Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-15

The Los Angeles Pacific Railway
company is now considering the advis-
ability of making one of the most bene-
fetal changes in routes and accom-
plishing one of the greatest engineer
ing feats that have ever been carried
out by a railway in Los Angeles.
The company has proposed to tunnel
the hill on Hill street north of First
street and change the route so that
the cars would run directly east from
Fourth street on Hill to Sunset bouie-
ward and thence by the present route
to Hollywood.
Should the company carry out its
present plans 1t would have to petition
the council for Hill street franchise
and would bear a part of the expense
of constructing the tunnel.
Several months ago residents Of the
Third ward presented a petition to the
city council asking that this tunnel be
constructed, and the matter Is now in
the hands of the engineers.
Must Change Grades
The engineers found that several
grades on Hill street would have to be
reduced or changed and an ordinance
for the changing Of these grades is now
being advertised.
The present proposed tunnel does not
extend over. the entire street but, un-
doubtedly, should the railway company
secure it's franchises, the tunnel would
be extended so as to be the full width
of the street.
Property owners in the vicinity of the
hill will receive such a proposition from
the Los Angeles-Paciflc with open
hands for several reasons.
= hotr MT fOr
building the tunnel and some of the as
sessments, 1t Is estimated, would reach
as high as $40 front foot. Such a
line passing in front of their property
would serve to increase property values
and would cause the erection of good
buildings and an extension of the busi-
ness district.
Merchants Favor Ii
Several merchants, who have stores
near the Los Angeles-Pacific depot,
said last night that such a change in
the route of the road would meet with
their APPROVAL. They were unanimous in
the opinion that something should be
done to relieve the congestion of cars
on Spring and Main streets during the
rush hours.
They also said that they believed that
it would be greatly appreciated by the
residents of Hollywood, Colegrove,
Sherman and other suburban cities,
because it would bring them directly
to the heart of the business center in
less time than at present.
In speaking about the change, F. M.
Coulter of the Coulter Dry Goods COM
pany, said:
81 am heartily in favor of such a
plan. 1t would serve to stop some Of
the congestion in business centers. 1t
would help to build up Hill street. l
think it would be greatly appreciated
by the people living in the suburban
towns because 1t would shorten the
time"
At present the cars reach Sunset
boulevard by long detour through one
of the busiest sections of the business
district. They leave the station on
Fourth street, between Broadway and
Hill street and run east to Spring
street, thence north on Spring and Main
to the Plaza to Sunset boulevard.
North to Sunset
BY the proposed route the cars would
run directly north on Hill to Sunset
boulevard.
Thomas r. Gabel, general manager
of the Los Angeles-Pacific railway,
said that the new route would eliminate
many bad features and that 1T was a
possible change, although he did not
say that the company is at present con-
sidering the change.
That is a proposition that has been
stirred up many times" said Mr.. Gabel.
"Of course we would have to secure
franchises before we could make any
proposition toward carrying out that
plan. At present l cannot say that the
officers of the company are considering
the advisability of changing the route"
Another official of the company, how
ever, made the statement yesterday that
the officials will endeavor to secure a
plan whereby they can cooperate with
the residents of the Third ward in
bearing the expense Of constructing the