The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-20
VIADUCT PROJECT
VERY MUCH ALIVE
PRESIDENT TRUEsDALE DIS
cussED NEW PLAN.
Head of the Lackawanna Company
Conferred with q Board of Trade
Committee and Took Under Ad-
visement the Latter's Plan of Hav-
ing the Railroad and Street Com
panies Build the Structure, the
City to Pay the Damages will
Give Answer in Ten Days.

President wv. II. Truesdale, of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad company, was in this city
yesterday. and spent over an hour in
consultation with the streets and
bridges committee of the board of
trade on the viaduct question.
The members of the West Scranton
board of trade, having taken up this
matter and having failed in crystaliz-
ing public sentiment in favor of the
Improvement, the Scranton (without
the wesD board has taken 1t up and
from the statements of some of the
members of the committee seen after
the conference.-the a very big chance
of ultimate success.
The conference began shortly after 5
o'clock, and was attended by Colonel
f. L. Hitchcock, C. r.. Kingsley A. b.
Dunning, Secretary Atherton and Mr..
Truesdale. The committee submitted
it's plan, which is in brief that the
Lackawanna company and the Scran-
ton Railway company should get to-
gether and enter into Joint agreement
for the construction of a viaduct at
their own expense, the city to be liable
only for the damages.
FAVORS COMMITTEES PLAN.
Mr.. Tpuesdale stated that he was
heartily in favor of cooperating with
the board of trade, with the councils
or with any influential body of citizens
in any project that would tend to the
erection of viaduct over the West
Lackawanna avenue crossing. He said
that he still held the view he has al
ways held on this subject, namely, that
the viaduct when built should be con-
structed from curb line to curb line,
thus effectually closing the street and
rendering any accident at the crossing
impossible. He appeared to greatly
favor the plan of the committee and
announced that he would confer with
President Clarke, of the street railway
company within a week, and announce
positively the company's stand on the
proposition within ten days.
The members of the committee be-
lieve that one of the principal reasons
for the defeat of the viaduct propo-
sition at the spring elections was the
belief current among a number of the
taxpayers that the companies were not
contributing enough towards it's erec-
tion. The Lackawanna made a bona
fide offer of $4,000 and the Scranton
Railway company one of $4,000 only.
The latter company offered to contrib
ute more than this last named sum,
provided 1t was exempted from an in
crease of local taxation, which offer
wouldn't, of course, be considered for
a moment.
City Engineer Phillips has estimated
that the cost of the structure will be
$4,000. The committee believes that
the benefits to be derived from it's
erection will be about equally divided
between the two companies, and on this
basis the share of each would be Just
| S35, OC0. The fact that the Lackawanna
company was willing to contribute for
vladuct On the south side of the
street, while favoring one in the center
is taken as good ground for the belief
that it is very likely to chip in an
extra $4,000 if the street railway COM
pany does as well.
LIKELY BE IN LINE.
| The fact that the officials of the lat
ter corporation have so recently an
nounced that they are perfectly will
ing to erect a viaduct for their own
use at an estimated cost of 100000, is
taken as a good strong foundation on
which to base the belief that this COM
pany will also be inclined to contribute
half of the cost of construction of a
viaduct to cover the entire street.
Altogether the several members OF
the committee and a number of the
prominent members of the board are
very sanguine as to the outlook. II
the two companies agree to construct
the viaduct, the plan is to have an
ordinance passed providing for a spe-
cial election in order that the citizens
of the city may vote as to whether or
not they are willing to have the city
bonded to pay for the damage which
will accrue to property owners on both
sides of West Lackawanna avenue
between Seventh and Ninth streets.
AS an illustration of the great in
terest President Truesdale is taking
in the matter, the fact might be men
toned that yesterdays conference was
held entirely at his solicitation. III
having informed Secretary Atherton IL
the morning that he desired to devote
q rart of his visit in Scranton to 6
| t,,lI 81, Il