Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-01
TALK OVER CHANGES
Gao. Fiaduct and Depot Natter Con-
sAslsd BY the Street Committee
CAPT. COKE ENTERS A PROTEST.
lie Argues Against Allowing the
Company TO cros. the Dock. but Mr..
Axsen Says They Have No such
rdca-The Free bridge.


Railway Company. allowing 1t to build
steel viaduct along certain streets OF 'ne
city, and to connect It's lines In grand
and commodlous new depot. to be erected
on Main street near Seventeenth.
Several meetings have been held by the
committee, with the view OF passing upon
= a measure which would give 70 the rail-
road company the rights and privileges
It desires. ami. at the same time, properly
protect the interests of the city and us
property-hqAers.
The sess of yesterday commenced
promptly at o'clock, those present being
Messrs. Allen (chairman), Bahen, Bloom
berg. Burton. Diacont, Ferriter, KING
Mann. and Page OF the committee; Col
pnel cutshaw. the City Engineer. and MI
Decatur Axtell, the second vice-president
of the Chesapeake and Ohio. and other
representatives Of the railway company.
CAPTAIN coKEs ARGUMENT. Z
There were also on hand a number OF
interested property-hoiders. and the first
gentleman 10 address the COMMITTEES was
Captain John A. Coke. who spoke In op-
position TO the granting Of the iran
chise asked for. He had at previous ses-
sion of the committee brought into ques-
ton the right of the city 10 give sueh
privileges on Seventeenth street AT the
point where the proposed overhead strue-
ture of the railroad company Is 10 come
around the corner OF the basin 10 the
dock, and enter Dock street. ana IL vas
then suggested that the City Attorney
xNhe Cantaln
rued this point Mr.. Meredith had not
vet appeared, and, although some time
had been spent by the committee in wait
ing for him, IL was finally decided 10 10
ahead with tho discussion In the absence
OF the city Attorney. Captain Coke said
ne doubted the right of the city TO grant
the right OF way asked for to the Cleso-
peake and Ohio Railway Company aeIoSS
the dock at Seventeenth street he as
sured the committee that the klcninohu
Dock Company WAS different concern
from the James River Canal Copany' the
former having been established FOR the
purpose of constructing docks on the river
front from a wharf In Rockets UP, While
the latter was chartered for the PURPOSE
of constructing a canal above That point
HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY.
csptain Coke stated that the property
In question came from the old Mayo es-
tate. and that the strip In front
Of the warehouse of Messrs. Davenport
& Morris, was acquired from Mr.. Johh
Leslie. The property on Seventeenth
street belonged to Mr. John"G. Gamble
who conveyed It TO the Richmond DOCK
Company; but reserved certain rights
20 the owners, under which the street
was 10 be continually kept open. In the
course Of time, Captain Coke continued
mi
James-River and Kanawha Canal Com
pany became the property of the James
River and Kanawha Canal Company. and
subsequently,, in 1879, the Legislature
enacted q law by which the Richmond
and Allegheny Railway Company could
purchase the property Of the James-River
and Kanawha Canal Company, under
specified conditionss
CAPTAIN Coke alluded to the law passed
during the recent session Of the General
Assembly. authorizing the railroad COM
pany to make such changes In the high
ways and waterways to carry out Its
plans as might be agreed upon between
the city and the railroad company. He
said he had learned that the Legisla-
ture had no constitutional right TO make
any such enactment. II 1t had such
rszht II would certainly not dispose OF
the easement that Messrs Davenport
& Morris had on the property. This
easement the speaker admitted. might
be lost by a condemnation by the right
of eminent domain. but then the owners
would have to be compensated for the
damages caused thereby to their proper
~. Captain Coke dwelt at length upon
the damage which he thought the
scheme would infict upon the entire dock
property, and TO Richmond shipping by
water lie said he did not think the
city could afford to sacrifice the dock
property, which had cost about N,oN,0O
simply to secure a new passenger depot
that would cost perhaps $lbO,coo.
NOT BE AN INTERFERENCE.
Mr.. Axtell, representing the railway
company, was the next speaker and his
remarks were along n practical line as
10 the changes contemplated In the dock,
ana their interference with the loading
and unloading OF ships. He said In refer
ence to the legal question raised by Cap
tain Coke that the City Attorney would
give the committee such advice as II
might heed upon that and any other SINH
lar matter. Mr.. Axtell said II was the
duty of the committee to know how
this Improvement would affect the dock
Ths Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Com
pany did not propose TO destroy the pro-
nerty interests of Messrs. Davenport &
Morris or anybody else without paying
hem the damages they sustained. he
assured the gentlemen present that If the
ordinance as before them did not contain
/, ufficient safeguards in this respect the
city Attorney could insert additional pre-
cautsonary clauses In It, The company
proposed TO save the city harmless IRON
any damage or cost by reason of th'
undertaking
The ordinance did not contain any con
cession, argued Mr.. Axtell, which the city
did not have the right to give. The com
many expected TO cross Seventeenth street
and would pay every dollar Of dam
age caused TO Messrs. Davenport q Nor
ris, but It did not intend 10 cross TIT
dock, but expected to take off It's presen
traffic which has 10 cross the dock at I
lower point.
From the corner Of Davenport & Nor
rise store 10 the new position OF III
vessel, the distance would be about IL
feet. or sixty feet further than. at pres
emit. All the new distances would b
within easy range. The improvement
would create more room for vessels o
moderate size on the north side or tn
dock than there Is at present. The via
duct would not be In the way; the clear
ance would be thirty feet and any YES
sci could pass without trouble. 1t wa
a mistaken idea, MIR. Axteli said. as Z
the intention OF the company 10 eros
the dock; II had no such idea.
OTHER POINTS AT ISSUE.
The committee then. at the suggest!o
OF Mr.. Mann. took up the next point
Colonel cutshaw explained the alteration
nsccssary TO the Free bridge and tn
rutting down involved I'm the streets I
Fulton. He brought 90 the attentio
Of the committee number Of little de
tails necessary to be determined upof
but which could be easily settled. Tn