The times., 1898-10-20
OPPOSE DOUBLE TRACKS
Vigorous Complaint From
Fifth Street Residents.
JUMPING ON STREET CARS
The Capital Traction Company OBJ
jects to the Conduct of Business
High School Boys - The Commits
sioncrs Are Embarrassed Over the
Necessity for Refusing Requests
for improvements.

The Commissioners have received n
lengthy petition from the residents and
property owners of Fifth Street north
the lexington and Soldiers Home Rail-
way Company permission to continue
their double tracks on the street after
the present system has been supplanted
by an underground electric system.
The petition was presented by Anton
Eberly and Joseph Luchs, and opposes
the construction of other than single
track on the street for the stated reason
that double tracks would practically de-
stroy the street for driving purposes.
The petition is signed by forty persons,
and reads as follows:
Understanding that 1t is the intention
of the lexington and Soldiers Home
Railway Company, in changing their mo-
tive power from horses to underground
trolley, to continue the double tracks on
Fifth Street, we, the undersigned, own
ing property In said street, earnestly pro-
test against the said company being
allowed to continue the double tracks and
would request that only one track be
continued on said street. and We would
respectfully call the attention of your
honorable board to the following reason
why CoiHpduS iOi pN oiAO"Ci
to continue the double tracks:
THE street, from curb to curb, being
only about thirty feet, the tracks take up
one-half of the width, leaving only about
eight feet between the car track and the
curb, it will be dangerous for vehicles to
use the street. AT present persons driv-
ing have to use the utmost care to avoid
accident, and it would be almost impossi-
BILE for them to do SO II rapid transit is
used on the double tracks. II 1t Is the in
tention to widen the street by narrowing
the sidewalk, which would compel us as
property owners to resist by all legal
means at our command. we would re-
spectfully protest against the same.
'The pavement at present is about elev-
en- feet, and the parking about eleven
feet, and If the sidewalk Is narrowed It
will necessitate the cutting down of as
fine lot of shade trees as can be found
in the city, besides putting the owners Of
the property on the street to unnecessary
expense and damage"
The petitioners will today be informed
that the Commissioners are without au-
thority to interfere in the matter at the
present time, because the construction of
the road has been authorized by Con-
gress. The Endorsement of Commission
er Wight, which was approved by his
colleagues is as follows:
II recommend that these petitioners be
informed through Mr.. A. Eberly, 40
Fifth Street northwest, that the law of
Congress allows this lexington road to
lay double tracks, and provides that the
street shall be widened to forty-five feet,
which will be done by taking a sufficient
number of feet from the sidewalk; that
the street is thirty-two feet wide. and
the sidewalk and parking on each side
til
make it necessary to take off six and
half feet of sidewalk and parking on
each side, and that the Commissioners
are without authority in the matter SO
long as the present law remains un-
changed