The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-25

Board of Trade Committees Work.
The West Lackawanna avenue VIA
duct is now a possibility. The Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road company and the Scranton Rail-
way company will build it free of
cost to the city. All that the city
need concern itself about is the con-
seuuential damages to property. As
the viaduct must come some time, and
these damages met, is is not unlikely
that the city officials will conclude
that they might best be met now,
while the offer of the two companies
is before them.
The offer was the result of CONFER
ence yesterday morning between Presi-
dent w. II. Truesdalc and Chief En-
gineer w. X. McFarlin. Of the Lacka-
wanna, and President C. NJ. Clark and
General Manager Frank Sillman, jr.,
of the trolley company. They had had
considerable correspondence on the
subject of jointly building the VIA
duct and 1t was a matter of a very
short time after their coming together
before an agreement was reached.
Forthwith they called together the
city's representatives and made known
their proposition. The meeting was
held in the offices of willard. Warren
& Knapp just before noon. There
were present Mr.. Truesdale, Mr.. Clark,
Engineer McFarlin, Mr.. Silliman, Colo
mel F. L. Hitchcock, G. K. Kinsley and
A. b. Dunning, of the board of trade
streets and highways committee; city
Engineer Joseph Phillips, City So
lcitor A. A. Vosburg and ex-judge II.
a. Knapp, counsel for the companies.
AGREEMENT PRESENTED.
The proposition was laid before the
Scrantonians, plans of the proposed
viaduct were displayed and an agree
ment made to give the city a bond
TO build the viaduct in the quickest
possible time after the permission IL
forthcoming.
The city's representatives agreed to
present the offer to councils at once
| and urge its immediate acceptance.
City Engineer Phillips heartily ap-
proves of the idea, and says the plans
are in every way acceptable. The
| structure, he estimates, will cost $70,-
| 900.
The offer Is the result Of negotia-
| tions conducted by the committee on
| streets and highways of the Scranton
| board of trade. This committee set
| itself upon the task of abating some
| of the death traps connected with
| our streets, and tackled the West
| LaCkawanna avenue crossing first.
An interview published in The Trib-
une with Mr. Silliman of the Railway
| company, ELECTED a proposition from
that company to build a viaduct over
| that crossing for their own use, at
| their own expense, if the city would
| permit it. This was reported to the
| board Of trade and the committee was
authorized to communicate with the
| Delaware, LackaWanna and Western
people, and, If possible, secure the co.
operation of both companies in build.
ing the viaduct.
The committee was most cordially
received by the officers of both com.
panies; several conferences We're hell
with them and with the city engineer
and city solicitor and the outcome
is the offer of yesterday.
FIRST-CLASS STRUCTURE.
The plans agreed upon call for
sixty foot Viaduct, covering the Who'll,
roadway of West Lackawanna avenu,
from Seventh street to Ninth street
Under these plans the structure vii
not only be a substantial one, but
handsome, thoroughly up to dat
bridge, which will make the hill Clml
very much easier than now. Th
grade from Seventh 10 Ninth stree
will be but trihe over six per cent
against eleven per cent. from tn
tracks up, now.
The Lackawanna people have mad
concession in the crossing grade
which has made this easy grade pos
sible. The Viaduct will go over tn
tracks at a height of a little NOR
than seventeen feet whereas twenty
one to twenty-five feet has been re
quired heretofore.
The proposition is certainly highl
creditable to both companies. Sim
} ilar structures over crossings in New
ark Binghamton and Emira are no,
being built, and the cities in each cas-
pay part of the cost as well as tn
, resultant damages to abetting prop
critics.
Less liberal propositions have here
tofOre been made to Scranton, but tn
committee realized that If the city wa
to be saddled with any portion of tn
cost of the viaduct, an indefinite tim
, would elapse before 1t could be bull
for the reason, that no funds are avail
, able for that purpose; and to rails
/, funds meant another bond ordinanC
and vote of the people thereon, wit
the possible constitutional debt linn
blocking the way. This condition {
affairs was frankly stated to the tw
companies, and they were told tina
g the only way to get viaduct was
build 1t themselves, which they haV
handsomely agreed to do.
The question of damages to abut
ting properties can be settled in til