Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1904-03-30
RIVAL COMPANIES SEEKING
STANDARDIZATION TROLLEY
OOESSA.MIODLETOWN co. AND DELAWARE
RAILROAD BEFORE TOWN COUNCIL.
Superintendent R. L. Holiday of Delaware
Railroad Asks Council for Bids to Furnish
Electrical Power for Smyrna Branch.

Railroad Asks Council for Bids TO Furnish
Electrical Power for Smyrna Branch.
The Smyrna Town Council had be-
fore it Friday night, two trolley con-
Germs for discussion. Walter S.
Letherbury and Edwin R. Cochran,
Jr., were in Smyrna Friday looking
over the ground with the expectation
of extending the MiddIetown- Odessa
trolley line to Smyrna. They had
obtained right of way for nearly the
entire distance and their proposition
was met with such favor from the land
owners they had reason to feel very
much encouraged over the outlook.
While IN Smyrna they interviewed
number of Councilmen personally and
while no formal application was made
at the Council meeting, they were
anxious to obtain a right of way
through north Main street to Com
MERGE and then out Commerce to
Clayton They wanted to lay their
track in the centre of the street and
agreed to ballast it two feet each side
of the track. This work they wanted
to start at an early date and have the
line extended from Middletown,
through TOwnseId and Blackbird,
and have completed as far as Clayton
by October the first. Next year they
want to connect Odessa. with Della
ware City and after that extend the
line from Smyrna to Dover. The
central power plant will be located at
Townsend. Just what the Smyrna
Council will do cannot be determined
until they make regular application.
Some of the members think it would
not do to give them the right of way
down the centre of the street because
the track would be directly over the
water main and would materially in
terfere in case of breaks, attachments,
etc just how they will get around
this question cannot at present be
determined, but whatever is done the
Company will be required to macada-
mize more than two feet each side of
the track.
Power For Smyrna Branch Railway
Amid all the agitation over the
Odessa Middletown extension comes
a communication to the Council from
Superintendent R. L. Holiday of the
Delaware Railroad, addressed to the
President Reynolds saying che would
be pleased to receive bids from the
Town Council for furnishing cleo
tricity to operate trolley cars between
Clayton and Smyrna, the termini at
Clayton to be the regular passenger
station. The number of trains to be
operated to be such as they may
designate. The Railroad Company
will construct and operate the line
and all they desire is the electrical
power. The terminus in Smyrna to
be the present passenger station or
if they might desire.to extend the line
further into town. The Council
thought favorably of the plan and
would like to have given Mr.. Holli-
day the bid asked for, but the ques-
ton at once rose that the plant had
not the capacity to take greater load
than it is now carrying without build
ing an almost new plant, increasing
the bonded Indebtedness, the salaried
force, etc., and this was hardly
thought practicable. After much dis
cussion, Mr.. Hudson made a motion
that Superintendent holiday be in
formed that the town had not sutfi-
Gent power to- make a bid, which was
carried unanimously. What this
move on the part OF the railroad means
was not definitely mentioned. Some
of the members thought that if the
Railroad Company really means to
construct a trolley between Clayton
and Smyrna, they would not ask the
town to furnish power, but that they |
would build a power plant OF their
own at Clayton, and not only operate
the line with it, but furnish light for
railroad offices and the town of Clay
ton. If the Railroad Company should |
mean to establish trolley line be-
tween here and Clayton, 1T would
naturally head off the Odessa Middle
town trolley and with such a condition
pending, might result in neither one
building a line. The question will re-
main an open one for sometime, and
In the meantime give the people good
deal to talk about.
Trolley Merger Promising For Smyrna.
Co.ncident with all this trolley talk
Is the meeting of the stockholders of
the Wilmington and New Castle and
the New Castle and Delaware City |
hallway Companies Thursday in the
"a" Offices of Salisbury, Ponder and
Curtis in Wilmington. which ratified |