The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-02
WANT FOUR TRACKS.
Important Petition From the Pas
senger and Power Company.
CONTRACT TO ARMITAGE CO..
\ Lengthy Session Was Rcld-City
Law Makers Talk Over Many
Subjects and Transact Il large
Amount OF BuSincss-Ordi-
nance Con ccrning
Plumbers acted Upon

The Common Council was in session
nearly five hours last night and finally
adjourned before all the members had
presented the petitions ana resolutions
they desired to offer
There was a good deal OF discussion
with reference TO the proposed new
jail. All the counciimen who expressed
themselves were of opinion that there
must be a new prison. and that it should
be quickly built. They could not agree as
to how they should proceed, and two inn
portant resolutions airing upon the sub
jsct We're referred to the finance Conn
:nittee.
Mr.. Bloonberg had an important reso-
luton to OFF, concerning the Passenger
anw Power Company. He was unabl@
to formally introduce it before ADJOURN
ment, but filed a copy with the City
Clerk This paper is as follows:
BROAD STREET TRACKS.
To the Honorable City Council Of the City
Of Richmond, Va.
COMMUNICATIONS petitioner, the Rich
1nond Passenger and Power Company,
would respectfully represent that un0er
the terms ana provisions of an ordinance
proved December 2S, 1899, it is.requtred TO
run certain Of its cars on the north track
OF the Richmond Traction Company from
Ninth and Broad Streets TO Laurel ana
Broad Streets, and on south track OF the
Richmond Traction Company from Laurel
and Broad Streets to Eighth and Broad
Streets.
Your petitioner would further represent
that in its original petition TO your hon
;IT,y- .triy- lSc
along the streets Of this city, ii requested
that il be allowed to electrify It's own
tracks on Broad Street between the points
above mentioned, which are noW, and
have been for many years past, used by
the mule cars, for the reason that it be-
Iteved that greater benefits would accrue
both to the travelling public and to Itself
by electrifyinS its own tracks than by ruI2-
ming the cars of that lire on the tracks
OF the Richmond Traction Company. The
Committee on Streets differed with your
petitioner as to the wisdom and desirable
tty of granting such privilege to your petit
toner. and provided III the ordinance that
the cars operating on that line should be
run on the tracks of the Richmond Trac
ton Company between the points above
mentioned as aforesaid. This rcconarrlen-'
dation of the Committee on Streets was
adopted by your honorable body without
debate. and it is the OBJECT OF this petition
that your attention should be specifically
called to this point N order that it may
be fully discussed and considered.
Your petitioner would further represent
that there are many reasons why its cars
should be operated on its own tracks
rather than on the tracks of the Rich
1aond Traction Company, one Of which is
in the matter of schedule. The Richmond
Traction Company is required by ordi-
nance to make a fiye-minute schedule on
its Broa1-StTeet line and a. dve-nInute
schedule on its Oakwood to Hollywood
line which line operates on the Broad
Street tracks from First to Eighteenth
Streets, the same tracks on part Of which
it is proposed that your petitioner shall
also operate its cars. This makes a
schedule of two-an ansi-0ne-half minutes on
those tracks at present. Your petitioner
is required. TO maintain a schedule of five
minutes on what is known as its Holly
wood line, being the line which runs on
Broad Street between Laurel and Eighth
and Ninth, and if the cars Of that line
are operated upon the tracks of the Rich
mond Traction Company, as required by
ordinance, it VII reduce the headway Of
cars on those tracks to about ore-and-one-
half minutes, which your petitioner thinks
is too short for a safe and satisfactory
operation OF cars, and one in which the
interference of cars with each other would
make it almost impossible TO maintain the
prescribed schedules, and further, that the
danger of collision between cars OF dat-
ferent companies. run under different man
agements on different schedules, would be
very great. Such an arrangement, in your
petitioners opinion. would also make it
very difficult TO maintain the schedule re-
c1uired by law on the remainder OF that
III rhe present northern : track operated by
YOUR petitioner on Broad Street is laid
with girder rail and is in proper condition
to be electrified at once; the southern
track only would have to be changed to
grder rail.
Your petitioner respectfully represents
that it is willing to put the surface Of
Broad Street in such condition as Will be
sa satisfactory TO the CITY Engineer, SO that
no inequalities will be caused by allowing
the tracks to SO remain
Your petitioner believes that it will add
greatly to the safety and cOnv ver1ence of
the travelling public to allow this change
IN its present ordinance. and it is sure
that it will be a great benefit to itself Il
believes that the objection to foa1r tracks
on Broad Street is more apparent than
real; that the danger Of collisions and
accidents would be decreased rather than
Increased by having four tracks. and that
the facility of operation and maintenance
of schedules would be increased.
Therefore YOUR petitioner would respect
fully ask that it's ordinance approved
December 23 1893. be 50 amended as to
allow it to eIectrify' its own tracks on
Bread Street, preparing and changing the
same under the supervision and to the
satisfaction Of the CITY Enstrtssr.
Very respectfully,
(Sfgred>
RICHMOND PASSENGER AND POWER
COMPANY, by
]. D. PATTON,
President
THE MEMBERS PRESENT
,y,, f,, r,1.si = q, clock With th,