The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-10-21
A TWO, MILE STREET
A Handsome Thoroughfara Created by the
Extension of GranbY Street.
FROM CUSTOM HOUSE TO THE CITY PARK
Graded Entire Distance md ShcIIcd
From Bute Strectto the Big Iron
Bridgc-wiIi Open Up valuable
Property-ssrect Cars Mny Run on
IL Isatcr-Its History.

Wtthn the next few days there will
be opened up for traffic the extension
OF CRANKY street. from Butte street to
the City Park, distance of one and
hve-eigfuths miles. which, with the ex-
listing street. will make II thoroughfare
more than two miles long, in almost q
straight line, from Main street at the
custom house to THE City Park. 1t Is
handsome thorouShfare, being about
sixty feet wide from the Haddington
building 10 dts western termination
FROM Butte street to the bridge over
Smiths creek, the street is graded and
shelied, and beyond the bridge, through
Atlantic City ward, 1t is finely graded
to its intersection with Church street,
and Pine Place, where lit ends. 1t Is as
yet unobstructed by street car lines
north or Butte street, and affords fine
drive way for one and fvc-eiGhths
miles of Its length
WILL OPEN UP PROPERTY.
l. The opening OF the street will open
up several large tracts Of land lying
north or Queen street, and also in At
lantic City ward. Williamson. which
was laid out by the Williams estate. is
rendered more accessible, as is Park
Place, while the extended street also
forms direct artery of communication
with uhe property of the North Norfolk
company, and with Villa Heights.
1T Is expected that the lots already
sold along the street will be rapidly
built up
Inc original survey for the street was
made In 1889 by Mr. w. r. Brooke, the
present city engineer.
The line was straight and intcrscctcd
Church street at the Norfolk and West
ern crossing. 1t also ran through the
gas plant and the cemetery. and was
therefore abandoned, ard the present
sightly bent lines were run for the
street
HISTORY OF IMPROVEMENT.
In 1887 CRANKY street was repaved
with granite blocks from Main street
10 Bute, and two years later the Coun-
CHS look up the matter OF extending
the street. and made an approximation
Tor the filling and grading Enough
DIRT, however. had been saved by the re-
paving or the street with a ccbble stone
foundation, TO save the city $500 on
the fillinE, and This amount was aDDlied
toward the construction of the hand
some 6oXl00 steel bridge that now spans
SMITHS creek on the extended street.
since then the work Of grading and
Sheliing has gone ON hampercd by in
sufficient appropriations The Local
Board Of Improvement of Atlantic CITY
ward realized the Importance of the
street. and had its engineer proceed
with the plans of the city engineer be-
yond the creek, SO that the street was
soon graded to the City Park
some difficulty enSued between the
| city and the Norfolk and Western Rail-
way company concerning the crossing
or the right OF way OF the Lambert S
Point Terminal line.
THE BRIDGE.
A still further delay in the opening
or the street was caused by exasperat-
Ing slowness in the delivery of material
ror the bridge. The approaches, several
hundred feet long. and the abutments
We're completed long before work on
the span. which is 100 feet long, was
begun. II Is now completed. however.
ana Is the Link between the city and
the northern district The plans for
the structure We're drawn by Assistant
City Engineer Waller II. Taylor. Jr..
anu 1t is great credit to the Young
engineers alHiliiy. Tn, bridge is. in fact
one ". he handsomcct structures in the
State
City Engineer Brooke saws tina, he
has been cr';' -! for not filing in
81 .sh's 90 =: !! building a culvcrt in
stead of n hr,S:e. HIS reason is that
the We ''ould have cost about the
same 81 - ia fer the bridge. $a.1OO. and
would have !9"n allowed by the
Harhc -" mis- -,aryrS. anyway, for II
would J.. h.cc,cd lie sarcam.
| The extension is. however. now com
pietc. ana as soon - the crossing OF
The folk and Western terminal
tracks San he completed. i; will lie for
| mally opci.>d .I-st when The street
failw.y company will extend its track :
on: the n'w stree. cannot now be told,