The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-13
Railroads to Dictate Grade
Crossing Solution.

The grade crossing commission held
a meeting in the common council
chamber last evening. and did just
what it has been doing Tor several
months. When the meeting was fin
ished, W. Henry Towne, who was au-
,h0rized to give the news of the meet
ing to newspaper men, said that the
commission had discussed various
plans. Mayor Rufus z. Dodge Jr
amended that information a few mo-
ments later, by adding that the COM
mission had been discussing various
phases Of various plans.
IhaI was what the commission did
at its first meeting, several months ago
4nis is what il has done at every
meeting since, and as far as the people
OF worcester know, the commission has
rot done anything else except take a
trip to Baltimore and other southern
cities at the cost Of several hundred
dollars.
There is considerable truth in the in
formation given out last evening, that
the commission only discussed vari-
Gus plans. The special purpose Of the
meeting was to listen to a report from
Mayor Dodge and William Hart of the
commission, who went to Boston the
day previous to see President William
Fl. Bliss CT the Boston and Albany
railroad The report did not meet ex-
pectations. The mayor reported that
ne had been unable to meet President
Bliss, and then the commission had to
fall back on the same old topic-"dis-
cussing various plans" Some of the
plans which the commission discussed
were the ones which commissioners of
What appears like ages ago reported.
Mayor Dodge, however, gave the
commissioners considerable informa-
tlon IN regard to its plan of action if
II ever reaches conclusion on the
grade crossing solution. He told them
how the subject would come before the
legislature. If the city and railroads
agree, all viii be easy sailing. If
they don't agree, there will be a con-
test in the legislature, whose decree
VIII be carried out. If the commission
continues to discuss various plans
much longer, all will be plain sailing.
but the boat in which the citys inter-
ests are placed will be blanketed by
the railroad craft The plan reported
by the superior court commission
which will make Franklin stree.
botch of Grafton street, will be worked
at the convenience of the railroads.
The commission has mad an oppor-
tunity to take the bull by the horns,
but the commission fears the bull is too
strong. The commissioners realize
that the only real good plan is the
depression Of the tracks. but they fear
to tackle the engin eertrg problems
which accompany it, fhey say the
cost Of diverting Miubrook would be
immense, and the cost OF maintaining
a n1Jnonino citation 81
interest OF millions Of dollars. They
also say that it is feasible to syphon
the Mill brook stream, but a point
which they can't find a solution for. is
the disposal Of the drainage of the
railroads with depressed tracks.
They fear the engineering problems
are to great. Round the city is see
ond choice, and the commissioners are
making their play on that. But they
nave not taken a firm stand on this
plan either. They are greatly troubled.
They have submitted lhi- plan to the
Boston and Albany Railroad.
But the grade crossing commission is
not doing its duty in submitting that
plan or in considering it. For the
grade crossing commission was APP
pointed to devise a plan for the aboli-
ton Of grade crossings. The new route
plan alias round the city plan alias
southern terminal plan, does not in
clude the abolition of any grade
crossings in Worcester. 1t makes
the situation even worse than it is at
present.
The plan which the commission has
spent many nervous nights over, pro-
poses to leave the grade crossings
that now exist exactly as they are at
present. Although tile commissioners
claim the manufacturers have nostand-
ing in law. they have not had the hard
ihood to suggest that the present
tracks be entirely done away with. The
round the city plan cuntemplates leav-
ing the tracks where they now are for
the transportation of freight The idea
is to have the freight hapled along the
present tracks by horses or electricity.
This is the plan on which the grade
crossing commission has spent over
$500 preparing drawings and plans.
And this same grade crossing COM
mission fully realizes that as there will
be no abolition Of grade crossings un-
der the round the city scheme, the state
viii not sustain It's portion of the COST.
The round the city plan Is u costly one,
and as the commissioners have mapped
it out the % per cent Of cost which the
state pays for the abolition OF grade
crossings will not be sustained by the
state. The railroads and city will have
to bear the burden. and the city will
have to pay not only its 10 per cent. but
The Is per cent which the state usually
pays.
A member Of the commission with
whom The Spy man talked last evening
summed up the situation with a brevlty
which surrasses any OF the famous bon
mOts of history Every plan which
has been mentioned before the commits
sion was mentioned To him, and i'm each
inst9nce he replied that the commits
sion had not agreed on any plan, bul
they favored that plan to some extent
AS he made this reply 20 five plans
The Spy man finally said: "Well. what
plan WEI the commission agree on?'
Whatever the railroads want" was
thu answer.
The messing last evening adjourned
subject 90 the can OF the chairman. ex-
Mayor Charles G.. Reed The next
meeting will be called early next week
because Mayor Dodge and other repre-
sentatives Of the commission will prob.
ably go to Boston again to see railroad
officials.
One thing was really done at the
meeting last night. The hold-ovei
members kindly explained points of the
round the city plan to the new mem
hafs nF tI,n qotr1tsa fcatp,