The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-23
Commissioners at Work on
Grade Crossing Puzzle.

The new grade crossing commission
may report that depressing the railroad
tracks is feasible.
The commission has not gone far in
it's Investigations, but it has become
sufficiently familiar with the topogra-
ply of the ground to ascertain that
Millbrook sewer can be lowered or di-
verted and the tracks depressed if the
citizens of Worcester think depression
is the best plan.
No vote has been taken by the COM
mission, and no concerted expression
of opinion on the subject Oe feasibility
of depressing the tracks has been
made, but the engineers have seen that
the only question which enters into
the plan for depression Of the tracks is
the question of cost.
That question is not to be considered
by the new commission. When Alder
man Thomas j. Barrett introduced the
order for the creation Of the new COM
mission, he distinctly stated that he
did so with the understanding that the
question of cosA was 20 be eliminated
from their consideration.
1t is not expected that the commits
sion will prepare any plans for either
elevation or depression of the tracks.
That is not what the commission was
created for 1t was created to inVesti-
gate fully and report. 1t was not Gre
ated to make any recommendation by
which the city council would be led to
q don't nlnT nT-p 1nth her
The order under which the commits
sion secures its authority, states dis
tinctly that it is simply to Investigate
fully and report, not to make any rec
concentrations. The order is as follows;
Ordered. that the mayor be and
he is hereby authorized, empowered
and directed to appoint two COM
petent and disinterssted engineers,
who, together with the city engi
neer, shall constitute a commission
to fully study all phases of plans
for abolishing grade crossings in
the city of Worcester, both by de-
pressing and raising the railroad
tracks to such extent that all
streets now crossed by railroads at
grade, shall not be materially
changed as to their grade, and to
make as soon as may be to the city
COulCll d lull ItpOll vi lllG IVShAbS
of such investigation; said appoint
ments to be confirmed by the board
of aldermen, expense TO he charged
to the account for incidental ex-
penses.
If the commission coupled with its re-
port a recommendation or recOmmen-
dations it is claimed that the commits
sion would be overstepping it's author
ity. 1t would be exceeding the authors
ty which it has obtained from the body
that created it.
The new commission has been at
work in earnest. The new commission
is perfect glutton for work The COM
missoners worked Tuesday until after
II o'clock at night. Yesterday was no
holiday for them They labored until
after o'clock, when they called the
turn for this week. Both out of town
men went home last evening. They will
be back again next week. What they
are doing they will not divulge They
have inspected all the grade crossings
and are inspecting plans which have
been prepared for them
City Engineer F. A. Mcclure said last
evening that the report of the commits
sion may come in about a month or six
weeks time. There is, however, moth
ing absolutely certain about it.
The petitioners will probably recon-
sider their intention of asking the COM
missioners for hearing The petition
ers will ask the city council to give a
nearing after the engineers report re-
garding the plans which they are ap-
pointed to investigate They are will
ing to let the engineers consider the
question entirely from an engineering
standpoint, without being influenced
by any other consideration and report
he ~
when the decision is to be made by the
city council the petitioners desire TO
add what knowledge they may ACQUIRE
concerning the best plan for the busi-
ness interests of the city as we'll as the
most feasible plan for performing the
work.
The movement of citizens will take
It's start in few days. r. C. Taylor
expects to be about for good in a few
Gays ana the work which was delayed
on account Of his illness will he oushad
along. just what plans will be adonted
has not been decided. There will be an
organization to head the citizens move
ment and the petitions remonstratine,
against the elevation of the tracks viii
be kept in circulation. There are al
ready dozen petitions in circulation
which now contain hundreds of names
Inc grade crossing commission will
"' WI IN III w worcester Tor several
days. Borings are being taken for the
benefit of the commission. one was
taken at the west end of the union sta
| ton. There was rot enough ulicksand
to fill good sized dumpcart Tt Nae
struck 10 feet below the surfaca M
vein was only three feet thick. and then
a solid foundation was met with. Al
the Grafton street crossing another
small vein was found. The only nIace
on the Water street route where Quick
sand was found to any extent was nj
the corner of Grafton and Temnle
streets. The depth Of the sand was
the information that the sand was pot
| of such quality to make tunneline
| through it unusually difficult,