The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-12
A FEINT.
The Round the City
Plan
COVERS ANOTHER.
Depressed Tracks the Pei
Scheme of Commission.

grade crossing problem that the grad,
crossing commission has decided upon
There has been no formal decision
that the commission should report tina
) plan to the city government as the re
suit of its labors. The commissioner.
are holding back any report. But all ar,
in favor of that plan.
In spite of that fact, the commission
has sent the southern terminal. other
wise called the new route and "rounc
the city plan to the officials of the rail
roads for their consideration, and en-.
gineers of the railroads are considerine
the plan with the intention of TELLING
the commissioners what they think q
it, shortly
But it is the depressed tracks plan
tlat the commission is in favor of.
Sending the ''round the city" plan tC
| the railroad officials means a game o.
bluff on the part of the grade crossins
commissioners. They have another
! trump up their sleeve which they RELY
on to take the last trick and euchre thu
| railroads.
| me round the city plan is the mos
costly according to the rough estimates
Wnqch nave been prepared for the com.
mission by the city engineer. The de.
| pressed tracks plan suggests itself t.
| the commission as the best, but the
members fear to come right out and tel
the railroad companies they think Sc
ana give their reasons. So they are Civ
| ing the railroad officials the round the
cty plan in the hope that the latter
| WIN o1ter strong objections and then the
/ commission will ask for the depression
OF the tracks as a compromise.
Mayor Rufus b. Dodge, Jr. and Will
| liam Hart of the grade crossing com
MISSION went to Boston yesterday and
| held consultation with officials of the
railroads. The Spy man called on both
| officials last evening.
Mayor Dodge said: Yes, / went to
Boston and l saw railroad officials"
of what railroad?" asked The Spy
| man.
That I won't say" was the answer
| Dld you consult them in regard to
the new route PLAN" asked the Spy
man.
Il was sent to consult them by the
! commission, and 1 will make my re-
| port to that body" said the mayor. and
the interview was closed
Commissioner Hart was even more
brief. Il have nothing whatsoever To
| say in regard to the visit to Boston. -
said ne in response to the question OF
The Spy man.
Whether the conference yesterday
was confined to officials of the Boston
and Albany, only the city representa-
tiVes know, but the Boston and Albany
is having most to do with what is
Transporting at the present time. En-
glneers of the Boston and Albany rail-
road have been at work on the grade
r sci nos s1To |,
Tor several days, taking measurements
and making drawings so as to compare
pans with those of the commission.
Ihe grade crossing commission goes
farther in the depression of the tracks
plan than has ever been seriously con-
sioered before. The members are not
in favor Of hating at the depth which
mas been reported by the commission
appointed by the city several years ago.
They want the railroads to go down SO
as not to disturb the present grade of
the streets. This plan has not been
generally regarded as feasible on ac-
count of the Millbrook sewer under the
railroad tracks a short distance west
of Franklin street. But the commits
sioners see a way out of that difficulty.
The commissioners plan changes the
route of Mil brook. 1t will be divert
ed and pass under the railroad near
the city barn, where if the depression
of the tracks plan is adopted, there
will not be much drop. There is a
difference of IL feet in The grade of
the railroads between the junction and
union stations, so that if the tracks
cross Grafton street is feet under their
present grade as the commission de-
sires, only a drop of six feet will be
necessary at that junction. Thus it is
possible to bring Mill brook under the
railroads near the city barn.
The commissioners are keeping this
plan quiet on account Of the general
belief that the Mill brook sewer would
/ interfere with any extended depression
of the tracks. They knew that they
would not get the support of the city
if a slight drop was the plan adopted.
But putting the tracks down IS feet
with practically no change of grade in
the streets would suit everybody and
| that is what the commissioners want
The adoption of this plan will ne
cessitate the lowering of the entire
Boston and Albany Railroad yard in
the minds of the commissioners and
they don't want to spring it on the
railroads until the latter have passed
on the round the city plan. The
commissioners believe and hope the
railroad companies will refuse to agree
| to the new route plan. Such action
would, in the minds of the commits
siOners, give the city a better standing
| in the legislature if a contest With the
railroad companies resulted. The COM
nissioners hope the railroad compan-
| les will agree to the depression plan
| if they can't adopt the new route plan
! and thus contest will be averted
The possibility of the railroads agree
ing to the new route plan which has
been submitted to them, has suggested
itself to the commissioners. but they
don't borrow any trouble On that ac-
count. They would not be entirely dis
, satisfied if the companies accepted the
round sle city plan, but would retire
gracefully, consolng themselves that
they did the best they could even if
their pet project did not reach frui-
ton.
Spur tracks for freight could be easily
provided for the commissioners think
with depressed tracks In some cases
the spur tracks could remain at their
! present grade. In other cases only a
slight change would be necessary.
On the new route plan the commits
| sloners think new commercial advan-
tages would be created for the city and
possibilities for large manufactures
would exist. Provision for railroad ac-
commodatons of greater value would
be made,
1t is q mistake the commissioners
| say, to think that manufactures must
be near the railroads. Recent develop
ments have shown that.
The grade crossing commission does
not feel bound to look after the manu-
| factories. They say manufactures have
no legal standing in the solution Of this
question. The moral aspect does not
touch them.
/ They figure that by reaching an amic-
able agreement with the railroads the
matter can be introduced into this ses-
sion of the Legislature by suspension of
the rules. If not they say, it win go to