The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-20
al LAST.
Commission Will Re
port
GRADE CROSSINGS
To Be Abolished By Rails
ing Track.

The grade crossing commission had
narrow escape from doing something
last night. One Of the members had
the hardwood to move that an informal
vote be taken. To be sure, it was only
an informal vote that he suggested.
but the commission might have done
that, and the results would have been
beyond conception. When they came
out of the room their faces were
blanched with terror at the narrow es-
cape.
Every member of the commission, ex-
cept Alderman John r. Back, express
ed himself in favor of the new route or
depressed tracks plan, but before the
meeting adjourned a committee was
appointed to draw up a report favoring
the recommendation of elevated tracks.
According to the plan which will be
adopted at a meeting to be held to-
morrow afternoon, the tracks will be
elevated throughout the city so that
at the union station they will be IL feet
higher than they are at present. The
feature of the plan is that it calls for
the discontinuance of Exchange street.
Stone bridges will be secured wher-
ever they can. Maybe other streets
will be discontinued. The commission
ers don't know yet. Two streets will
be extended, if the commissioners can
accomplish it, Madison and Hermon.
The grade of the streets will not be
changed, except where they can be i'm
proved, as in Grafton street, where the
hump will be cut down. Such in brief
is the plan of the commission, and such
will be reported by the committee at
the meeting tomorrow.
The report will be submitted to the
meeting of the city council Monday
evening. The commission will not al
| low its report to take the usual course
of procedure. Instead of allowing the
city council to act on it the same as
that body does on every report which
comes before it, the commission will
also submit a request that the city
council adjourn until Tuesday evening
to consider the report with the COM
mission.
The meeting last evening was a long
one. New members of the commission
asked more time in which to consider
such a weighty problem. They urged
that they have not had sufficient time
in which to look over the ground, that
they have been obliged to take for
/
them The members who held over
from last year explained to them that
they might as well vote now. If the
| report is not drawn up to be presented
| to the present legislature, no report
can be drawn up until after Jan.
| next year, az the business of the city
in the Legislature must be done
could instruct the mayor until after
he took office So that members who
would have no more information than
they would be called on to vote. The
new members agreed to tSae PROPOSE
ton.
The meeting was held in the common
council chamber. 1t began at 745
Ills o'clock. During that time the
commission turned a complete somer-
sault and landed. Whether it struck
on its feet or it's head won't be known
until after the autopsy. Every mem
Der Of the commission save Alderman
John r. Back, expressed himself in
favor of some plan other than that of
elevating the tracks He alone placed
that plan as first choice. The majority
were in favor of the new
route plan as first choice, with the de-
pressed tracks as second choice. No
serious consideration was given the
combination plan Of depressing and ele-
| waiting, and the third choice came I'M
| der the wire an easy winner.
! City Engineer r. A. Mcclure told the
members of the difficulties Of lowering
Mlllbrook sewer, of the existence of a
water table and quicksand, and they
swung over from depressed tracks to
elevated.
Not word was heard from President
william III. Bliss Of the Boston and
Albany railroad, to whom every plan of
to1
with the idea as one of the commits
sloners expressed 1t, of pumping the
railroads" The railroads refused to
be pumped.
James Logan suggested that the min
utes or the meeting be given to The <-py
man, who was waiting for the commits
sion to finish hts business. The sug-
gestion brought out a smile for all
present knew The Spy would have
run report. The only minute" of the
meeting was a motion made by Alder
man James F. Carberry, who moved
that committee Of three be appoint
ed to draw up report according to the
lines Of the expression of opinion"
The committee appointed consisted of
president Charles G. Reed, Irving 10.
Comirs and Alderman John r. Back
the same committee who drew up the
historic report which was presented 70
the last city council.
The early part of the meeting was
devoted to a general discussion Of ''ya-
rious phases of various plans" which
has been the business of every meet
ing the commission has held. 1t was
during that discussion that the motion
for an informal vote was made. THE
motion got such chilling reception
that 1t froze before it reached the chair
mans table, and 1t never found its way
on the books.
Every member stated what he thought
would be the best solution Of the great
question, which the commission has
worried over for months, and gave the
reason for holding such opinions.
John r. Back was the only man who
spoke in favor of the plan of eleva-
ting the tracks Every man but Pres
ident Henry Brannon Of the board OF
aldermen and Albert II. Inman of the
common council, said his first choice
was the southern terminal plan, other
wise known as the new route plan or
round the city plan. Every member
of the commission except Alderman
Back said his second choice was the
plan calling for the depression Of the
tracks.
Then City Engineer Mcclure took his
inning, and when lie finished every
member OF the commission said he