Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-20
~. c,c..pe.ke and Ohio Depot.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Depot
THAT Is grand scheme which the
ctssapcake and Ohio Railway Company
has devised TO bring all OF its lines here
>osether under one depot roof. and the
fun details OF which We publish this
morning.
Our years OF patient waiting for this
Improvement are to he fe"arueu
hy the expenditure In Richmona
Of more than 100000 and the
erection OIL Main street near the First
Market Of one of the finest passenger
stations in this country. 1t seems to us
that the compsny's plans are complete
and that the franchises asked of this city
are reasonable.
Not only will the expenditure OF 'ais
large sum OF money give employment 10
many hundreds OF our workmen, and
thereby prove a direct benefit TO the com
mpnity. but the location of the depot
on lower Main street will rescue from
decay what used TO be, what ought &c
be. and what. with the fruition OF these
plans. will be a prosperous portion OF
this city. Furthermore. we may wen
hope that when this building Is erected
the Southern Railway Company will see
its way clear to making arrangements
10 enter Il with it's passenger trains.
Then Main street from Ninth to Seven
teenth. will be one Of the busiest marts
Of trade in this section of the country.
Then Richmond will present busting
appearance which is now absent by rea-
SON Of the fact that our business is scat
tered around many deDots in many neigh
borhoods.
The connection line (which will be
double track viaduct of iron and stone)
will debouch from the canal bank above
the Tredegar Works. and going into the
river will pass over the Tredegar bridge
and under the Petersburg railroad bridge,
and over all the bridges lower down the
river. At Nineteenth street the viaduct
will bend around towards the depot build
INK. A glance at the map We publish this
morning makes the route perfectly clear.
A costly. but not otherwise serious
engineering obstacle. is met with at the
Free bridge A part Of that structure will
have to be lowered to enable the railroad
tracks 10 cross 1t al a safe elevation;
but the plans for doing this seem
to us TO be entirely practicable. and In
volve Improvements which Will give
much freer outlet for travel to Manches-
ter than We now have. For one thing
the street viaduct proposed viii prohibit
any more blockading Of Ninth street near
Cary by freight trains.
All the expense incident TO the work
of depressing the Free bridge the rail-
way company will bear. Indeed IT no
where asks for any money from the city;
but IL does ask. and il should have. per
mission 10 depress the Free bridge "a
matter In which Manchester is Jointly
interested with Richmond and to pass
along certain downtown streets.
Wherever II crosses or runs along a
street, IL will do so on elevated tracks
high above the roadway. and every pre-
caution will be adopted TO minimize
trouble from smoke. dust. and noise
Without a question. the franchises that
the company asks OF us are valuable
but IL proposes TO give us therefor value
received. The Dispatch would have the
clty's interests well-guarded. but We think
our people would be foolish to interpose
any trivial objections to the execution
Of this great scheme.
The Dispatch has labored too long and
TOO zeaiousiy for the contamination that
seems nearing TO be willing TO see the
eornpany's plans INSTRUCTED by unimpor-
A. TO say that the ordinance submitted
BY the company should be adopted with
out question: but we do say that We
ought to treat with the company as with
an organisation OF sensible men who are
~e'l-dlsposed towards Richmond. and.
Who. while they ask fsvors. promise
10 give us fun value for all that We vote
them.
The Chesapeake and Ohio company has
always been most kindly disposed to-
wards Richmond. IL was so under Gene
al wickham;. II is so under It's presen,
great President ingalls,. Richmond
he's never dealt With more eblig'ns