Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-13
commissioners
NADUC| HEARING
Board Meets In This City to De-
eide Whether Necessity For
Viaduct Exists
BOTH SIDES ARGUE THE CASE
Members of the Council and Commits
sioners, Together With Various Rail-
way Officials, Look Over the Ground
of Proposed viaduct site-will Not
Go on Third Avenue.

80 on lhlrd Avenue.
The city council and others interested
| iii the viaduct question for Center
street, together with the representatives
| of the various railroads entering ths
city, had their innings today before the
railroad commissioners of Iowa, who
met here, by appointment, to afford a
hearing on the question of whether OF
not the necessity of yiaduct exists.
| One thing was practically determined
from statement by Chairman e. A.
Dawson. altho the commissioners will
not make public their decision until all
the evidence can be gone over at length
in chambers. The one important fact
learned was that the commissioners will
not consider any street for a viaduct
where that street can not be made alb
solutely impossible below the viaduct
The commissioners believe that if q
viaduct is needed on any street, there
should be no liability in surface cross
ing, and that all traffic should be on the
yiaduct. This being the case, Third
| avenue is practically ont of the ques-
ton, as 1t would be il1rr ossible to close
the lower end of the street needed for
the yiaduct and its approaches.
The commissioners and visiting rail-
way officials We're met upon their ar
rival in the city by the members of the
council, City Solicitor Van Law and
others, and taken over the ground. The
entire party first went over the ground
Of the Third avenue crossing and then
was taken over to the south side. The
advantages, as we'll as the disadvan-
tages, of the location We're pointed out
10 the commissioners by the members of
the council Center street was then
visited and this street WAS also looked
over. The entire party then adjourned
to the west court room, where the hear
ing was granted by the commissioners,
and arguments were listeEed to in favor
OF the viaduct by representatives of the
city and against it on the part of the
railroad interests.
All of the commissioners, Chairman
e A. Dawson, and Messrs.ND. j. Palmer
and Edward C. Brown, were presen.
western were General Manager r. III.
Ashton, of Chicago: Division Superin-
tendent w. H. Whalen. OK Boone; Gem
Des Moines; and r. BiIford, the COM
Central, General Superintendent NJ.
Sweeney and Chief Engineer II. G..
Kelley, of Minneapolis, and General So
a.. Y ,,fn cIrp l0
Assistant General Solicitor John l.. Err
DALI of st. Paul, represented the Great
Western. All the members of the city
council excepting Mess1s. WATSON and
Arnold accompanied the party.
The Hearing.
The west court room had much the
appearance of a regular session OF
court, with the number of attorneys
scattered here and there, -and the conf
missioners as a judge and jury. Any
one who so desired was given an op-
portunity to speak on the question and
explain his views as to the public me-
cessity of viaduct.
City Solicitor Van Law addressed the
commissioners at some length, dwell
ing upon the necessity of the overhead
crossing on Center street. He spoke of
the number OF people employed in the
south part of the city in the different
factories, how their lives We're in
Jeopardy in crossing the network of
tracks, and how a constant lookout,
much to the inconvenience of passers
by, had to be kept for trains. He also
spoke OF the residence population in
the south part of the city, that had to
transact business In the city, and in
going back and forth to their homes
We're in constant danger when crossing
the tracks. The advantages OF the
viaduct to the farming community We're
also referred to.
Chairman Dawson questioned Mr..
Van Law and City Engineer Bremner
as to the plans and specifications of the
proposed viaduct, and the estimates as
to the cost. While the cost was of only
a secondary consideration, when COM
pared to the question of public safety,
it had bearing on the case, and the
figures of the cost should be as acur
ately known as nearly as possible be-
fore any decision was arrived at.
Sewers Runs q Big Bluff.
General Solicitor George w. Sewers,
of the Central, in his address before
the commissioners, made several ex-
trayagant statements that will be
looked upon quite generally as big
bluff. Mr.. Sewers had made the cost
OF the viaduct the most important ques-
ton, In way, and in speaking of the
conditions in general said that the
question Of safety to railroad employees
and the railroads, as common carriers,
was of equal Importance to that of the
safety to the public, which latter fact
no one has ever denied.
Mr.. Sewers then said that the press
ing of the viaduct question at this par
ticular time was very unfortunate as
far as the Iowa Central was concerned
Mr.. Sewers said that it was generally
known that the Central had begun, and
expected to continue, a complete re-
vision of its line. This revision in
yolved the Encouragement of yards at
almost every station. II the viaduct
We're built on Center street the road
would probably, in order to cut down
the cost, lessen the number of it's
tracks to two or three. The yiaduct