The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-09-12
WHAT THE CAIRO ALDERMEN
THINK ABOUT THE SUBWAY
Alderman rases Plan Saved the City Thousands OF Dollars
City Fathers Will Vote Unit on the Subway
Proposition Tomorrow Night.


ton is very popular subject inst a
this time and much speculation is be
ing INDUCED as to whether or no
the city council at its meeting tomor
row night will accept the proposition
of the Cairo Electric and Traction
company in which that company
agrees to build the subway without q
dollar of COST to the city in consider
alton of the city council granting
them a franchise for twenty years to
run their cars on the streets of Cairo
At one time the city council agreed
10 spend $4,000 in building the sub,
way and loop levee and signed con.
tract with the Illinois Central TO that
effect. The city only escaped from
this contract because the paper fail
ed to specify when the work should
be commenced and when completed.
A plan has now been submitted by
Alderman Fraser and approved by all
the councilmen who. have examined
It, which will do away with the loop
levee and reduce the cost of building
! the subway several thousand dollars
/ In its present financial condition
I the city cannot build the subway even
though the cost was much less than
! IL really is, and the Cairo Electric and
Traction company proposes to do the
work for the city and maintain tbs
subway free of cost 10 the city in con.
sideration OF the extension of their
franchise ten years, which would give
them a twenty-year franchise.
Considering the cost of building the
subway-which will be between S..
900 and s10,000-there are some al
dermen in the city council who fail
to see how the Traction company can
afford 20 do the work But. Judging
from a conversation with one of The
coneilmen last nigh. the Traction
company has in view some things
which If carried out will, to quote the
gentleman, be of more value to the
city than all the railroads you could
run in here"
The proposed extension of the
Sycamore street line of the Cairo
Electric and Traction company's road
10 Mounds Villa Ridge, Mound City
and Beech Ridge is not a new one,
but the offer of the Traction com.
pany to open up the subway lends
much to the belief that this will now
be done. The heavy grade which tho
cars would be compelled 20 pun over
on each side of the Illinois Central
railroad tracks has been stumbling
block 10 the extension of the line TO
the country as IL would require an
extra car or some deyicesto pull the
cars loaded with produce or garden
truck up these steep grades. The
building of the subway will do away
with this Objectionable feature and il
Is believed the line will be extended
IN comparatively short time.
There has been some discussion
regarding the height Of the subway
and one alderman stated that he did
not think thirteen feet and nine |
inches was sufficient to permit the
passage beneath of a wagon loaded |
with hay. Alderman Fraser thinks
the height proposed would be sur.
ficient.
The lowest part of the roadbed in
The subway would be two feet higher
than Sycamore street is at Fortieth
street BY lowering the grade of the
subway to that of Sycamore street ii
would allow a space fifteen feet. nine
and one-half inches.
A greater part of the dirt taken
rom the excavation for the subway
viii be used TO grade Sycamore street
lorth and south of the bridge an.
1roach and the grading will extend
500 feet on either side and will be
sixty feet wide. The slope from the
subway to the Big Four railroad
rack, distance of 500 feet on this
iide will be eight inches to every 100
eet. On the other side the fill will
'Xtend to the plant OF the Three
states Lumber company.
II the proposition of the Traction
company is acted upon favorably at
omorrow nights council meeting
nd there is little doubt but that II J
will be commenced on the ]
ubway at once and will be completed $
y the first Of the year. This allows
ora great deal of bad weather. and {
Is barely possible that the work J
Tiii be completed at an earlier date. I
Traction compsny's offer. {
Following is the proposition in part S
s submitted 10 the city council by !
he Cairo Electric and Traction com. :
any: 4
Owing 10 the consolidation of the r
ifferent street railway companies v
nd numerous changes for the bet. j
or operation of The same. this com.
any Is DESTROYS Of having the several v
ranchisss Of the different roads com b
ined into one. and with this in view n
'e make the following proposition. c
IF the city will grant this company a
franchise for twenty (20D years A
rom date of passage Of ordinance u
overing all three roads, and under v
ne same conditions as the franchise q
ow existing this company will a
gree. ar its own expense. TO open up 81