Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-06
rLrvArr run TRACKS.
Proposition with Reference TO the Con-
struction Of the tnian Depot.


s,ruction Of the unian Depot.
Having In mind the situation hetc
with reference TO the building uf the
new union PASSENGER station. "a repr'-
sentative 90 the "SpWH' had talk
with q gentleman who has had much
experience In railroad construction and
who has Witnessed the settlement "
very much more Intricate questions
than thuH. confronting the railway
western portion ~ town object to the
closing up Of Third South street for
union depot purposes, and also Cun-
tcrd that tho huillduE u th" station On
Fourth West atrcvt viii Gauss 80 many
tracks tn be- laid along that street az
60 make residence west nf that point al
most an impo=sihniiy 80 lar ~ safety
IL concerned. "rhcrc " much reason
said the gentleman. I'm the objections
Put forth hN the prupcriy owner. 10 tho
west part ct town; but they should con-
slider that thl. city need. the union de-
pot and that the longer We delay It's
erection The sr'atcr viii become the
difficulties In the way ~ lts cunstruc-
ton. The situation hsrr now ~ "a very
easy one compared with the problem
that chicago people and railroads were
compelled 90 face some years ago.
Ten years Hro the question u Gle.
waiting the tracks was political issue
IN chicago. Parties iittl,i uyyr tho
question one eide bcing Inclined 10 the
belief that the city lacked tho power
to force the roads to act ana the other
certain the power existed. But by
The hcginnlng ~ 1890 IL was no longer
q dividing question. No candidate for
mayor cnuld hope 60 win unless out
spoken In favor OF sending un all the
tracks va making IN. ruada pay tho
bills, Today no administration lpNiSa
npnn 'he question ns ,enythlry more
| than . matter " detail. Ordlnanccs
! must b. drawn and accepted by the
roads and work donc under Thorn as
regularly aH streets are paved or
cieancd-ln fact morv regularly than
can b. said ~ the cleansing prO,c.a,
undor the administration ot IN. elder
Harrison n determined effort was made
60 act at the matter In buHine-i.iike
manner The uadH nj first merely
laughed at the idea az q visionary
plan utterly Impossible Of nccumpNsh-
mont They held that neither they nor
the city could AFFORD VI" expense even
" they could stand thu Interruption 10
their ordinary business while their
! tracks were being elevated
The nrst ohircilUn rnised was that
| thc roads would Practically be forced
! 60 suspend business while this work was
! going ON. The mayor thought dlffcr-
entity. but In conclusion said let them
suspend then, Tor tho lives and limbs
I W NNli NfNNN. WIZ \ |AAAAWf' wv NNNNA ANNN
mere financial computation. hut u
was also shown hy engineering experts
| that the elevation could b" accomplished
without substantial interruption Co
| traffic. - contention which has been
| demonstrated daily ever since the first
| carload of material was dumped In a
| right OF way
THE ruadn ala not deny that II the
thing could b. done u would h. yalu-
/ able thing FOR both sides. but the roads
/ also declined TO consider the proposition
| IN any sulse They had laid their tracks
/ under charters and ordinances, had
| compiled with the laws. and no body or
corporation could disturb their posses-
sion. They sometimes carried thia con-
tcntiun 60 such an extent ~ TO battle
| among thcmAslycH To prevent some rival
| line fun crossing their lights OF way.
| Work was don. on Sundaya aud holl-
| DAYS To ovadp. N possible. the interfer-
cncc u police OF sheriff. hut these at
| tcmpts were always met by like de-
termination, resulting finally In defeat
| or cumpromip,
when the roads learned that the
| courts held that the power lay In
the city. under general regulations nt
| police 40 well ns under charter pro-
| visions. TO force changes of Rrade to
meet modern necessities. they asked
\ who would pay Tor IL. when told that
| they would BE- expected To do this, a
! iight WAS commenced. for they at first
absolutely refused 10 do such thing
1T was discovered by the companies
| that they could De- forced to alter any
grade named ana also be forced 10 foot
| the bill Then the element VI ruggest-
| ed compromise entered Into the con-
| truyersy early IN 1890. The companies
began 10 splr Tor wind ana suggest
that each ridr pay half.
nut the city hud won every round
| IN court ana was not inclined to help
/ one little bit Tho roads were auccrs-
/ slyely notified u do the work. No eX-
act plan was adopted, hut pronles were
furnished by The city engineer as bn-
| ria Tor tho work.
ION Jan. I, 1899. not mile ~ tho
hundreds NJ tracks IN Chicago had been
| elevated. Probably somewhere near
| 900 crossings were In existence. In one
| ycnr-lnst year nearly 200 crossings
were eliminated, With every crossing
on grade In tho beginning ~ tho lnl-
tlal year Of elevation, the year closed
with nfty miles In the air and large
number 81 dangerous crussinga. capec-
Tally on the south side. no longer mem
acpd the people,
seven years ago every train. freight
or passenger which entered tho city
| poked along slowly from tho limits Ia
the depots, with very fcw executions.
Ordinances provided that only a GER
| tain speed oh0uld be maintained Inside
tho city limits that the peril to pedos-
TRANS or other citizens In the city
might be- reduced To a minimum. some
few express trains rushed along M a
high rate ". speed. hut they were
guarded AT block intervals for six OF
| seven miles, Gates were dropped when
the trains were half mile distant and
the gongs ratified without censlng un
III after the rushing express had
passed. There IL no diminution OF
this speed today, II Ia rather Increased
for The trnIna cnn rneh az sixty milo