The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-31
Railway Officials Claim Worlds
Fair Plans Depend on More
Tracks.
WORK MUST BEGIN AT ONCE.
Passenger Traffic Through Eads
Bridge Tunnel Can Be Avoided
and Large Crowds Handled
More Easily. g

Terminal officials are much encouraged
by the favorable action taken by he City
Council Friday upon the loop ordinance.
President McChesney Of the association
said in an interview yesterday that he had
not had an opportunity to look over the
amendments proposed, but believed mat the
necessity OF the loop was understood and
the matter could be arranged.
Other officials agreed with Mr.. McChes-
ney, in a statement which HI made, that
the elevated loop is perhaps the most i'm
portant part Of the Terminals plans, and
that work upon 1t should be begun Is soon
as possible. in order that It may be COM
pieted by the Worlds Fair opening. With
out the loop the plan to run the rapid Belt
Line trains would not be feasible.
E. b Pryor. assistant to President Ram.
sey OF the Wabash. was asked II the plan
which Mr.. Ramsey suggested and which
the Terminal Association IL trying to NUT
Into effect. Of taking passengers to tho
Worlds Fair via the Belt Line. wan stiil
feasible. and II the operation OF the belt
line was dependent. in any way upon the
so-called loop line. Of the Terminal Rail-
road Association. He said:
The Worlds Fair trains could not be on
Grated on the belt line unless the loon line
ordinance of the Terminal Association be
passed, and the two additional elevated
tracks constructed on the Leyee. M pro-
vided for In the loop-line ordinance. for the
reason that the regular trains coming into
and going out Of st. Louis. would constant
ly interfere with the running of the belt
trains. unless they were on separate tracks,
and 1t could only be provided for by the
construction OF the additional tracks called
Tor by the loop-line ordinance,
MUST BEGIN WORK AT ONCE
Unless the loop ordinance can be passed
and the Terminal Railroad Association an.
thorized to commence work on the loop and
the two additional tracks on the Leyee.
within a very short time, 1t win be too
late to be Of benefit to the Worlds Fair"
In the views expressed by Mr.. Pryor. r
L. Winchell. vice president Of the Frisco.
expressed hearty concurrence, as did other
railway officials of the city.
The building Of the loop will cost nearly
S2.oo,0 900 and will do away with the neces-
sity of sending passenger trains through
the Eads tunnel.
posed to build two additional tracks from
the Eads bridge, parallel with the elevated
tracks, 2,1W feet west. to a point vhere
the tracks will be sufficiently depressed to
Join the grade level tracks Of the terminal
yard.
The Terminal plan for handling Worlds
Fair traffic, which was originally proposed
by President Ramsey OF the Wabash, IL to
use the West End Belt Line. which starts
at the Merchants bridge and encircles the
city around the north and west to Page
avenue, near Forest Park, where It joins
the Wabash tracks. From there the Wa
bash tracks will be used to Grand avenue.
and from Grand avenue, the Terminal
tracks will be used to the Union Station.
TRAFFIC UNUSUALLY HEAVY.
Along the Levee 1t is proposed to use the
elevated tracks. but as 1t is believed that
the Worlds Fair traffic will be unusually
heavy. the plan is to double track the Belt
Line. add two additional tracks from Eads
bridge. 2.l0 feet west, snd add more tracks
to the Wabash line in Forest Park. as
well as TO build more roadways between
Grand avenue and the Union Station.
With the elevated loop construction. the
subway and the improvements on Atlantic
street, the Terminal Association expects to
expend nearly s6.0o0.0oo in improving the ia
, cilities for handling traffic.
I By the completion Of these plans n "a
claimed chat st. Louis will have the 6nest
terminal facilities In the United Statas. and
the immense throngs expected to attend
the Fair can be handled safely and easuy.
1t is understood hat IL the Terminal or
dinances are approved. the wabash win at
once enter into negotiations to construct
additional tracks on its right OF way by
the Worlds Fair tracks, In order thu III
the roads desiring to send trains 10 thu
Fair grounds may have excellent fActlit1es