Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-24
FOR VACATION OF STREETS
Abandonment of Certain Thor
oughfares is Desired.
THE COURT IS TO BE PETITIONED
Portions of Tenth Street and
Grant Avenue.


Notice has been given that S. T..
Hamilton E Bro, the coal dealers nj
Tenth and Union streets, and the Della
ware Hard Fibre CO., whose plant is
at Tenth and Eleventh and Union
streets, will apply to the Court of Gen
eral Sessions, at the May term, for the
vacation of all that part of Tenth
street lying between the soutbeasterly
line of the right of way of the Balti-
more & Philadelphia the b. q o. J
Railroad CO., and the westerly side of
Union street: that the Messrs. Hamil-
ton will at the same time ask for the
vacation of Grant avenue from the
southeasterly line of the Baltimore &
Philadelphia railroad to the northerly
side of Ninth street, and that j. +.
Rhoads & Sons will ask for the vaca-
tion of all that part of Grant avenue
from the northwesterly line of the right
of way of the Baltimore a. Philadelphia
railroad to the southerly side of
Eleventh street.
In order to ascertain just what the
situation is and what is desired by the
petitioners, a reporter of The Gazette
visited the locality Friday after
noon. Grant avenue is the next thor
oughfare west of and parallel with
Union street, and at present is owned
by the petitioners and George W. Wei
din, who is in accord with the move
ment The Messrs Hamilton have their
coal and wood yard, stables and other
buildings on the plot bounded by Union
and Tenth streets, the railroad and land
of Mr.. Weldin, which runs down to
Ninth street. There are M jmgTcvn.
mentS thereon except what have bean
placed there by the owners, Hl,o own
the beds of the streets as veil as tee
ground betweeen. The Messrs. Hamil-
ton own half of the bed OF Tenth street
from Union to the railroad and the
Delaware Hard Fibre Go. the other
half, the dividing fence heing in the
middle of the line of the street ex-
tended. Both owners have buildings in
the bed of the street, and, of course,
it is not highway and the city has
never made any effort, so far as is
known, to acquire it. Neither is there
any traffic over Grant avenue. A great
deal of grading would be necessary to
put it in shape for use.
On the westerly side of the railroad
the Messrs. Rhoads have purchased the
entire tract running from Ninth street
to Eleventh, with the intention of plac-
ing u leather factory thereon. Grant
avenue would run through one corner
of this property, which the company
desires to utilize for its buildings. So
far as is known, there is no thought of
opening the avenue, for a long time at
any rate.
Probably the most serious feature
about the whole thing, should the
streets ever be opened, is the railroad
crossing. Tenth street and Grant aye-
nue. intersect in the bed of the railroad
company's right of way, which would
make double railroad crossing, each
street running at an angle, and as the
railroad is about at grade with Union
street at that point the crossing would
have to be at grede, or it would be
necessary to make deep depression or
a high elevation for both thoroughfares.
The petitioners, now having build
ings on the lines of the streets, or de-
string to put new ones up, want the
streets vacated at those points to pro-
tect them from possible complications
in the future, for, under the law, if
perapn erpcts building on the line of
II city street, after the street has been
placed on She city map, he or she is
not entitled 10 recover damages for such
buildings in the event of the street
being opened. So far as is known,
therc is no opposition to the project, as
Eley"nth s!raet is graded up to the
railroad tor q grade crossing between
Union street and Grant avenue, and
there is a bridge over the railroad at
Ninth street.