Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-03
TRACTION COMPANY ALLOWED TO
RUN DOWN FIRST STREET.
A VERY BARD And CLOSE FIGHT.
Hon. w. w. Henry and Judge l.. L..
Lewis Represent Opposing Sides
The Result Was 10 To Z for the
Proposed Route.
Proposed Route.

to finish. and while those opposed to the
putting Of a street railway line on First
street thought they would win by vote
OF 10 to Z, they were doomed to disap-
pointment
The members Of the Board present
we're President Turpin. and Messrs. Allen,
Burton, Bahen, Garter, Cutchins. Hard
wicke King, Montgomery. Moore, Mount
castle. Noble, Smith, Snead. starke
Vaughan, and Zimmerman. There were
IN attendance number Of prominent
! property owners on First and Cary streets
and the two street railway companies
were well represented.
| When the body was called to order
| Clerk August read the call for the meet
| ing, and the business of the evening was
| promptly gone into. The ordinance was
read and the first matter TO be decided
| was whether or not the City Engineer
should be invited before the body to give
his views rs to the best route for the
Traction Company to operate upon from
/ Broad street 10 Hollywood Cemetery.
| The Board finally, on motion OF Mr.
| Starke, agreed to have Colonel Cutshaw
appear and state his position In reference
to this proposed line.
COLONEL CUTSHAW'S VIEWS.
The City Engineer, who happened to be
| in the building at the time. was soon
before the Board and made a statement
| regarding the question to be considered.
| He said he had not followed the lines OF
| the proposed route since 1t was dis
| cussed I'm the Street Committee. and was
not, therefore, in a position 10 argue the
| matter from a thorough standpoint.
| Colonel Cutshaw said in effect, that he
preferred Laurel street TO First The
| Engineer stated that his opinion was
| that this road should not cross Linden
| street, because of the funeral professions
which trayersed tina. thoroughfare, and
| that It should not 90 up Cary street. for
| the reason that Cary street was only one
| block from the Main-st-eet line, anf
therefore not needed. and that a great
| deal Of hauling was now being done on
Cary street. The proposed new line
would interfere with the latter, and would
be of no advantage to the citizens on that
| thoroughfare. Colonel Cutshaw took the
ground that the Laurel-street line could
| furnish all the facilities south of Broad
street to Hollywood Cemetery He said
he had given it as his opinion that Madi-
son street was the best street for the
Traction Company to 80 down to Holly
wood.
GRADES NOT TOO STEEP.
Mr.. King asked as to the danger which
would probably result from the steep
grades on Madison street. to which Colo
mel Cutshaw replied that those grades
were not as severe as those on Seventh
or on Main streets. II was true. said
Colonel Cutshav, that Madison street was
not as wide as First street, but 1t was as
broad as Bank street and could be very
well utilized by the Traction Company.
In reply TO a question by Mr.. Cutchns as
TO the width OF Madison and First streets
Colonel Cutshaw said First street was
about s5 or G6 feet. while Madison was
probably 80 feet at Broad.
AS TO THE ACCRUING DANGERS.
MIR. Noble asked Colonel Cutshaw as 70
the danger which would ordinarily result
from operating a car line upon narrow
thoroughfare like Madison street. The
Engineer replied that there We're no real
dangers which We're not liable TO any
other street. Colonel Cutshaw here spoke
of the various Improvements in street-car
equipment and said that these had much
to do with the lessening of the dangers.
When the City Engineer had concluded
his statement and had answered all the
questions propoUnded 10 him. the Board
agreed TO devote one hour to hearing the
contending sides Of THIS question. Hon.
w. w Henry, as the representative OF
the Traction Company. was the first per-
son to address the body He spoke or the
several advantages OF the First-street
route over any other that had been Of
fered and said the new company had eX-
pected that it would be given an inde-
pendent route under the terms of its gene
raj ordinance.
.Judge /. l.. Lewis made a strong speech
I'm behalf Of the property-owners opposed
to the adoption OF the ordinance. He ad-
vocated the Laurel-street line as ad-
vantageous to all parties Interested. and
made an earnest appeal for his clients on
First street.
AN AMENDMENT OFFERED.
After a great deal Of discussion on the
nart of the counsel representing the or
noslng sides. Mr. Hardwicke, OF Jefferson
Ward offered an amendment providing
that the line should extend down Laurel
TO Cherry and so on just as the present
horse-car line to Hollywood does.
Mr. John SHELTON Williams, president OF
tho Traction Company, vas then allowed
the privilege Of the ioor and spoke most
earnestly and forcibly IN favor Of the
granting Of the right of way on First
street. He presented several petitions
from citizens asking for the adoption OF
the ordinance. Mr.. Williams was fol-
lowed in his remarks by Mr.. Allen Potts,
who stated that three Of the persons
named i'm Mr. wiliiams's petition did not
now live on First street.
President Turpin advocated the adoption
OF the measure. and spoke OF the generosi-
ty of the old company In Offering TO Jet
he new company run upon Laurel street
as most remarkable, inasmuch as the
Richmond Railway and Electric Com
pany's franchise upon tnat thorOughfare
expired in 1899
sneeches were made by Messrs Allen
chairman OF the Committee on Streets,
Cutchins Carter Noble. and Burton. and
the ROard. at II 20 o'clock. concurred in
he ordinance as IL came from the Com
mon Council having voted down both the
LAUREL and Madison-street substitute
which had been offered by Messrs. Hard
wicke and Burton, respectively The vote
mon the direct question was as foilows:
Aves-Messrs. Allen. Carter. MontgOme-
nv Moore. MOuI icastle. Noble. Smith,
T,,rnin Vaughan. and ZimmeTmann-l0
N5es-Messrs Bahen. Burton, Cutchins
Har,iwicke King, Snead, and Starke-7
S-he Roard Immediately adjourned
mo Committee on Second Market fail
ed 10 eet a quorum last evening, and
therefore held no meeting.
what Committees Are Doing.
The Committee on Finance. at its last
,,1eting heard the petitions OF the Board
of Fire Commissioners for the purpose OF
Tepairing the dam axe done 20 the FIRE
alarm system, by The .ecen. ,'9rm: y a,s Of the
tbe commencement OF the proposed i'm
nrovements upon Shockoe creek, which
rriu i'm the opiI ion OF the City Engineer
col about $4,000; and OF the Health Com
- 20 for 500 for continuing the de-
,,,,ment - TO the end OF the fiscal year II
sS not generally known what the Com
II nce lstnanca will do concarnfno