citizens TO oppose
it. The first plan presented
between the union OF Charles, Canal and
Mill streets on the one side, and Randall
square on the other, width of so feet.
The parsimonious plan now under con-
sideration contemplates the reduction OF
the width of this short piece of Charles
street TO only 60 feet.
.sThe plan favored by the Advance Club
utilizes the width OF the canal or river,
and proposes to move the west line of
Charles street further east so as to
secure better grade between
Canal street and Randall Square. III this
plan which provides for the building OF
the roadway over the Moshassuck canal,
should be adopted it could be readily
carried out and extended over this canal
until il intersects Smithfield avenue. The
advantage of having a great thorough
fare over this canal would be that
the grade of the roadway would be prac-
tically level and that like the
of the second and third districts would
unite with this great trunk, whilst
the route would be formed by Mill, North
Main, Canal, Gaspee streets, Exchange
place and Harris avenue, and the teaming
business from the whole northern
carried into the city and throughout the
city as far as Olneyville, practically on
level road
This plan possesses novel features innu-
merable, not the least of which is the
great saving ot territory which would re-
suit. AS 1t now stands the
canal Is useless, stream
OF muddy water filed with impurities and
waste matters disgorged by the sewer
mains and manufactures along
its bed. II is OF no use
10 the community, but Is an eyesore and n
Disgrace The plan OF the Advance
Club as before stated is to wall
this canal up and build the
roadway over IL, thus converting il into
underground sewer. From the bridge at
the junction OF Mill and Charles streets
the roadway will be built over the stream,
and Will continue over the greater portion
OF il until the junction OF Stevens street is
reached when the road will join Charles
street, and the stream curying TO the
northeast passes out of the way. The
property on the west line OF Charles street
VIII be added to by several feet
and will be vastly improved
and enhanced i'm value. The steep
and abrupt rise of Millstreet will be over
come by the slight rise of grade necessary
10 unite with that portion of Charles
street 10 the north of Randall square, aud
a thoroughfare will thus be obtained OF
sufficient width to accommodate all the
traffic between the northern and central
portions OF the city.