Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-10
Mr.. WILLIAMS TALKS.
n ANNOYED THAT THE RAILROAD
MATTER - DELAYED.
CRIrCISBS MEMBERS or COHIITTgE.
says they Are In the Name Of Duty
Hesping burdens ON the Com
panic. and H''der'"s the Fro
t.ct-Otbcr side OF the Case.

|
up the railroad franchise at meeting
| 10 be held at $50 o'clock Friday AFTER
| noon. II Is believed that the ordinances
vtl, he passed in some shape at this
| ueetine. though the complexion OF them
NAV be changed very materially from the
original draft.
Tbere ia n good deal OF friction apparent
AT times between the railroad officials ana
tho committeeman. and the progress mas
heen IN some extent retarded on TINS ac-
count ,-ovrn
Mr. John SHELTON Williams. who Is look
ing after the interests of the kichmohu'
po,ersburg and Carolina Company, gave
ont a statement last evening Win re'ei-
ence TO the meeting of the sub-commi''ee
Tho ntgbt before. Mr.. Williams was an
roved nj what he termed the unjustinaDie
antagonism OF certain members OF me
subcommittee. There are some inein i
hers Of this committee" said MT. VIII
lame. .who are earnestly striving TO per
feet an ordinance which viii give 10 ne
railroad such Just and reasonable p'i'lieses
as its business requires, protecting at 'he
the time of the committee is being prin-
cinaIIv consumed by one or two members
who seem TO be determined. II II IS WITHIN
tbeir poWer to do so, to load the ordi-
nance down TO the last point oil endurance
with every encumbrance and with every
Limitation that the company can possibly
stand even going so far as TO Jeopafu'~e
entirely the plans for the union sta'ion'
They do not seem to be content TO ehiai se
upon and magnify possible oDJecuoIls
pointed out by the City Engineer, put
seem IA rack their brains to discover new
| obstacles and find out new obJecuons anu
new noints calculated to increase the cN-
nense 10 the company and the diihculties
IN he overcome. Whilst these particular
members are loudest in their pio'es'd-
tions that they are only laborins 10 pro-
tect the best interests OF the clty' ehu
TO do their duty as members OF Tue Gun
mittce.' ETC., il must he evident that the
result may be serious odHiaee ~
those interests which they contihudH!
prociaim they are trying TO promote.
"If II were not for the particular antag-
onism to which j refer and the parma
mentary complications which put II in the
mower of a very small minority 10 decay
and hinder, believe that the tremendous
advantages and opportunities when are
now offered to the city by this railroau
for the promotion of the material wei
fare i'm the city would be so Iuiiy re-
cognized that the City Council Would
readily and cheerfully grant to the ran
road the permission which IL asks 10 nc
allowed to multiply our railroad facilltles
and advance the interests OF every SNIP
per and consumer in the city.
PROTECTING THE CITY'S INTERESTS
$50 far as protecting the interests OF
the city and such talk is concerned, those
interests are not being protected when,
instead of helping and assisting ana
making the path easier for those who
contemplate the expenditure of vast
sum of money and the establishment or
a great public Improvement, they are i'm
peded and harassed and opposed In he
most unreasonable way. For example
Colonel Cutshaw distinctly told the CON-
mittee that he saw no great Objection 10
the proposed grade crossing for the
siding on Broad street, but certain MEM
bers of the committee urged the conslde-
ration of a most expensive, impractlcdple'
and costly tunnel under Broad street 10
accommodate this siding, which Is simply
a spur track to the companys local
freight depot on Franklin street. The
CITY Engineer Furthermore favored Civ
ing the company permission to erect sup
ports 02-inch columns) on the curb-liue
on Main street rather than force the use
Of heavy plate Orders nearly double the
width Of girdeTs which would be re-
| ouired if the supports were placed on The
curbng, and at greaty-increased cost
| and although the engineers stated thdt
| il would be impossible TO Increase the
| length of the span without increasing ma
terially the width of the Orders, and
| clearly stated that unless the width of the
| ,f,.i. rrnnnrtionnfplX increased
| safety of all trains passing across the
viaduct would be seriously imperilled, as
| the width Of the Orders was established
| by well-known engineering principles,
which have been observed for centuries,
a member OF the committee calmly pro-
posed that the matter should be delayed
| in order TO try 10 find some way 10
| lengthen the span without increasing the
width of the girder, and maintain at the
| same time its tensile strength!
THE DEPOT QUESTION.
considerable time was also consumed
| in discussing the dimensions of the depot
| and in listening 10 the arguments or a
member who desired to rearrange the
whole plan agreed upon by the railroads,
| in order TO make the depot run back fur
| Their than is practicable under these plans.
The provision in the ordinance as to the
depot is as follows:
'That the said railroad company shall
| construct the entire work In a thorough
and substantial manner. The passenger
1 depot and office building, which 1t shall
! erect, shall front on the north side Of
| Main street between Fifteenth and
] Seventeenth streets, on a site TO be Sc
| lected by the railroad company, shall be
built of brick or stone, or both; said depot
building shall be of width not less than
one hundred and five Q09 feet on Main
| street. exclusive of the train shed or side
| structures, with an elevation on Main
| street front of not less than seventy
| eight C9 feet from the present grade Of
| said street: the depth Of said depot-build-
| ing, exclusive of the train-shed, shall be
not less than ninety 900 feet; the said
| depot building shall be so completely
| planned, arranged, and constructed as TO
| be attractive in appearance, without and
| within. and in all respects up TO the re-
quirements of the mpst approved modern
| standards for such structures; and the
said bodybuilding and train-shed shall
| cost not less than one hundred and fifty
| thousand dollars ($i50 0GO."
ATTITUDE OF OTHER CITIES.
| In conclusion. Mr.. Williams remarked.
nowhere I'm our system of $500 miles
| of road traversing the six States OF Nir-
| gina. North Carolina, South Carolina,
| Georgia. Florida, and Alabama, has the
same spirit been shown towards this !m-
portant railroad enterprise. Other cities
as rule are most solicitous TO meet
every reasonable request, and / am con-
| stanuy getting letters and petitions
urging us TO extend our lines into other
places, where rights Of way, terminal IA
| cihties. are offered TO us without cost, in
order TO secure the benefits which rail-
roads bring with them"