The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-19

the ordinance would have to be repeal
ed, and then there would be SOME diff
flculty in making suitable and yet
artistic one. AS TO the real reason for
as high q fence, the ordinance was
passed so that this fence would keep
the smoke and steam Of passing loco
motives from bothering and frighten-
ing passing teams. That reason for a
high fence holds just as good to-day
as 1t did fifteen years ago: Another
reason why a low balustrade would be
a poor arrangement. Loafers and
roughs would congregate there every
fair evening and insult passing wo-
men. Experience has taught that. Then
the fact that the persons using the
bridges would be annoyed by the smoke
of passing trains seems to have been
overlooked. And another important
reason. Watching passing trains seems
to hold certain fascination for the
average youngster and were the baItis-
trade low enough, many of these would
climb up on top of the concrete wall
and 1t would only be question of time
before one of them would tumble off
into the cut and perhaps in the path
of an oncoming train. Taking all in
all it has seemed to be wiser to put
up the six or seven board fence at the
sides of the bridges. When the electri-
ficatton of the New Haven road to thsi
city Is completed, then will be the time
to talk about putting UP an artistic
and slightly bridge. Anyhow it is only
a matter Of few years before build
ings will be built over the cut and then
where does your artistic bridges come
in?"
A prominent citizen when given the
substance of Mr.. Kelly's conversation
said that the ordinance ought to be
repealed at once and steps taken to
put up slightly bridges across the cut.
His views were also entirely in opposl-
tion to those Of the city engineer. He
said; 1--WE cannot realize the CITY
Beautiful' If the railroads going to put
up inaHistic and ugly bridges across
the cut. If an ordinance stands in the
way Of our having attractive structures
there why there is only one thing to
do Repeal the ordinance! Mr. Kellys
statement that horses might be fright
ened may be true, but the roadway
could be made a little lower than the
foot passageways and that difficulty at
once obviated Then. about the loaf
ers and hangers on, what's the police
force for, but to keep the streets clear
of just such persons, and what danger
Is there of children falling over If the
balustrade be made four or five feet in
height.
And the city engineers contention
that when the electrlficatlon of the
New Haven road through here is real
lied, then will be the time to put up
an artistic bridge would mean, never,
because when the bridges are once mlilt
they won't be changed When the
high fences are once put up they're up
to stay.
AS to there ever being structures
built right across the cut I have my
doubts because, although Til admit it
possible, land Is not so scarce that they
would have to go to the expense of
spanning the cut, and knowing a little
about building costs, the expense of so
doing would make. the proposition seem
very improbable. have not heard
a single objection raised which could
not be met, and every purpose of
high fence could be satisfied in many
other ways, and yet leave the bridges
across the tracks artistic and slightly.
If we don't look after these little things
about the city we can never attain our
goal CITY Beautiful. >"