Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-13
THE LEVEE EXTENSION
Proposition Submitted by r. l. &
p. Road to Secure
II.
RIGHTS SOUGHT IN RETURN

q 'ndItioDs of Ordinance Read at Last
Evenings Council Meeting-The sItua-
tion which 1t is the Duty of the City
to Recognize in All of It's Various
Phases.
At last nights meeting of the city
cluncil the X. |. & =. railway COM
Ia1y submitted an ordinance under
the conditions of which it offers 10
complete the improvement of the
Rock Island river front on condition
that the city extends certain rights
and privileges in return.
| The proposition submitted on the
part of the Rock Island & Peoria road
IS purely of a business nature. To
state it concisely, it asks the city to
lease to it for term of 80 years the
coal privileges on the levee east of
Nineteenth street, together with
provision for such conveyances
as NAV be essential to the carry
ing of the coal from 1atcarS to the
| steam boats. In return, the Peoria
company offers to enter into an agree
| ment to put the block of river front
so designated in a condition in con-
fOrmity with the blocks already per-
manently improved by the city. This
is to be accomplished by riprappiug.
Filling and paving with crushed ma
cadam. So much is to be done for
he public enjoyment. For its own
advantage, the company seeks an ad
ditional track ID intercept its own
tracks on Nineteenth street. and to be
laid east parallel to the tracks it now
en- Joys, IS feet north OF the existing
outside track and 26 feet north of the
cOmpany's main tracks. In addition,
the right is sought to establish three
movable platforms to be operated as
coal dumps, conveying coal from the
cars over an incline tram railway to
the boats together with appliances
for the operation of the same.
rhe tracks carrying these movable
platforms over the levee are to have
a gauge of about 35 feet. The entire
space sought to be improved is 41OI
feet, the estimated cost being Sc, 900
The provision is made that no further
track rights in the territory named
be accorded to the Peoria or any other
road. The city is to remain in pos
session and control of all privileges
on the strip mentioned, other than
the coal trade and the handling of the
same.
Nature of the Proposition.
The question that seems to con-
front the city is whether it is desir-
able to accept a proposition to carry
its system of river front i'm
Provements through the re-
manning block-the only block left of
the levee, by the way-Or to permit it
to remain in its present state until
the city can afford to take care ofit. 1t
is hardly necessary to say that The
ARGUS is anxious to see the entire
levee improved, but it is just as anx-
ious to see it retained by the city. 1t
appreciates the proposition by the
Peoria road, as purely 4 business
one. In the first place no ordinance
should be considered by the city that
does not strictly provide as a con-
ditiOn that no track rights
are to be allowed that will disturb the
levee as already established. This
requirement has been insisted upon at
the west end of the improvement aud
should apply with equal force to the
east end. The matter of the movable
platforms should be also considered.
Three such tram railways running
down across the river front between
Nineteenth and Twentieth as are
sought, would, no matter how sit
uated, take up a considerable of the
space of the new made levee.
1t would seem, therefore, that in all
events the platforms should be
placed at one end of the block
and the number be limited. Fur
Their than this, if the city should
consider the proposition in any
light, the lease ought not to be
made for such extended period rs is
stipulated in the ordinance as pre-
scented by the company. 1t would not
be unreasonable from the city's stand
point to tiX the terms of the limit of
the lease on the basis of the estimated
cost of the improvement.
Must Not Invade Present Levee.
On behalf of the city it is proper to
say that the council cannot consis-
tently, or in duty to the tax
payers whose money is in the levee as
so far completed, permit any of that |
Improvement to be disturbed by any |
corporation. Further than this, the |
proposition, as stated before, is. |
which would be more advanta-
geous to the city and the inter
ests of river traffic. to let the re-
naming block of the levee alone until |
the city is in a position to improve it,
or whether for the sake of having i'm
mediate enjoyment of it, it will be
best to lease it for a term of years.
On behalf of the Peoria road, it i
Just to say that it has been the most
liberal of any of the corporations hav-
ing interests on the river front in ac-
complishing what has already been
done there, and that it is entitled, as
in fact any corporation is, to facilities
for doing business to an extent that L