Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-01-25
CITY TAKES up TRACK.
Street and Saver department Moves the
Rails Ernm tho Bed of sixth Street.

Street and Sewer Department Moves the
Rails rrnm the BED nf sixth Street.
Six minutes past 12 o'clock Saturday
"a men, under the direction of Street
Commissioner Frank W. Pierson, be-
gan 10 remove the rails and ties from
the bed of Sixth street, between du
Popt and Union, which were put down
last. Saturday by the Wilmington City
Railway Go. President William Sim
mons Of the Street and Sewer Depart
ment also supervised the work Street
Commissioner Pierson comforting With
him occasionally. The men we've d.
vided into sections, which were in
charge of the street supervisors and
Clerk Leslie v. Christy Of the depart.
ment. No resistance was offered and
the work proceeded quietly. Foreman
Sill of the Wilmington City Railway
Co. was on hand, but only as spec
tator. Hundreds of other people were
also there as spectators.
Everything was, ready to begin work
at IL O'Clock, hut the representatives
of the Street and Sewer Department
a few minutes grace to comply with
the order issued Inst Tuesday directing
the company to have the track up and
the street 10 good condition by noon
today, but as there was no indication
that tho company was going to do any
thing the city force. began work.
Operations weM commenced ut
du Pont street, where. not only the
straight track on Sixth street, but also
the curved rails on du Pont street,
were removed. Scott street was given
attention next and the crossing made
passable. After the rails and ties had
been taken out the, excavation was
filled with ashes AL
The rain had made the ground ex-
oeedingly muddy, and in some places
the mud appeared to be two feet doep.
This condition made the work more
difficult than it would have been under
other circumstances ssbut the men we're
there to work and they made headway
rather fast, considering the obstacles
The rails and ties were removed with
as much care as they had been put
down and placed on the side of the
street, out OF the way of the ordinary
roadway, and the excavations were
filled 10 with mud, stones, ashes and
other material.
! sour method of procedure said
Street and Sewer Director Simmons to
a reporter Of the Gazette, soon after
| the work had started, "willibe TO place
the rails and ties along the street and
notify the railway company that they
are there and are interfering with
travel, and / think if the company
does not come within a reasonable
length of time and get the material VIC
will haul it to onr storehouse. He
could not say what would become OF
the material il the department took it
to its storehouse. MIR, Simmons snid
an effort would be made to put the
street in the same condition it was be-
fore the tracks were put down. He
also said the department was acting
according to the advice received from
the city solicitor.
Although no friction was expected,
Police Captain Kane and Sergeant Rice
were on hand. hut they had no part in
the matter at all. The opinion was ex-
pressed at l o'clock that the work
would in all probability be completed
| during the afternoon.
During much of the time the men
worked in the rain and at times the
fog was so dense that it was impossible
TO see much further than square.