The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-23
MARKHAM WAS NOTREADY
WANTS TIME TO PREPARE AN
OPINION ON LEVEE
QUESTION
TWO NEW PLANS PROPOSED
City Engineer C1aussen Submits
Plans Which Government Author
titles Would SanctfOn-Milwau-
kee Road May object.

Al the meeting yesterday Of the COM
m1ttee charged with the disposition of
the levee vacation proposition coming
from the Union Depot company Cor
poration Attorney Markham was present.
and told the committee that he had found
the complexities of the legal question
submitted to him becoming more intri-
cate as he attempted to arrive at
dehn1te result, and as a consequence he
had been unable to complete his inquiries
IN the brief time allowed him. He asked
that he be given additional time. 1t was
decided to adjourn until tomorrow at i
o'clock
City Engineer Claussen has been in
conference with the government authori-
ties in charge of the river in this divis-
ion and offered for the inspection of the
committee a plan which he had prepared
under the direction of the river authori-
ties, showing what filling out of the leVee
would probably be approved by the gov
eminent
The outline of the river bank as shown
IN the; map as prepared, proves that
some radical changes will be necessary in
the outline as proposed by the Union
Depot company.
Inc outline according to the original re-
quest, commences at a point about fifty
feet out In the current of the river at the
root of Sibley street and as it gradually
bulges out into the river from that point.
1t would interfere with the current Of the
river seriously.
UNCLE SAM INrERPOSES.
The government authorities say that
the government will not sanction a filling
In that form unless that river current is
taken care of both before, above and be-
low the proposed filing so that the river
Will be in good shape for navigation
Their ideas a co6 in fIa
the city engineer provide if the filing
IS TO be as wide as is proposed, at tke
FOOT of Sibley street, that it will be neces
sary to commence the new 1evee at the
point where the Chicago Great Western
bridge touches the bank, and extended
down the river beyond the shadows at
the north of Phalen creek.
AS the city owns riparian rights below
Broadway the Milwaukee road will
probably have to agree to fiji out the
ievee in front of their land before the
government will give permission 10 have
the part between Sibley street and Broad.
way filled in.
Engineer Claussen estimates that the
portion which will have to be fillea ir.
above Sibley street, can be done by the
city at very little expense by putting
in retaining wall from the Great West,
err bridge and allowing refuse to be
dumped there.
Another filling which the government
river authorities would sanction, and as
explained by the city engineer, provides
for levee approximately 100 feet wide,
commencing at the foot of Jackson street
and continuing some distance below the
present freight houses. The scheme
would necessitate the moving of the Mil
waukee freight houses down the river
some 600 or. 700 feet. This would put the
freight houses just so much farther from
the center of the wholesale district, be-
cause 1T would be impossible for the
teams to cross the large number of
tracks entering the union depot
Attorney Hadley, representing the
Union Depot COMPANIES said that hile he
was simply representing the Union De-
pot company he was certain that the
Milwaukee road would not consent to
moving their freight houses further down
the river without an enormous considera-
ton for moving them from their present
convenient location. Mr.. Hadley declared
that while the plan would be entirely ac-,,
ceptable to the Union Depot company, it
was out of the question because the Mil
waukee would gain nothing and would
lose their present accessible location for
their freight houses. The fact that the
fill, as shown on the prepared map. would
give the MilWa Ukee q great deal of adj.
ditional levee below Broadway street Mr.
.1adley stated would not be any induce
ment to the Milwaukee for they own the
riparian rights there now and could fill
out at any time by getting permission
from the federal government,
The suggestion that it was the place of
the Union Depot company to make it
worth while for the Milwaukee company
to move their freight houses as the price
OF the additional levee which would be
secured to accommodate the additional
tracks of the Union Depot company did
not find much favor with Mr. Hadley.
He said that the Milwaukee would de-
mand an enormous price for the service
and that the Union Depot company would
not care to pay it in addition to the
thousands which the company must
spend filling out the levee and laying the
tracks
At the conclusion of the remarks by
the city engineer and Mr. Hazard in
explaining the requirements of the
government engineer i'll case the levee
was extended at all, the committee ad-
jOurned to meet tomorrow, at which time
Attorney Markham will be ready to pre-
sent his opinion. His opinion will be in
reply to a request from the committee
asking If the city has the power to trans,
fer the fee simple of the portion of the
levee desired by the Union DEPOT COM