Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-14

ana Elm OIONt Ad4lMds NSAhltA4AS w.
templated great Improvement in its IA
cilities for transporting the public, but
the details of the plan have not been un-
derstood, and such items as have crept
into some Of the newspapers have been
fearfully and wonderfully gotten up, so
far as the actual facts were concerned.
This morning the Register publishes the
official petition 10 Council, by the Com
pany wherein the corporation sets forth
just what 1t proposes TO do. for the gen.
eral good of the community. provided
Council will grant the necessary author
ity by passing the ordinance, which was
introduced last evening in the First
Branch Of Council. read a first time. and
referred jointly 10 the Committees on
Streets. Alleys and Grades and Railroads
for report
Briefly, the Railway Company has recog-
nized that the present transportation facil-
tiles of the Company excellent as they
are. are not up with the times and not
such as the people of Wheeling are en-
titled to. Steam was a good thing in its
day-so was mule power-but electricity
is better in many respects. 1t makes less
noise than steam engines. it is at least
eQuuliN dS Qulth anu pONtlihit ~ AA4HEN'
no smoke or SCOT. il does not frighten
horses as steam does, and the electrically
propelled car glides through the streets
without any of the objections which at
tach TO the best regulated steam railroads.
The Elm Grove Railway Company rec
ognizes that Wheeling is a live and pro-
gressive community. and that the people
are entitled 10 as good transportation
facilities as obtain in other cities-Pitts-
| burg, for example. The Company has
large plans, and it is able to carry them
out 1t remains for the City Council 10
say whether they shall be consummated
! or not.
At last evenings session of Council the
Company introduced petition and accom-
panying ordinance, outlining in definite
and specific form. the plans of the Com
pany so far as the city of Wheeling is
concerned. The petition was read; also
the ordinance, and both papers were re-
ferred to the two Committees named
above
The petition, which the Register prints
below does not tell the whole story, for
the reason that It could not be represent
ed in its entirety TO the City Council. Sup
plementng the language of the petition,
ii may be said that ii is the object of the
Railway Company 10 run double track
modern electric railway from the city of
Wheeling to Wheeling Park. One line will
! pass through Fulton on the line of the
existing single track railway. enter the
city limits by the present route, run
down 10 the present City Hall station,
and thence turn up Eoff street to Twelfth,
down Twelfth TO Water. down Water TO
Fourteenth. up Fourteenth TO South. and
down South street 10 the p. & o. depot
The other line will pass through Fulton
on the street between the pike and the
creek, cross the county bridge TO the
! Peninsula, cross the Peninsula on the eX-
! listing road to the entrance of the PEN
insula cemetery. pass under the track of
| the Terminal railway, cross the Isoker
! street bridge to the north end Of McCul-
/ loch street. and thence parallel the pres
ent track to the corner or Sixteenth and
! Chapline streets. theme running north
| on Chaplne street TO Twelfth where it
will connect with the other line. The eff
| feet of this will be 10 make the terminus
of the road at the B. & o. depot and cars
| and trains will run around by Water
! street. both going out and coming in,
until Twelfth street is struck, whence they
will leave by Chaplne street, to Sixteenth
| street. and arrive by Eoff street TO
| Twelfth Steam will not be used upon this
line at all-nothing but electricity.
The petition accompanying the ordin-
ance is as follows:
! ITO the Honorable Mayor and Council OF
the City of Wheeling:
Your petitioner. the Wheeling and Elm
! Grove Railway Company, represents 10
! your honorable body as follows:
! Your petitioner believes that II will be
! judicious for 1t 10 change its present mo-
! tive power and 10 substitute upon its road
! electricity in place Of the steam which II
! now uses. This change will Involve a very
| considerable expense and number OF very
| radical changes in the present system or
| your petitioners railway Your petitioner
/ dies not see Its way clear to make these
| changes at once and believes that IN order
! 10 accommodate the travel along the line
! of its road. Ii Will be necessary 10 con-
| tnue the use of steam upon its present
| line for some while longer, but gradually
| 10 replace IL with the electric mouVe
! power. 1t is because OF TINS lmposslolIi.y
| 10 change al once from steam to electricity
| along the whole line, that II finds II neces-
| sary TO make some of the changes, IN It's
| present line. suggested by the accompany
| ing ordinance.
Your petitioner believes that 1t can at
| once apply electricity on portions OF It's
| line and that II can add 10 the accommO-
! datons and facilities for travel by at once
! extending the electrical portions of its line
! into parts of the city which your peI-
| toners railway does not now reach, ana
| for this purpose asks the privilege OF e%-
| tending it's line as hereinafter indicated,
| the extended line over the new territory
! being for electric cars only and not IN any
! manner nor to any extent for the use or
| steam.
Your petitioner desires the privilege of
! running q single street railway track
| from the intersection of sixteenth ana Eot
! streets. thence along EoT street 10 Twelfth
| and Twelfth streets down Twelfth
| street to Water street. and thence
| along Water street 10 Fourteenth
| street. and thence along Fourteenth street
| of Fourteenth and South streets thence
| along South street 10 a point IN front OF
the present entrance of the Baltimore and
| Ohio Railroad Companys passenger de-
| pot: and a single track from the intersec-
| ton of Twelfth and Chaphne streets,
! thence along Chapline street 10 SiXteehth
| street and from the intersection OF ChaP-
! line and Sixteenth streets 10 the present
| track OF your petitioner; and single
| track on McColloch street branching from
| the present track of your peuJoner al =
| point opposite the intersection OF fliteehtn
| and McColloch streets, and thence follow
| ing the centre line of McColloch street 10
| the foot Of the hill at the point where the
| road turns from McColloch street 10 go 10
| the stock yards All of these tracks thus
| indicated are desired by your peuuoner
| for use only for electric street cars: and
! single track from point opposite the gate
of the Peninsular cemetery. thence under
! the viaduct of the Wheeling Bridge and
| Terminal Railway Company ana across
| the bridge over Wheeling creek 10 the IN
| tersection with McColIoch street OF the
| street which leads from the last men
All of the tracks hereinbefore indicated
| are intended 10 be used for electric street