Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-04
WORK IS STOPPED
Tri-City Railway Company Calls
a Halt on Track Con-
Struction.
DEFECTIVE SWITCH Is CAUSE
jog at Nineteenth Street and Second
Avenue Must be Strengthened
in New Track

clash has at last occurred between
the Tri-City Railway company and the
contracting firm of J. G. White & Co,
which has had charge of the construct
ing operations since the merger of the
tri-city railway and light utilities took
place.
The incident developed over the re
building of the switch at the junction
of the tracks at Second avenue and
Nineteenth street 1t seems that when
the Second avenue double tracks were
relaid by the Tri-City Railway COM
pany just before the sale Of the prop
erty few years ago, the center space
between the inside rails was widened,
as has been the case&gith all double
track reconstruction since N falla-
ton of the larger and widertype of
cars, in the interest of public safety,
but as the switch at Nineteenth street
was not put in at that time, it was
necessary to leave a jog in the tracks
at that juncture. which it was antici-
pated would be remedied when the
new switch was put in.
Orders Work u Stop.
During the past few days the ]. G.
White company has been making
preparations for the putting in
of the new switch and curves. and
to that end had put in the portable
cross-oyer switch east or Nineteenth
street. The material for the new
switch was already on the ground, but
when it came to putting it i'll, the Tri-
City Railway company discovered that
through an oversight in the survey its
measurements were the same as the
Old switch. which would leave the jog
permanently in the main tracks. Re
alizing not only the unsightly appear
ance of permanent Disagreement Of
this sort, but the likelihood that the
city would not permit it to stand, the
Tri-City company peremtorily ordered
q discontinuance of the work until Il
new survey can be made and a switch
of the proper proportions built.
In this the Tri-City company adopted
| the right course exactly. There has
| been considerable complaint and no
| little disappointment that the J. G..
White company, III installing the new
| switches and crossings ON Third ave
nue. at Nineteenthsstreet and at Seven
teenth street did not make them for a
double track that must eventually be
put in on Third avenue, instead of
merely conforming to the old single
track arrangement The work that ].
| G. White 4 Co puts in is so solid and
permanent that what has been done on
Third avenue will either preclude. the
possibility of double track there for
some years to come, or it will involve
the double expense to the company OF
recOnstructing the switches when the
double track is built.
Unfamiliar with the situation.
The main trouble with the ]. G
White & Co. since it came to the
three cities has not been in the nature
of its work, which has been of the
highest possible standard, but its en-
tire lack of familiarity with local con
ditions, and in this latter respect i
has not been disposed to learn.
!, The switch at Nineteenth street ant
: Second avenue will probably now hav
to go over until another year, as will
| the one at Second avenue and Seven
teenth street also, as the conditions a
the last named junction are much tn
same as at Nineteenth street.