Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-09


p.lrr was n session from until II 80
o.sck last nishi investigating the causes
~ tre uncvcn condition OF Broad street.
r.. meeting was one In which nothing
ans done save 10 hear testimony, and
.t. ,r.ncnfcranco OF the evidence went
O.. establish clearly that the railroad
franks m chat thoroughfare had been
t.r. SD as 10 conform practically to the
,-.. ol tho street and upon scientific
r What recommendations may be
,... I'm Che matter cannot be foretold.
lt d .s more than certain that IL the
-..c of tine street is TO be corrected
t-.r ,te rails 10 the curbng. the cost to
The City ail not reach one-tenth the sum
r.s been asserted il would be should
ns work ie undertaken.
IT, va. a. most interesting session. I'm
,... Che statements of the City Attor-
-...rl Eue'neor. several members Of the
Committee ON Streets OF last year. the rep
.ttil,s of the street railways. ana
wore heard. The committeeman
urrsel with spectators throughout
ID. evening.
Tho committee assembled I'm Room No.
.tl. city Hail az o'clock sharp. there
r. present Chat man Allen and Messrs
..r.- John D. King. zimmerman. Koun-
r Nohie ana Ehcl. the City Engineer
.- Dis assistants. The City Attorney. Mr.
L.le-tan Johnston. chief engineer OF
r Traction Company. and Mr.. Charles
.n of tho hichmond Railway and
rc Company. Chairman Allen an
....,l The object of the session. and on
nation NJ Ar Noble Mr.. Meredith the
ltr Attorney. was called 10 the stand
.r. t.. lroeafed regarding tae ordinance
rtre -1 the Richmond Traction COM
r.uy tle islt TO construct and operate
I'D electric street railway on Broad
street,
nr Meredith. answering question pro
pounded hy Afr Jones. said that the ordi-
r... Was drawn with the general idea
rt .u. ..ty should be put TO nO expense.
H said that in am ordinance of this
character The Committee on Streets desig-
rr-.t the time, manner Of construction.
..,.s. Ne. and taking this he would take
r. one ~ the old ordinances. IN which
D.. had a.ven Special care and attention
t ta- matter Of proper safeguards 10
te city. and prepared the ordinance IN
...--llnce with these lines. Mr.. Roun-
.. asked Mr Meredith il when he pre-
...e. is railway ordinance he could tell
.u.h about the condition in which
-. s-r-et would be left He replied in
tta negative. 1.-THE general idea Of al
.r.-e ordinances" continued the City At
replying 40 Ny. zimmerman. els
tst rte streets shall be restored 10 their
former condition" Mr. Meredith added
n.t D., was frequently the case that the
r..--r Of construction. material. and
.r were left TO the City Engineer.
SO EXPENSE TO THE CITY.
Nr Jones handed Mr.. Meredith a COPY
Co., Che ordinance concerning the laying OF
- 5- of the Richmond Traction Com
r.y trl those of the Richmond Railway
a l.e.tlie Company. and asked the At
tuaE q that measure would indicate
r.. tle city should DE put to the expense
U pulling up any street. The Attorney
- tt the city should not. AIR Mere
.... here read the fourth section of the
C-.rce granting 10 the Richmond
-oa Company the privilege Of build
.1 rLa e-reat-car line on Broad street.
ar- Dee stated that it was clearly his
opinion that the company could be made
-. restore the street to its former condi-
don r 20 TAR rs this company had dis
ttt-i the street.
-r Ecuntree piled IN interrogation as
8. whether or not If by the disturbance
U che surface OF the street the side
WALKS % conform 90 it would have TO be
raised as 90 make IL necessary TO
elevate the floors of the stores the city
would Pc liable fCr this expense Mr.
-.-- tl replied that 10 would not as
Ode teft recognized authorities seemed 10
-1- ttat a city had the right 10 estab-
.s- grades of IFS streets az IT'S Will. and
tt only under two conditions could ST
.- held lahle-in cases wherein dirt had
been dumped in SO as 70 TUMBLE over into
private property and I'm cases where
.1 -ae city in digging down the street had
ID. given lateral support
10 answer 20 q question prOnounded by
'o.1re. Cutshaw. the City Attorney
stated that under an ordinance providing
That street-car company should pave
$50 feet beyond each OF the outside rails
= could not Doe made 20 pave any greater
distance than this
NJ CHANGE or GRADE EXPECTED.
Nr $. T. Hloomberg. n member Of the
committee Cu Streets last year. was
called TO ths stand. and was examined
f Ar EDel He said that ne remem-
teiel that tho ordinance under cOnsi5era-
Dal was adopted without reference %
tl as the Engineer was directed %
'tf- charge ~ the details as 10 lines.
,'r-cion. etc. Nr. Bioomberg said he
-- never dreamed that the street grade
.t Doe disturbed save on the him slope
D,ae.n Fourteenth and Sixteenth streets
.re The committee had previously de-
- To- change the grade OF Broad
tF.-t and repave II.
Nr 8ioombcrg dld you imagine when
you voted upon that ordinance that there
ft4 be any grades OF those tracks
ca would put them upon "A level with
irb.ng Of the streetT asked Mr..
Zimmerman.
80. s.r; I ana not suppose So"
.. question was asked Mr.. Bloom
b.'r u he remembered whether the Engi-
Ar was empowered In this ordinance
70 establish the grades and lines. Colo
t.. .utslaw here explained. as the City
attorney had done previously. that when
l matters were referred 20 the Engi-
L.r they never carried with them the
i.t't 20 make any material change in
te grades The city Engineer said ne
you'd later on explain the difference be-
tween giving the lines and establishing
q Grade
Ar bioomberg stood aside. and Mr.
BANKS was the next TO 60 upon the
stand. lie was member OF the street
'thinit'ee last year, and while he Ola
remember very much about the or
4.'tnce. he recOliected that Colonel Cut
f.W once stated 10 the committee there
should be- a slight change IN the grade
.' Broad street. in several places. he
..ai that Chairman Allen then asked
'-- engineer if these changes would be
i.ieral and be replied ln the mega
.f- when / voted for the franchise
ODD not think there would be any
uarse in the grade whatever" con-
"'.'i Nr Blanks. The witness was
+t'i u ho had been over the lines ~
.'e s'reet-car tracks and said that be
.a. He sail he found that the most
important change made I'm the street
one place when the street was
e'aiei about six or eight inches. re